The 7 Things you shouldn’t miss out in Kolkata

Kolkata is a city I love.

I love the food and sweets, the lovely people, the vibrance, the old-world charm, the way that festivals are celebrated and so much more…

I first came here in 2010 and kept returning almost annually ever since.

The best time to visit Kolkata is during the winter months, Between November to February, then the weather is very pleasant.

But you can also consider coming a bit earlier in October, during the Navratri and Durga Puja festival to get an unforgettable experience of this grand celebration.

I would suggest you to come to Kolkata for minimum of 3 nights, as there are so much things to see and do here.

Here is a list of my top 7 things to do in Kolkata:

1) Kumartuli

When walking in the alleys of Kumartuli, the artists and sculpturers neighborhood of Kolkata, my Camera doesn’t stop clicking.

I love seeing the different stages of creating the idols. Starting only from straw and mud pulled from the Hoogli river. And ending up as an elaborated and extensively decorated live-like idols.

Though somethings are going on here all year long, the best times to visit is just before important festivals like Ganesh Chathurty, Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja.

2) Howrah Bridge and the wholesale flower market

The most iconic photo of Kolkata must be of Howrah bridge as seen from the river ghats.

A perfect way to start a touring day in Kolkata will be to catch the public ferry that crosses you the river from Kolkata to Howrah side.

If you are not in a hurry, you can consider also visiting the famous buzzing Howrah railway station.

From there cross the bridge back to Kolkata on foot, passing the small street vendors stalls, with all the rushing crowd.

At the end of the bridge, you will find on your right, a great spot to overlook and shoot some photos of the flower market below you. Take the staircase down and walk in the narrow lanes of the colorful and fragrant flower stalls.

* For your attention:

as many of the flowers are going to be used in temples and religious ceremonies, it is not allowed to bring your nose close to the flowers and sniff them. If you do that, the seller might force you to buy the flowers you smelled. According to the Indian tradition the fragrance should be dedicated to the god.

Another guideline for strolling in the narrow market streets, is to give way for the porters that carry baskets with heavy loads of flowers on their heads.

3) Belur Math and Dakshineshwar temple

Belur Math is the headquarter and heart of Ramakrishna Paramhansa Mission. Belur Math houses a museum, and temples dedicated to Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi - his wife, and Vivekananda – his man disciple.

Ramakrishna the famous Bengali saint of the 19th Century, is known for his unwavering devotion for Goddess Kali. He spent long times experiencing high levels of conciseness. Though he was from a traditional Hindu Brahmin family, he was also influenced by other religions as well. He said to have revelations of Muhammad, Jesus as well as Goddess Kali and was talking a lot about a universal god.

From Belur Math you can catch a ferry that will take you across the Hoogli river to visit the popular Dakshineshwar Kali temple. This is the temple where Ramakrishna used to serve and a Pujari (priest).

The Temple attracts many devotees each day, and on the river Ghat near the temple you might see pilgrims taking a holy purifying deep.

4) Indian Coffee house and College Street book market

An afternoon cup of Indian Filter coffee along with a refreshing snack might be exactly what you need while exploring Kolkata. A great place for this will be the “Indian Coffee house” in college street, where you might get a feeling of going decades back in time, as the place looks almost exactly how it was a century ago. As it is a popular and famous joint, the food and drinks are very fresh though, and the prices are very cheap.

After your coffee you can roam along the book stalls where you can find books in many languages and on almost any topic.

5) Victoria Memorial and the Maidan

The long Maidan area brings greenery and a natural fresh breeze to the bustling city.

Here you will find many people jogging, playing cricket or simply chilling out on the lawn.

At the south end of the Maidan you will find the 100 years old big white marble monument – the Victoria Memorial.

The beautiful pools and well maintained gardens around Victora Memorial are best enjoyed in the late afternoon when the weather is pleasant, and the light is soft. You will find many families, couple and group of friends, come to enjoy it also, dressed in the finest cloth.

If you are interested in History, it is also recommended to go inside to the museum, otherwise you can skip it.

6) Jain Temples

As Kolkata developed as a major commercial hub in the 19th century, many communities of merchants from all over India, were attracted to come and settle is the city.

One of this communities are people from Western India, that belongs to the Jain religion. They Jains are very wealthy businessmen as well as very faithful believers.

Once entering the complex of the Kolkata Jain Temples, the peaceful energy and beauty of the architecture are being noticed. The interiors are highly decorated with inlays of mirrors and colorful glasses.

7) Magen David Synagogue

As an Israeli from a Jewish family, even though not orthodox at all, I always feel excited when visiting a synagogue.

A community of Jews, referred to as the “Baghdadi Jews” migrated here during the British rule, as merchants. They mostly came from Iraq as the name suggest, but also from other cities that was under colonial Britain dominion back then.

The small community maintained their lifestyle and faith settled in Kolkata and had few synagogues, and a Jewish school. Nowadays there are very few Jews left in Kolkata, as most of them migrated to Israel.

The Magen David Synagogue has been recently renovated and is well maintained. and it is my favorite one in Kolkata.