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Archive for the ‘States of East India’ Category

Indian Museum in Kolkata is the largest museum in India. It is the ninth oldest regular museum of the world and oldest institution of its kind in Asia Pacific region. Indian Museum is a multipurpose and multi disciplinary institution of national importance. The museum was established at the Asiatic Society, the earliest learned body in the country on 2nd February 1814. Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist, was the founder curator of the museum.
Indian Museum was transferred to the present building in 1878 with two galleries. Today, the museum has over sixty galleries of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botany sections, spreading over ten thousand square feet area. Many rare specimens of both Indian and Trans-Indian origin relating to Humanities and Natural Science are preserved and displayed in
museum.

Spread on the Ist and II floor, the Art collection of the Indian Museum comprises of miniature paintings, textiles, decorative art objects from Asian countries — China, Japan, Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Java and Kampuchea. Muslin and Jamdani from Dhaka, Baluchari textile of Murshidabad, Phulkari of Punjab, Chamba rumal, Persian carpets, Kanthas of Bengal, ritual robes, wood carving, metal images, ivory, lacquerware, bronze, ornaments; Persian, Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari, Deccani miniature paintings, manuscript illustrations of Western and Eastern India, Bengal school paintings, Nepalese and Tibetan temple banners.

The South East Asian gallery in the Art section has three separate galleries for artifacts from China-Japan, Burma and Nepal-Tibet. In the gallery of the China-Japan, there are coloured porcelains, wine cups, ivory and rhinoceros horn carved articles, paintings etc.
 

The National Library in Kolkata is the largest library in India. It is an institution of National importance under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. National Library is situated on a scenic 30 acres Belvedere Estate, in Kolkata. The library is designated to collect, disseminate and preserve the printed material produced in the country.

The origins of the National Library can be traced back to 1836 when the Calcutta Public Library was established. The then Governor General, Lord Metcalf transferred 4,675 volumes from the library of the College of Fort William to the Calcutta Public Library. In 1891, the Imperial Library was formed by combining a number of Secretariat libraries. Lord Curzon, the then Governor General of India, conceived the idea of opening a library for the use of the public. He amalgamated Calcutta Public Library with the Imperial Library. The library was formally opened to the public on 30th January 1903 at Metcalf Hall, Kolkata. After independence, the library was renamed as the National Library.

Established in 1875, and spread over nearly 100 acres in the heart of Kolkata are the Zoological Gardens. Inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1876, it is one of the oldest and the largest Zoos of India.

During the winter season, the migratory birds flock in the zoo for its artificial lake and vegetation. But in recent times the birds do not flock so much as the yester years due to ecological imbalances.

The zoo displays a large number of crowd-pulling megafauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, African Lion, Jaguar, Hippopotamus, Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Reticulated Giraffe, Grant’s Zebra, Emu, Dromedary Camel and Indian
Elephant. Previously, other megafauna like the Panthera hybrids and the Giant Eland were present.

The zoo sported a large collection of attractive birds, including some threatened species up until the 1980s – large parrots including a number of Macaw species, Conures, lories and lorikeets; other large birds like Touracos and Hornbills; colourful game birds like the Golden Pheasant, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and Swinhoe’s Pheasant and some large flightless birds like the Emu, Cassowary and Ostrich. However, lack of pairing and exchange programs have caused a significant decline in the populations, causing some of the populations to die out.

‘SOUTH CITY’ is a mixed use development on 31.14 acres of land in South Kolkata having 4 Residential towers comprising of 1600 flats, Club, School and more than a million sq.ft. Shopping Mall, all planned of international standard. It is the biggest retail development in Eastern India located at 375, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Kolkata – just opposite Jodhpur Park, a posh residential area and close to Gariahat, the main shopping hub of South Kolkata.

The Mall will be surrounded by customers with the perfect demography from a retail point of view, whether in terms of disposable income, a modern mindset or an ambitious lifestyle. It is surrounded by new upcoming housing projects Merlin manor, Merlin Residency, City High, Orbit Heights, Westwind, Hiland Park, Udayan, Bengal Shrachi, Orbit City, Sugam Park, Ekta Heights– all residential complexes housing the upwardly mobile, who want to make a lifestyle statement. The residential complex within South City will house 1600 families. So the footfalls are assured.

Designed after exhaustive research of the best shopping malls around the world, great attention has been placed on details. The stores inside South City Mall are synergistically placed and promise to change the way people perceive shopping and entertainment in Kolkata. We have already booked space for anchor stores such as Pantaloons, Shopper’s Stop, Giant, Fame Cinemas and some of the other known brands that will be present in South City Mall are annexed here with: The fabulous façade, the colossal multilevel car park for 1400 cars, the exceptional landscaping, the larger floor plate ensuring larger footfall, and shops arranged in consumer friendly clusters, and all this with fine dining options and a fabulous food-court, ensures a shoppers’ paradise.

Kolkata has the highest credit/deposit ratio in the country and is the third largest retail market in India. Not surprisingly one in every ten of India’s richest consumers resides in West Bengal. With easy accessibility by the Lake Gardens flyover to Southern Avenue and its proximity to EM Bye-Pass through the Jadavpur Connector, the retail hub of South Kolkata is ready for a paradigm shift to the South City Mall.
 

Here are some exciting places to visit in Kurseong :

Eagle’s Crag
The place is located at 1 km uphill from Kurseong Railway station.An beautiful scenic of the Teesta River and the dense evergreen forest of Darjeeling valley imparts it a major attraction for the tourist.The lower summit encompasses a Tourist complex with a garden and observatory Netaji Kothi.At earlier times the place served as the home of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose but now it stand as ruined building in a dismal condition.The tourists can enjoy trekking. Khangchendzonga, Jannu and Kabru peaks also serves as an ideal spot for tourism.

St.Mary’s Hill

St. Mary Hill is located at 4 kms away from Kurseong Railway Station.The hill stand admidst the deep woods which imparts it a look of an elegant mansion. It houses the Eastern Forest Rangers’ College (EFRC). Earlier the campus serves as the sight for St. Mary’s seminary, the first such seminary of the east of Suez.The place also encompasses a statue of Jesus and Mary and the newly built Jt. John’s Church.The church has been carved out in modern architectural style.

Kettle Valley Picnic Spot

The picnic spot is located at Dilaram Tea Estate on the banks of the river Rinchengtong.It serves as an ideal place for outing purpose.It also offers a rare opportunity to play in its crystal clear waters in the backdrop of snow-clad mountains to the tourist.

Dow Hill

The Dow Hill encomasses the Deer Park, the Forest Museum, the mini amusement park and the water reservoir. The place is located amidst moss-laden conifers.It is worth a visit for the tourist looking for serenity and peacefulness.A well maintained tourist complex is located at the top of the hill at a distance of 1 km.The place is surrounded by the ubiquitous tea plantations. The Castleton Tea Estate, which produces the world’s most expensive tea, is located nearby.

Ambotia Shiva Mandir & Gidhapahar Mandir

Ambotia Shiva Mandir and Gidhapahar Mandir serves as a centre for religious and spiritual purpose.The place is located admidst the town
 

Situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi, Murshidabad is a wonderful place
to visit. Here are few of the must places to see there.

Hazarduari Palace

The major attraction of Murshidabad is Hazarduari Palace with thousand doors. The foundation of this temple was laid by Duncan McLeod for the Nawab Najim Humaun Jah, descendent of Mir Zafar in the year 1837.The temple encompasses 114 rooms and 8 galleries, built in European architectural style.In the three storey palace out of one thousand nine hundred doors are real.The palace covers an area of about 41 acres.The palace has been transformed into a museum which exhibits an exquisite collection of armoury, splendid paintings, exhaustive portraits of the Nawabs, various works of art including beautiful works of ivory of China (European) and many other valuables. The Armoury includes 2700 arms in its collections among which few arms are displayed. Swords used by Shiraj-ud-Daulla and his grandfather, Nawab Alivardi Khan, are also in display. The other attractions includes Vintage Cars and Fittan Cars used by the Nawabs and their families.

Jiaganj-Azimganj
Jiaganj is located at 9 kms away from Baharampur while Azimganj is located at 14 kms away.The Jiaganj-Azimganj area has a few Jain temples.The Rani Bhabani’s terracotta temple near Azimganj is one of the best examples of Bengal’s terracotta art.The place is located on the banks of Bhagirathi.Near Azimganj is the fascinating Baranagar temple complex built by Rani Bhabani (1714 – 1793), the Zamindar of Natore. The Bhabaniswara, Char Bangla, Jod Bangla and
Rajrajeshwari are the main temples.The town of Jiaganj has grown on both sides of the Bhagirathi.The Jain temples of Adinath,Bimalnath, Sambhunath and the large temple near Azimganj city station are located here.

Nasirpur palace

The foundation of the palace was laid by Kirti Chand, a descendent of Debi Singh.The palace encompasses the Ramachandra Temple.In the adjacent side, the palatial temple of Lakshmi-Narayana is famous for its Jhulanjatra celebrations. The main building of the Raj Bari is a two storied house having an imposing facade. The present Raj Bari was built by Raja Keertichand Bahadur.

Imambara

Nizamat Imambara is located at the parallel side facing the north of the Hazarduari Palace. The palace was built in 1847 AD. by Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jah, son of Humayun Jah. The Imambara which was earlier built by Siraj-ud-Doula had been destroyed by fire.The palace cost 6 lacs for reconstruction. It took only eleven months to construct this Imambara. The Nizamat Imambara is the largest palace in Bengal,and is the largest in India.

Wasef Manzil
The foundation of this temple was laid down by Sir Wasef Ali Mirza, Nawab of
Murshidabad. This Palace was also resided by Nawab Wasef Ali Mirza.This palace is very near to the Hazarduari Palace and is near the South Gate. The staircases has been carved out of marble. The beautiful statues of the Palace are worth seeing and serves as major attraction.The entry fee is Rupee 1 (Indian currency) for Indian nationals.

Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit the place in summer is from March to mid June. In winter tourist can visit the place from mid September to December. The best time for the tourist for enjoying the mountain views is from Mid September to Mid December.

Places Of Interest

The MacFarlane Church
The church bears a testimony of the Scottish missionaries’ influence and is regarded as a monument of Kalimpong’s history, Dr. Graham’s Home.The foundation of the church was laid down by Dr. John A. Graham in the year 1880.The place also encompasses a sprawling educational institution built on Deolo Hill located at the north side of the main township.The church also has its own dairy, bakery, poultry farm and vegetable gardens.
Gompas
The Tharpa Choeling Gompa or Bhutanese Monastery, is the oldest monastery in the area which dates back to 1692.It is located down the hill. The monastery belongs to the Yellow Hat (Gelukpa) sect of Tibetan Buddhism.Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa was built in the mid-seventies at Durpin Dara Hill and was consecrated by the Dalai Lama. The place exhibits impressive wall paintings in the prayer room. The three-dimensional mandala upstairs also adds to the beauty.

Mangal Dham Mandir
Mangal Dham Mandir has a splendid look. It covers an area of two acres. The temple was built in the year 1993.In the ground floor of the Dham lies the samadhi of their revered Guruji. The prayer hall is located on the top floor it displays the idol of Raj Shyamaji. The idol of the Revered Prannath and Shri 108 Guru Mangaldasji is located on either side. The walls of the prayer hall exhibits a vivid picturesque story of Nijanandacharya Shri Devchandraji, meeting Lord
Krishna along with Rev. Prannathji blessing the brave Bundela Chhatrasal Maharaj and other scenes from the Krishna Leela.

Nature Interpretation Centre
The Nature Interpretation centre is located on Rinkingpong road. The centre has many well-organized dioramas, which shows the effects of human activity on the environment. The tourist can visit the centre from Friday to Wednesday from 10 am to 4 PM and admission to the centre is free.

Deolo Hill
Deolo Hill is among one of those hill which is worth visiting for the tourist worldwide. The place stand as a perfect picnic spot replete with a splendid tourist lodge.The lodge is managed by the Department of Tourism, DGHC. A stay here is definitely recommended as the early morning view of the sun lighting up the Khangchendzonga massif is a marvelous example of nature’s beauty.

Kolkata Port was commissioned on 17 Oct 1870 under Calcutta Port Act. In 1886 a separate oil wharf was setup at Budge Budge. The dock at Kidderpore (KPD) became operational in 1893. In 1925, four riverside jetties and a coaling jetty were made at Gardenreach. In 1928 the 2nd dock now known as Netaji Subhash Dock (KPD) came up there. Kolkata dock comprises KPD, NSD and Budge Budge. There are 18 & 9 operational berths at KPD & NSD. Budge Budge has 6 wharves for liquid bulk. There are 10 berths and 2 oil jetties at HDC. Haldia Sagar & Diamond Heart provide excellent loading/unloading facilities. These facilities have been developed on a stretch of over 150 Km. The Haldia Docking Complex (HDC), deep water third dock system was commissioned, 104 km downstream of Kolkata.

Kolkata Port is India’s only riverine port with two dock systems – Kolkata Dock
System at Kolkata with the oil wharves at Budge Budge, Anchorages at Diamond
Harbour, Kulpi, Sagar and Sandheads and a deep water dock system at Haldia Dock
Complex, Haldia . It has the most sophisticated port facilities with extensive
storage facility for diverse cargo.
With a modern computerised container terminal, Kolkata port offers a very
customer friendly approach.
It is also the oldest operating port in India, having originally been
constructed by the British East India Company.

In the 19th century Kolkata Port was the premier port in British India. After
independence its importance decreased because of factors including the Partition
of Bengal (1947), reduction in size of the port hinterland and economic
stagnation in eastern India. In the 21st century due to the east Indian economic
recovery and infrastructure improvements, the port grew swiftly to become the
nation’s second largest container port. It was one of India’s fastest growing
ports in 2004-05.

Even today there are ships that sail a long distance. Harshavardhana is one of
the ships that sail along the Nicobar Islands.
If you have a passion for cruises you must have a try at this one.