Kolkata Online

Welcome to Kolkata

Our Aim : We are from WestBengal, Kolkata is our hometown. Our loyalty we have worn thick and thin is revealing more about Kolkata today presenting the history, life and culture of the Calcutta of the 2021s. To illustrate these reminiscences, we are also looking for old maps, pictures, newspaper articles, diaries in betweens. Quite a bit of our collections can be viewed in the sections ‘Daily Life’, ‘Communities’, ‘Guided Tours’ and ‘Historic Events’. We hope you enjoy our initiatives.

by Barnali Dutta

KOLKATA GUIDED TOUR

Reaching in Kolkata ⇅

Reaching Kolkata is very easy. Metro city Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (IATA: CCU, ICAO: VECC) is an international airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the Kolkata metropolitan area and is the aviation hub for the entire eastern and North eastern India . It is located approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the city centre. The airport is locally known as Kolkata Airport and also was earlier known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in 1995 after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement. Kolkata Airport is one of the oldest airports in India; it was opened in 1924.
Port of Kolkata or Kolkata Port, officially known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust, is the only riverine major port of India, located in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, around 203 kilometres from the sea. It is the oldest operating port in India and was constructed by the British East India Company.
Well connected with the country through three major railway stations Howrah station [station code HWH], Kolkata station [station code KOAA] and Sealdah station [station code SDAH].
Well connected national highways and state highways under developing transport system and long-distance bus terminus to-and-fro available in Kolkata.
From airport and railway stations… cab on call through app [uber, indrive, ola, yatri sathi], prepaid taxi booth, metro, circular rail, public vehicles

While in Kolkata ⇅

Preferable outfits in Kolkata as well as in India are long sleeves, bottom covered and scarf for a lady in public transport. Otherwise if private transport is preferred then one can wear whatever she likes in this city . But in semi urban places, towns or villages in India one should consider covered outfits. Public views regarding dresses are a wiser choice here. There is a proverb in Hindi: Aap ruchi khana, par ruchi pahan-na (Eat to your heart’s content, wear what others approve). It should be taken diligently to avoid people's attention mostly in India.

Though Kolkata is a safer place than the rest of India in the night, avoid arriving in the middle of the night. Transports are less, street direction and new and old place naming are not well-mentioned here. Kolkata is a very old city upgrading with technology day by day. Lanes, bylanes, and house names are not well organized here therefore local people are somehow unintentionally mislinked about the address and street directions. If it's too late, hypothetically you will have to choose between spending the night in the train or bus station or at the airport. If you're arriving early in the morning, especially after an overnight journey you might want to arrange an early check in with your hotel if there is an option while the general norm is 12 noon check-in/check-out time.

Cash for two days. No matter from what city in the world you are arriving in, it is important to be ready with some cash in your wallet. City may claim there are ATMs, but if it is on the other side of town one must know in advance how hard it is going to be to get cash. Many cashless transaction apps are available in playstore, but except Kolkata shopping mall locals are not used to it unlike other metro cities. The term “Khuchro” is for small money or exact prices that are considered to be ready in your hand.

Prices [in Indian rupees as of 2020]:
300₹ pre-paid taxi from the airport to the Esplanade area
200₹ foreigner entrance fee to Victoria Memorial
150₹ foreigner entrance fee to Indian Museum
150₹ a meal in a cheap but decent restaurant
120-150₹ coffee at a cafe
100₹ foreigner entrance fee to Indian Botanic Garden
80₹ AC bus from the airport to the Esplanade
70₹ veg thali (vegetarian dish plate) at a ‘hotel’
50₹ a meal in a cheap sit-down eatery
50₹ foreigner entrance fee to Tagore’s house
30-50₹ fresh juice from a street stall
30-40₹ egg roll from a street stall
20₹ bottle of mineral water
20₹ single AC tram journey
10₹ ferry from Dakshineshwar to Belur Math
10-15₹ single journey on a circular train
5-10₹ single metro ride in zone 1-2
7-10₹ single regular bus journey
25₹ minimum fare for a single AC bus journey
6-7₹ single non-AC tram journey
5-10₹ short journey on a circular train
5₹ chai from a street stall (at the Esplanade it could be double)
However on the other side of the coin if you are here in Kolkata many amusing moments are going to be experienced compared to other cities as it is the cheapest Metropolitan of the World.
Travel lighter as much as one can carry by themselves. One may have helping hands everywhere. It will be wiser to avoid help on the road. If you are in the railway station please do find services in proper id card and uniform.

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Bengal a short journey ⇅

Life of artisans may be drabbed, colorless and melancholy, but the color pervades in their mind and sight livens up the ever-flowing richness of civilization, the civilization for which we are proud of and others' envy. If our interest toward enlivens and heighten our eagerness to collect and purchase; the preservation enhancement of cultural sphere can be achieved.