Kumhartoli
The arrival of white flowers on the trees of Parijat, the flavor of the aroma in the air is the sign of the beginning of Durga Puja. And there is no better place than Kolkata to see Durgapuja in the whole country. Let us go to you on this occasion, in the city of Kolkata.
This time we will start our journey from a place where the idols of Mother Durga are taking place. I am talking, Kumhartoli, The part of the old city where the potter has come from Bengal and settled a settlement. Throughout the year, the sculptors can be seen by throwing a statue from the idol to the idol, but this place has become absolutely alive from Durga Puja some months ago. Here in the streets there is no smallest number of big idols making. A full street mother is decorated with commodity shops. From here, all the people take one of the beautiful statues of Durga Maa for their own pandals. You can spend the whole day in this area. In this field of potters, people prepare beautiful statues of Durga by doing one day in the night. To build beautiful statues of Durga, idols are made from clay. The basis of the image is prepared by binding jute and straw on wooden structure, On which the idol is prepared by mixing the papaya peel with the soil and adding it. The statue is decorated with great effort, in which a variety of different types of apparel are used.
Durgapuja pandal
Durgapuja Pandalas in entire Kolkata are kept in shock. The city is decorated like a bride all nine days of worship. Nowadays, the theme pandals have a big craze. In which people perform their own art with full enthusiasm. Some Pandals are famous in Kolkata, which are prominent among them. Santosh Mitra Square, who has been making Pandal for the last 80 years. College Square, Bagbazar of North Kolkata, Hindustan Park, Southern Kolkata's society, Sebi Union, Ballagunge Cultural Association, Despariya Park, Kumarutuli Park, Dum Dum Park, Tarun Sangha, Sikandar Bagan, Ordinary Durga Puja, Mohammed Ali Park Durga Pooja, Singhji Park Sarabozanan Durgautasav etc. By seeing these pandals, you will believe that Kolkata is not considered as the cultural capital of the country. The decoration of pandals is a living testimony of the shared culture of Bengal in its own right. All Pandals look like we have reached any other city. What's the matter again late? Becoming a part of this festive celebration, you also move from one pandal to another pandal.
Kolkata has two faces. One Kolkata is the carrier of Bengal's ancient traditions, while the other Kolkata is the Kolkata-printed Kolkata. In which the memories of colonel-era can be seen. While ancient temples are monasteries, on the other hand there are structures like Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge. But the best part is that among the many contradictions, this city is truly the City of Joy. Because happiness here is not so much love of money. You can enjoy Calcutta in a few coins too.
Kalighat Kali Temple
The Kalighat Kali temple is one of the 51 Shakti Benches of the country. This temple is dedicated to Mother Kali. This temple is well known throughout Bengal. This temple, famous on the banks of the Hooghly river, is famous all over the world. The ferry derived from this temple is known as Kali Ghat. At some point of time, the Ganga Ghat was situated in the temple, but now it has become a bit distant. Though this temple is considered as a seventeenth century, but the present temple has been running for the last 200 years under the patronage of the Sabaron Roy Chaudhary family.
Southern Goddess Kali Temple
Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a magnificent temple of Kali Mata on the eastern coast of Ganga. To see this temple you have to go through the whole of Calcutta. If you have the time, do this journey just like local people do with Kolkata. Go to some distance by bus, then proceed with the big steamer running on the Hooghly river and in the end, take some distance from the tram. You will enjoy Calcutta all over this journey. In 1855 Queen Rashmoni built this temple. There is also a Ghat adjacent to the temple where people come for holy baths. There is great recognition of this temple in whole Bengal.
There are 12 pavilions in the courtyard of the temple here. A large lake along the temple is also made. There is also a Radha Krishna temple.
Vallur monastery
The Vellur monastery is also located right here near the Dnyaneshwar Kali Temple. The best medium to reach this monastery is to sit here in the boat from the Deccan of the South Goddess Kali temple and reach the Vallur Math. You can enjoy boating at the rate of only Rs 10 on the wide flow of the Hooghly river. The Vellur monastery is also known as Ramkrishna Mutt. Which is related to the World Ramakrishna Mission. Vellur monastery is situated on 40 acres of land on the Western Ghats of Hooghly river. This monastery was established in 1899. There are now two parts of this monastery, an ancient and a new building.
Swami Vivekananda's room is in the ancient monastery. At this place Swami Vivekananda took Mahasmadhi on July 4, 1902. Samadhi of Swami Vivekananda is also made in this monastery. This monastery opens for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening. Do not close in the afternoon. This monastery was founded by Ramkrishna Paramahansa. This monastery is also the headquarters of Ramkrishna Mission.
Victoria memorial
Take the name of Kolkata, the name of the white building, which emerges in the building, is the name of Victoria Memorial. Construction of this building made in the Indo-Ceraceenic Revival Architectural Style began in 1910.
The British-India viceroy Lord Curzon envisaged the construction of this monument located on Queens Way in memory of late Queen Victoria. At the time of the construction of this great monument, the expenditure of one crore, five lakh rupees was spent. In this building of national importance, 28,394 art objects and 3,900 color pictures have been collected.
William Emerson was the architect of building this great structure. The architect William had made many great structures in the country. Including Crawford Market in Bombay and Supercritical Building in All Saints Cathedral in Allahabad. This structure was drowned for the Queen of Victoria Queen of Britain. Today it is Kolkata's main philosophical site and there is also a museum. This building is maintained by the Ministry of Culture. You can book tickets online before coming here. Except Monday and National Holidays this place is open every morning from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To make four moons in this structure, beautiful gardens spread around 57 acres have been made.
The Queen Victoria is a bronze statue near the main building in the Victoria Memorial. Here the Queen is shown sitting on the throne in the dress of Star of India. There are also memorials of many other great figures such as the Monastery of Emperor Edward VIII, the statue of Lord Curzon, the Governor-General of India, Lord Bentic, Lord Ripon and the statue of Sir Rajendranath Mukherjee, the leading industrialist of Bengal etc. According to an estimate, about 2 million viewers come to see this place every year.
There are many galleries in which there is a unique collection of Western-style paintings made by many great painters in the western picture gallery. Apart from the chief rulers of the colonial period, with the pictures of the kings and rulers of India, the various western and western paintings have been used in various subjects and colors. The magnificent paintings of Tigre Kettle, John Johnani's paintings and William Hodges and Daniel's landscapes are particularly important in the invaluable color picture collection of Victoria Memorial Hall.
Here a gallery has been completely dedicated to rare oil paintings made by Indian painters. From small paintings of Rajput and Mughal style to modern Indian painters like Nandlal Bose, Avinindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore, there is a great collection in the memorial of the painted paintings.
There are several rare photographs of Born & Shepherd in the Victoria Memorial Hall collection. By the middle of these pictures, you can feel that time. In this museum there are many sections of manuscripts of Sanskrit texts ranging from various Buddhist texts.
Howrah Bridge
Kolkata's Howrah bridge was built on the Hooghly river 75 years ago to connect two cities of Kolkata and Howrah. In 1965, it was renamed as Rabindra Setu in the name of the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore, but people still prefer to call it Howrah Bridge. You will be surprised to know that this is a bridge where nuts are not bolted anywhere. This bridge is one of the longest suspension bridge in the world. Construction of this bridge was completed in 1942 and opened for public in February 1943. This bridge is 705 meters long and 30 meters wide. According to an estimated 80 thousand vehicles and 10 lakh pedestrians pass on this huge bridge every day.
Malik Ghat Flover Market
Malik Ghat Flover Market is another philosophical site under the Howrah Bridge. If you go to the morning, then you will be able to see this market initiative. Here flowers are sold like this. Its view from the Howrah Bridge is very beautiful.
Thakur Baadi
House of Tagore
It can be a matter of Kolkata and Rabindranath Tagore does not matter how it might be. Then go home to see the house of Janav Rabindranath Tagore's elders. The building of this red color was built in 1784. Today it is a museum known as Rabindra Bharati Museum. There are 3 museums in it. Ravindranath Tagore took the last breath of his life here. This is a beautiful mansion. Here you will be remembered for the prosperity of Bengal's wealthy landowners. There is a ticket of Rs 10 for coming here. It is believed to take photographs inside.
Marble palace
Near the Thakur Bari, Mukaram is another philosophical site on Babu Street, named after Marble Palace. This grand mansion made of North Kolkata in the 19th century reminds me of the era of Kolkata. Visit here before 4 pm. This palace contains a collection of beautiful sculptures made by western sculptures, Victorian furniture, Indian and European painters.
