The Cultural Capital of India- Kolkata

Kolkata, which was formerly called Calcutta, is the capital city of West Bengal, which is one of the Eastern states in India. It is one of the oldest cities in India and is located on the banks of the Hooghly River. During the British rule, Kolkata was the capital of India but the capital was later shifted to Delhi because of the patriotic movements in this region. Kolkata is one of the most densely populated cities in India. Many people, who come to tour India, visit this city and it is also included in most Travel India and ‘Tours India’ packages.

Cultural heritage of the city:

Kolkata has always had a special place in the field of art and literature. Ever since the creation of Kolkata, this city has been the hotbed of cultural activity. Hundreds of famous writers, singers, actors, dancers and people in other creative professions have claimed this city as their birthplace. That is why Kolkata has earned the nickname of the Cultural capital of the country. It is the culture of city that attracts many tourists to visit this city during their India tours.

Kolkata even displays all kinds of architecture like Roman, Baroque, Oriental, Moghul and Gothic influences. Many of these building had become dilapidated and worn out with time. The good thing is that most of these buildings have been declared heritage sites and the government has undertaken their renovation and so, you may not be able to access some of these buildings during your India tours.

Indian Museum, which is the oldest museum in India, was established in the year, 1814. The building is designed in the British style with high arches and wide staircases. It has numerous rooms filled all kinds of priceless artifacts and hundreds of people visit this place every day. Another, extremely important landmark of Kolkata is the beautiful Victoria Memorial. It was built in Queen Victoria’s honor, when she had visited Kolkata during the peak of the British rule. It houses a museum, which has a pictorial documentation of the history of this city. The building is made of marble, with an iron statue on top. It is surrounded by lush lawns and artificial lakes on all sides. Tourists are known to visit this monument during their India travel and India tours.

Nearby, there is also the Academy of Fine Arts where exhibitions of art and sculptures take place. Next to that is Nandan, where the Kolkata Film Festival happens every year. Further ahead, one finds the National Library. Books which are hundreds of years old can be found in this library. Another very famous landmark, integral to Kolkata, is the Howrah Bridge. There have been references made to it in thousand of book and movies. It has been the inspirations for many writers and artists over decades and stands like a sentinel, guarding the approach to Kolkata. It is visited by cinema enthusiasts from around the world, during their India tour. Most travel India packages will include these places.

Thus, Kolkata is a city which can be regarded as the cultural capital of India and so many tourists visit Kolkata during their India travel.

Amitkumarana - About Author:
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