Eden Gardens stadium is not a new name to the cricket lovers of India. It was originally named as “Auckland Circus Gardens” and has the seating capacity for over one lakh spectators. Another noteworthy place to visit for the spiritually inclined is the Armenian Church. History is the witness to the fact that the Armenians were the first people to bring Christianity in our country and this church is known to be the oldest church in Kolkata. If you visit here, you are sure to find a staircase that will take to a beautiful gallery with walls full of mural tablets. The interior of this church consists of white and black marble and it is one of the prime attractions to Christian pilgrims in the city.
One of the most famous place in Kolkata is the Dakshineshwar Kali temple dedicated to the hindu Goddess Kali. The temple has three storeys and was built when Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar reported to receive a divine instruction. Moreover if you happen to visit this temple, you should definitely follow up with a visit to Belur math that is at a mere distance of 3 km from Dakshineshwar Kali temple. Belur Math is located on the banks of river Ganges and is widely regarded as a “Symphony in Architecture”. If you are spiritually inclined as well as an architecture lover, Birla temple of Kolkata is a great place for you. It is famous for its grand design and is specially amazing around sunsets due to the daily aarti done here by the devotees. If you are here, you should visit the ancient Nakuleshwar Mahadev temple in its close proximity.
If you are visiting Kolkata, do not miss out on the ancestral home of the legendary Swami Vivekananda. In his pre-monastic life, he used to be known as Narendranath Dutta and it was this house where he lived for his entire childhood. In fact all the wondrous and amazing stories of his childhood that you might have read were all set in this house several years back. There is a clay model of Swamiji in this house as well as numerous belongings of his family members. This includes a bunch of hookahs of his father as well as Swami Vivekananda’s boxing gloves much to the wonder of the visitors. If you happen to visit here, you will surely be left mesmerised by the historical value of this place. The initiative for the restoration of this house was first taken by the Ramakrishna Mission.
Kolkata also happens to be the city of the great Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. So you can visit his ancestral home here that is called “Jorasanko Thakurbari” by the locals. It is home to several galleries dedicated to the life and times of Rabindranath Tagore and the Bengal Renaissance. You can visit it on Chittaranjan Avenue and enjoy a sneak peek into the rich history of our beloved Nobel Laureate.
There are a large number of budget hotels in Kolkata that lie in close proximity to all these tourist attractions. Further, Kolkata is a hub for food lovers as you can find restaurants and food joints around almost all the hotels here.
