You may have travelled all over the world, but you have to agree that best places to visit in kolkata, has always been, and always will be, the intellectual and cultural capital of India. Hence, it should not come as a surprise to you when we say that the city is filled to brim with locations and destinations, which are significant in terms of culture and history. Today, we are going to take a look at the top 10 cultural destinations in Kolkata that you should definitely pay a visit to, if you want to make your weekend engaging and interesting. Read on to find out more.
The Indian Museum, Park Street
The country’s oldest and largest museum is located right here in Kolkata, in Park Street. The museum is filled with cultural, historic, artistic and scientific artefacts from the past few centuries, which makes this place eligible for your consideration for a quick visit during the weekend. The Asiatic Society of Bengal founded this Museum in the year 1814, with a total of six sections including economic botany, geology, zoology, art, anthropology and archaeology. The artefacts and exhibits are displayed in a total of thirty five galleries, which is definitely an overwhelming figure.
Park Street Cemetery, Mallick Bazaar Crossing
Kolkatans have always had a weak spot for the lonely yet lovely feeling that the Park Street Cemetery in Mallick Bazaar has to offer, and this has always kept the place one of the favourites for spending a quality weekend with friends, family members or loved ones. Founded in the year 1767 and shut down within 23 years in 1790, this cemetery is one of the many heritage sites under the wing of the Archeological Survey of India, and rightly so. This cemetery has been used shooting a number of scenes for a number of Bengali movies.
Boi Para or Book Alley, College Street
The book alley or boi para of College Street in North Kolkata is one of the most popular and one of the busiest areas of the city. If you live in Kolkata, there is a chance that you have heard of this alley at least once, as this is the best place for buying books – books of each and every type imaginable, including magazines, story books, educational books, etc. You stand a good chance of getting your favourite story book at half the price if you have the patience to search carefully.
Nandan Theatre, Rabindra Sadan
Nandan Theatre, located on AJC Bose Road at Rabindra Sadan, is a government funded cultural and film centre in Kolkata. The foundation of this cultural hub was based on the notion that the cinematic awareness of Kolkata and its citizens has to be increased and enhanced, and since its foundation, it has successfully served its purpose with flying colours. The theatre cum cultural hub was inaugurated in 1985 by Satyajit Ray, the renowned filmmaker, and the foundation stone was laid down by the former chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
New Market, Esplanade
If you want a taste culture mixed with good food and bargain shopping, then New Market in Esplanade is definitely the place to be at during the weekend. When you visit New Market, you will see that the ambience is truly mesmerising, and the variety of street food available for your pleasure is mouth-watering as well as mind-blowing. The historic, sentimental and cultural value associated with New Market has no other comparison anywhere in the city.
Coffee House, College Square
Made famous not only by its brilliant coffee, but by singer Manna Dey as well in his famed song, Indian Coffee House at College Square on College Street is one of the finest coffee joints to hang out with family members and loved ones, or meet old friends after years of separation. The place caters to students and intellectuals by the hundreds on a day to day basis, owing to it being strategically located just opposite to Presidency University.
Boat rides on Hooghly River
If you want a weekend filled with romanticism and serenity, then a boat ride on Hooghly river is the perfect option to go for. If you are seeking a bit more uniqueness, rent a traditional boat to make your ride a whole lot more special and memorable. Pay a visit to Princep Ghat or Belur and enjoy an evening of cool river breeze, a delightful sunset, and a lovely song being sung by the sailor in his native dialect.
Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Rabindra Sarani, North Kolkata
Once the residence of the very first Nobel laureate of India, Rabindranath Tagore, Jorasanko Thakur Bari is now located on the Rabindra Bharati University campus on Rabindra Sarani in North Kolkata. This is the house Tagore grew up in, and spend the initial part of his adolescence at. It has now been turned into a Tagore Museum, and is filled to the brim with photographs, paintings, books and Tagore’s original literary works.
Alipore Zoological Gardens, Alipore Road
One of the most important cultural landmarks of the City of Joy, the Alipore Zoo is spread across a total area of 46.5 acres, and has been in existence since the year 1867, making it more than 150 years old. This zoo has always been a tourist spot not only for Kolkatans, but for tourists from the rest of India as well as foreign countries. With a wide array of exotic animals, birds, reptiles and aquatic creatures, the place is packed up with thousands of tourists during the winter weekends.
Victoria Memorial, Queen’s Way
Constructed over a period of fifteen years from 1906 to 1921, Victoria Memorial on Queen’s Way, built completely with white marble, was dedicated to the Queen of England, Queen Victoria. Post Independence, Victoria Memorial was converted to a museum, filled with paintings, literature and artefacts from the period of the British Raj. It is one of the most popular tourist spots of Kolkata, and draws in hundreds of visitors every day throughout the year, no matter the season or the weather.
