Kolkata – ‘The city of Joy’

The Ganges (called the Hooghly in Calcutta) is still the inspiration, as it was to Job Charnok, East India Company agent, who reached the shores in August 1690, to found the city. Calcutta, after London, was the British Empire’s second city.

Kolkata, on-the-Hooghly, retains the aura of days long gone, weaving the past and the present, the intense and the funloving into a charming fabric.

Home to four Nobel laureates – Ronald Ross, Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa and Amartya Sen, Calcutta is the nerve centre of intellect and human values, where many modern movements began in art, cinema and theatre, science and industry. India’s quest for freedom began here.

Calcutta is the gateway to Eastern India. A city with a rich heritage, bustling streets and bewildering variety of facets. From October to March, Calcutta wears a radiant look. Sunshine, mild winter, lights, colours, fairs, festivals, galas and excursions, the mood is infectious and spirit sweeping.

How to reach there:

By Air : The city is serviced by 10 international airlines from both the East and the West, apart from Air India and the country’s domestic airlines.

By Rail : Calcutta is a major railhead and is linked to all parts of the country by an extensive network of trains. The two important stations are Howrah and Sealdah. Local trains are best for connecting to nearby places.

Road: Calcutta is connected by road with all the major cities of India.