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Calcutta

Situated on the banks of the river Ganga, as it flows down to form a massive delta before dropping into the Bay of Bengal, Calcutta is a busy and overcrowded city. Calcutta was the capital of the British East India Company till 1911, when the capital was shifted to the ancient city of Delhi. The city is believed to have been formed by a British trader called Job Charnock who

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rescued an Indian widow from committing `sati' on her dead husband's pyre, married her, and decided to pitch camp here. The years 1696-1712 saw the building of Fort William under the steadily rising supremacy of the British. Eventually, Calcutta yielded its status as 'capital' to Delhi. But Calcutta has remained its same vibrant self a noisy, busy, buzzing-with-life, colourful and an ever-growing metropolis. Calcutta is today a sprawling city of strange contrasts. Palatial houses, huge monuments, a centre of active politics, film and theatre, culture and art, the city offers another picture of herself in its hustle-bustle, its overcrowdedness, its noisy streets and narrow lanes. There are heavenly temples, maths, and churches too, dotting the city. The port of Calcutta covers a warehouse area of about 60 lakh sq. feet.

ACCESS

Calcutta has an international airport, and is also excellently connected to the rest of the country by rail and road.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Howrah Bridge -- one of the largest cantilever bridges in the world, Raj Bhawan -- originally the Viceroy's residence, Chowringhee, Indian Museum, Botanical Gardens, Fort William, Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, Birla Planetarium, Eden Gardens, Zoo, Dakshineswar Temple, Belur Math -- headquarters of Rama Krishna Mission.

EXCURSIONS

Haldia, the new port of Calcutta, Bally Bridge, Serampore (25 km), Chandannagar (39 km), Diamond Harbour (51 km), Bansbera (47 km).

Further afield: Sagar Island (105 km) is the point of union of the Hoogly and the sea; Digha (243 km) is a popular beach resort; Plassey (172 km); Murshidabad (221 km) is famous for its fine silk industry; Vishnupur (201 km) famous for typical 17th and 18 century terracotta temples; Shantiniketan (167 km) the beautiful and peaceful open-air school started by Rabindranath Tagore in 1901.

SHOPPING

Calcutta shops offer a variety of local handicrafts made from shola, pith and conch-shell. Terracotta horses of Bankura, painted clay plaques of Kalighat, handloom sarees, Baluchari silk, tangail silks and intricately worked gold jewellery are also greatly valued. Some good shopping centres of the city are Bengal Home Industries Association and Central Cottage Industries Emporium, both on Jawaharlal Nehru Road; and Handloom House on Lindsay Street.

CONFERENCE FACILITIES

The Hotel Airport Ashok offers a venue for a meeting of 330 people. The Taj Bengal offers its Crystal Room for 300 people and Oriental Room for 15 people. The Oberoi Grand can accommodate as many as 800 people in its Ball Room.

ACCOMMODATION

The Oberoi Grand (5-star Deluxe), 15, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Calcutta-700 013. Phones: 249-2323. Fax: 033-249-1217.

Taj Bengal (5-star deluxe), 34-B, Belvedere Road, Alipore, Calcutta-700 027. Phone: 2233939. Fax: 033-2231766.

Airport Ashok (5-star), Calcutta Airport, Calcutta 700052. Phones: 5119111-20, 5118083. Fax: 5119137.

Raddisson Ffort, Post Bag 1, Sarisa, South Parganas, West Bengal 743368. Phone: 03174 75 444. Fax: 03174 75 455.

Park Hotel (5-star), 17, Park Street, Calcutta-700 016. Phones: 2497336, 2497941. Fax: 033-2497343/9457.

Hindustan International (5-star), 235/1, A.J.C. Bose Road, Calcutta-700 020. Phones: 2472394-7, 2470061. Fax: 33-2472824.

The Kenilworth (4-star), 1 & 2, Little Russel Street, Calcutta-700 071. Phones: 2428394/5. Fax: 2425136.

Peerless Inn (4-star), 12, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Calcutta. Phones: 2280301, 2288529; Fax: 2287883.

Lytton (3-star), 14 & 14/1, Sudder Street, Calcutta. Phones: 2491872, 73 ; Fax: 033-2491747.

Rutt Deen (3-star), 21-B, London Street, Calcutta-700 016. Phones: 2475240, 2476911. Fax: 033-2475210.

Fairlawn (2-star), 13/A, Sudder Street, Calcutta. Phone: 2451510; Fax: 033-2442835.

Great Eastern , 1, 2 & 3, Old Court House Street, Calcutta-700 069. Phones: 2482331,/11. Fax: 2480289.

The Astor, 15, Shakespeare Sarani, Calcutta. Phones: 2429957 (4 lines), 2423024, 2425297; Fax: 033-2427430.

Park Palace, 49/2, Gariahat Road, Kolkata- 700019 Phones: 476-3049/15822031 476-3108/09/10/11 Fax: 33-474-5995.

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