Calcutta is the city of opposites. It is the city of haves and havenots, good and bad, old and new, ugly and beautiful, truth and untruth, and culture and subcultures. It was exposed to modern civilisation through the East India Company and then the Crown. It was for quite sometime the capital of India. The Bengalis say that Calcutta is the cultural capital of Eastern India. Not quite true. Calcutta has the oldest University, the Calcutta University, which is, incidentally, my Alma Mater. Some of the giants of Bengal, like Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, have been its Vice-Chancellors. The British Museum, the Botanical Garden, the Esplanade, the old New Market, the Great Eastern Hotel, the Grand Hotel, the Lake, the Kali Temple, the Thakur Badi at Jorasanko and the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture are its heritage points. And not far from it are the Belur Math, and Dakshineswar. It is the home of The Statesman, The Ananda Bazar Patrika, The Jugantar and the weekly magazine, the Desh. Calcutta has produced many world renowned scientists like Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, Dr. Meghnad Saha and Professor Satyen Bose. If you live in Calcutta, you must test the traditional Bengali dishes - the Maricher Jhol, Shukto and Bati Chardchardi. Again, if you are a student in Calcutta - at the Presidency College, the Science College or the City College, you must learn how to love. Calcutta is a City of Love. What about the Victoria Memorial and the Planetarium ? A visit to these places is a must. Calcutta is the city of theatres. The Bengalis love seeing plays staged in revolving pandals.’ The Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association (IPTA) with Marxist ideas has produced many seasoned actors and actresses, like Utpal Dutta, Sambhu Mitra and Saaonli Mitra. The Film Studios at Tollygunge are and worth visiting. The massive Howrah Bridge draws your attention, the moment you get down at the Howrah Station. Another Bridge across the river Hooghly has been constructed. So, the more I write about Calcutta, the feeling in me is that the less and less I know about Calcutta.

Type of Travel:	Long Distance Vacation
Duration of Stay:	More than 2 months
Average Expenditure:	Shoestring (less than Rs.500/day)
Group Size:	Five to nine
Best Suited For:	Couples
Best Time to Travel:	Dec - Feb