Kolkata: What To Know Before You Go

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is a bustling city in eastern India, known for its rich history and culture. It is the third-largest city in India and the capital of the state of West Bengal. Here are some key things to know before travelling to Kolkata:

- Kolkata is a huge, chaotic, and disorganised city, but it somehow functions, leaving visitors amazed.

- The city has a range of attractions, including incredible religious temples, good shopping districts, and delicious food.

- Kolkata is known for its vibrant street life, with constant activity and honking, and people and goods filling the streets.

- The city has a variety of transport options, including the iconic yellow Ambassador taxis, auto-rickshaws, human-pulled rickshaws, a metro system, local trains, and trams.

- The best time to visit Kolkata is from October to March, when the weather is mild and clear.

- Kolkata is home to India's only remaining Chinatown, Terreti Bazaar, with delicious Indo-Chinese food and Chinese medicines.

- The city is known for its literary heritage and has played host to many of the country's leading literary figures.

- Durga Puja, a five-day festival honouring the Hindu goddess Durga, is a highlight of the cultural calendar and a festive time for the city.

- Kolkata is known for its friendly and gentlemanly people, and its mellow and innocent atmosphere.

Kolkata's street life is vibrant and busy, with constant activity and noise

The streets of Kolkata are a great place to try the local cuisine, which is known for combining bitter and sweet flavours, and its use of mustard and poppy seeds. Street food is widely available and offers a variety of tasty snacks and meals, such as ghugni chaat, pani puri (known locally as puchkas), veg chowmein, and dosas. The city's markets, such as the New Market and Mullick Ghat Flower Market, are also well worth a visit, offering a range of goods and a lively atmosphere.

Kolkata's street life also extends to its ghats (embankments along the Hooghly River), which serve as public spaces for various activities. People gather at the ghats to socialise, buy goods, and take part in religious practices. Young adults often meet at Prinsep Ghat to take selfies in front of the Neoclassical arch, while Mullick Ghat is known for its vibrant flower market.

The city's paras (neighbourhoods) also contribute to its vibrant street life. Each para has its own character and specialisation, with names reflecting the caste or profession of its residents. For example, Kumartuli is home to potters, Muchipara to cobblers, and Darjipara to tailors. The paras are also centres of religious festivals, with neighbourhood associations organising celebrations throughout the year.

Overall, Kolkata's street life is a bustling and vibrant part of the city's culture, offering a unique glimpse into the daily lives and activities of its residents.

Street hawkers sell a range of products and services, from food to barbershops

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is a city rich in history and culture. It is India's third-largest city and is often described as the cultural capital of India. The city is a melting pot of different cultures, having drawn migrants from all over India, China, the Middle East, and Europe during its time as the capital of British India. With its grand colonial architecture and intellectual history, Kolkata is a fascinating place to visit.

One notable aspect of Kolkata is the presence of street hawkers. In 2005, there were around 275,000 hawkers in the city, generating a business worth around 2 billion USD. These hawkers sell a range of products and services, from food to barbershops. They are a common sight, occupying large portions of the pavements and streets, especially in areas like New Market and Sudder Street. The magnitude of their presence has drawn the attention of administrators and law courts, with various attempts made to remove or regulate them. However, they continue to be a prominent feature of the city's landscape.

Street hawkers are vendors of easily transportable merchandise, often selling inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. They are mobile vendors, moving from place to place, and are distinguished from other types of street vendors like peddlers, who may take up a temporary pitch in a public place. Hawkers often advertise their goods through loud street cries or chants and conduct banter with customers to attract attention and enhance sales.

In Kolkata, hawkers sell a variety of goods, including food, clothes, and handicrafts. They are a significant part of the city's economy and provide a source of income for many, especially immigrants and laid-off workers. The city's two hawker unions, the Bengal Hawkers Association and the Calcutta Hawkers' Men Union, represent their interests and rights.

The presence of street hawkers in Kolkata adds to the city's vibrant and chaotic nature. They contribute to the city's energy and provide a unique shopping and dining experience for locals and tourists alike.

Kolkata's street food is renowned, with dishes like jhal muri, kathi roll, puschka, and momos

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is a city rich in history and culture with a vibrant food scene. The city's street food is a must-try, with a variety of delicious options available at very affordable prices. Here are some popular street food dishes and where to find them:

Jhal Muri

A very popular street snack, Jhal Muri is a blend of sour and spicy flavours. It consists of puffed rice mixed with spicy chickpeas, sev-puri-namkeen, onion, chilli, and juicy tomatoes, served in a paper cone called a "thonga." You can find it at the Triangular Park and other street food spots around the city.

Kathi Roll

Kathi Roll is a popular fast-food skewer, consisting of chicken or egg wrapped in Indian paratha bread. It is said to have originated in Kolkata, and its popularity is growing worldwide. You can try it at Hot Kathi Roll on Park Street or Nizam Rolls in the New Market area.

Puschka

Also known as Phuchka or Golgappas, this snack consists of hollow dough balls filled with a slightly sour lime or vinegar water, mashed potatoes or chickpeas, chopped onions, and other fixings. They are best eaten quickly before the water makes the dough soggy. You can find them at stalls around the Victoria Memorial and in the New Market Area.

Momos

Momos are soft, delicate dumplings, and you can find them at the Tiretti Bazaar (Old Chinatown) along with other Indo-Chinese dishes like soup noodles and lupcheong.

Kolkata's street food offers a unique blend of flavours influenced by the city's diverse cultural heritage, including traditional Bengali, colonial, and Chinese influences. So, make sure you come with an empty stomach and a sense of culinary adventure!

The best time to visit is during the Durga Puja Festival, a celebration of the Hindu goddess Durga

The best time to visit Kolkata is during the Durga Puja Festival, a celebration of the Hindu goddess Durga. The festival is an annual event, falling sometime between late September and November, and is the biggest festival in the city. It is a ten-day event, with the last five days being the most significant. The festival is particularly special in West Bengal, with Kolkata's Durga Puja being inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2021.

Durga Puja is a celebration of the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, and is an embodiment of the triumph of good over evil. It is also a harvest festival, celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.

The festival is marked by scripture recitations, performance arts, revelry, gift-giving, family visits, feasting, and public processions. The city is decorated with lights, and temporary structures called pandals are erected. The pandals are often elaborately decorated, with themes based on legends of the goddess, scenes from Hindu texts, or social causes. The idols of the goddess are placed in the pandals, and are accompanied by the idol of Lord Ganesh, considered to be the brother of Ganesh and Kartikeya, the sons of Durga.

The festival is a time for celebration and community, with people coming together to sing, dance, and perform plays and other cultural activities. It is also a time for gift-giving and shopping, with people buying new clothes to wear when they go out together to visit the pandals. The tenth and final day of the festival, called Dashami or Vijayadashami, is believed to be the day when Durga defeated the demon. On this day, the idols of the goddess are carried in a procession to the ghats and immersed in the water.

Durga Puja is a time of homecoming and celebration for the people of Kolkata, and the vibrant and joyous atmosphere makes it a wonderful time to visit the city.

Kolkata is known as the City of Joy and is described as having a relaxed and friendly atmosphere

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is a young city in eastern India and the capital of the state of West Bengal. It is known as the City of Joy, a nickname derived from a 1985 novel of the same name by Dominique Lapierre, which was later adapted into a film in 1992. The novel revolves around the hardships endured by the slum dwellers of Calcutta, and despite facing hunger, deplorable living conditions, illness, and death, the people hold on to the belief that life is precious and worth living. This spirit of resilience and joy amidst adversity is what Kolkata embodies.

Kolkata has a rich history and culture, having served as the capital of British India from 1772 to 1911. The city attracted migrants from diverse regions, including India, China, the Middle East, and Europe, contributing to its cosmopolitan character. As a result of its past prosperity, Kolkata boasts grand architecture, including crumbling Victorian-era buildings and colonial mansions. However, the city's more recent history has been marked by challenges such as economic decline, poverty, and brain drain.

Despite these difficulties, Kolkata remains a culturally vibrant and friendly city. The winter months of December to February offer the most pleasant weather, although the air quality can be poor due to agricultural burning. The city comes alive during the five-day Durga Puja festival, honoring the patron goddess of Bengali Hindus. It is a festive time for people of all classes, with families dressing up, exchanging gifts, and visiting pandals (shrines).

Kolkata is known for its chaotic nature, with crowded alleyways and bustling street life. The city is sprawling, and it is recommended to find accommodation in the city centre for easier access to transport and attractions. The city's neighbourhoods, known as "paras", are rooted in caste or profession, such as Kumartuli for potters and Muchipara for cobblers. Kolkata's streets often have multiple names, and it is easier to think of the city as divided into three sections: North Kolkata, the city centre, and South Kolkata.

The city has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with residents happy to provide directions or engage in political discussions. Kolkata is known for its literary and intellectual prowess, earning the title of India's literary capital. The city's love of reading is evident in the boi para (book neighbourhood) around College Street, lined with bookshops and stalls. Kolkata is also the only city in India with an operating tram network, offering a unique and popular tourist attraction.

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