Johnny here. Right now I'm in Calcutta or Kolkata, if you prefer, and in this short
film, I'm going to try to illustrate why this is my favorite city in India
In my opinion, Calcutta is simply the most vibrant, colorful, characterful and
photogenic city in the whole of the subcontinent
Although not always pretty, it is always fascinating and carries a vitality of life
unmatched anywhere I know. As the cultural capital of the country renowned
for its writers, poets, artists and musicians, Calcutta is a must for anyone
that loves India. Founded in 1686 at the birth of the British East India Company
Calcutta isn't that old. As such, it's a place of wide streets flanked by hugely
impressive buildings, some stunning monuments and quiet parks and gardens
It's relatively easy to get around with a very good metro system and great
nostalgic tram service. Both of which beat using the overcrowded roads
In my opinion, the best way to see Calcutta is to walk.
There are many good walking tours of Calcutta
My own favorite starts here at a spectacular St. Paul's cathedral right next to the busy esplanade
district of the city. From here, you can walk directly across the vast, grassy Maidan to the Victoria Memorial
arguably the most impressive building from the time of the British Raj
still with the statue of the former Queen Empress
sitting in front, past the Calcutta Turf Clubs from where you can pick up a tram
that will take you back to the beating heart of the city at esplanade
From here you can walk or take a rickshaw to the spectacular St. John's Church
which was built in 1834 where you can also check out a memorial to one of the
most infamous events in the history of the British in India. In the grounds of
the beautiful St. John's Church you'll find this - it's a monument to the famous
black hole of Calcutta incident. This happened in 1756 when a hundred and
forty-three British men and women were forced into a small
room when the local Noab took over Calcutta and basically a hundred and
twenty-three suffocated only twenty survived. From here head down to Babu Gat
jump on a ferry across the Hoogly River an extension to the spiritual river
Ganges to Howrah Station. Join the million or so others the cross Howrah
Bridge each day and arrive at one of the city's best loved attractions the
Calcutta flower market. The famous Calcutta flower market or
Malik Bazaar is undoubtedly one of the subcontinent's most vibrant markets
It's a great place to wander, where over two thousand flower merchants come every day
to buy and sell their colourful and perishable wares. And from here if you've
still got the energy you can carry on by the adjoining bathing ghats beneath Howrah
Bridge, which is an amazing spectacle first thing in the morning and on to
Dalhousie Square. Here, at what was, at one time, the centre of British rule you'll
find some of the most important buildings of the Raj - The General Post
Office, Writers' Building and St. James's Church. The best time to visit the city
is between October to March when rain is rare but as you can probably tell I'm
here at the tail end of the monsoon season in September and when taking a
stroll through the north of the city another wonderfully atmospheric area
renowned for its fine mansions and famous potters that create the amazing
statues of gods and demons at the festival of Durga Puja that takes place
each October. The heavens opened and we got a real monsoon soaking. The evening is
another really atmospheric time to take a stroll, particularly around the busy
new market. Another hugely important part of the trip to Calcutta
is the cuisine. The Bengalis simply love their food. Of course the many places
around town you can try this from street corners to inexpensive local restaurants
like Nizam, the place I love to pop into for a quick curry, but for dinner
my favourite place has to be here at the Peerless Inn, where the West Bengal
restaurant serves one of the finest thalis you are ever likely to see
It simply has to be tasted to be believed. As far as I'm concerned, the saddest
thing about Calcutta is that so few tourists bother to come here. With the
vast majority accessing India through either Delhi or Mumbai, precious few
make it over to this side of the country and that's a shame. Calcutta itself
renowned as the cultural centre of the country has so much to offer, day and
night and is a very convenient gateway to other interesting parts of the
country. Wild Frontiers offers both small group trips and guided, tailor-made
holidays to Calcutta and all areas of the Northeast. Calcutta the city of joy
is quite simply one of the most atmospheric, chaotic, characterful and fun
cities you're ever likely to visit. So, next time you're planning a holiday to
India give Calcutta some careful consideration - you're very unlikely to regret it