Kolkata had been the capital of India during the British rule from 1858 to 1911. Being the seat of governance the British had to build the Government Houses and Town Halls, from where the business of governance and justice was carried out. Kolkata was stamped with the hallmark of authority like the era’s classic European capitals – indeed contemporaries likened it to St. Petersburg. Kolkata witnessed a spate of frenzied construction activity of buildings largely influenced by the conscious intermingling of Neo-Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Oriental and Islamic schools of design. The Writers’ Building, The Raj Bhawan (Residence of the Governor of Bengal), The General Post Office, St. Paul’s Cathedral are all examples of colonial influences, the grandest of all being the Victoria Memorial – referred to as “Taj of the Raj”.
A ride on the Kolkata Tram - Currently the oldest electric tramway in Asia as well as India's only tramways, since 1880, the tramways has seen the city develop gradually with one half still echoing the years gone by & holding onto the last strands of it, whereas the other is resurfacing each day & with it a new Kolkata!
Experience a short ride on the hand-pulled rickshaw. These have been running in Kolkata since the beginning of the 20th Century & till date only a few hundreds in numbers have been plying on the roads and with the advent of modern-day rickshaws the numbers are diminishing each day, hence hand-pulled rickshaw rides are one of a kind experience. Be there to enliven it.
Enjoy Walk Tours around heritage buildings of Dalhousie Square now known as BBD Bag; the College Street, the wholesale markets near Sealdah, the jewelry market in Bowbazar and numerous other areas of the city - each with its own unique identity.
Explore the outskirts of the city which have been witness to the various colonial settlements other than British who have come to Bengal.
After the tour satisfies your hungry stomach and tickles your taste buds at any of the numerous restaurants in the city serving between a range of ethnic Bengali food to other Continental cuisines - Chinese, Mughlai, Lebanese, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Spanish other regional and sea-food.
If out on a tour to satisfy the inner-quench of spirituality in you, Kolkata boasts of not one temple, but quite a few in number. One of the referred Shakti-Peeths of India is the "Kalighat Kali temple"- housing the toes of the right foot of Sati; Also the famous, Dakshineswar Kali temple - dedicated to Goddess Bhavtarini another aspect of Kali - is thronged by pilgrims seeking a miracle or just solace or simply peace of mind from the hustle & bustle of city life. This is also the temple where Lord Ramakrishna used to meditate. On the opposite bank is the Belur Math of Ramakrishna Mission.
Evening enjoys a short cruise on the Ganges as the sun sets into the river.