“Calcutta is beautiful wherever you place a camera you get a vision,” said the popular director and writer- Pradeep Sarkar

Kolkata is the second biggest city in the country, which looks like a fantasy town that comes to life. In the famous British capital, the old colonial-era building adds a certain charm to the city that makes it a treat to a beholder’s eyes. Let’s check out the 10 Best Places that you should not miss in Kolkata.

• VICTORIA MEMORIAL

And there’s the Victoria Memorial, built as a memorial to Victoria” Yes, Victoria Memorial is as beautiful as these lines by author David Dimbleby. A large white marble building in Kolkata is one of the entire country’s sublime and elegant monuments. A grand structure, an epitome of beauty and grace, shows the brilliant Indo- Saracenic architectural style that breathed in the era. There is a five tonne, sixteen-foot bronze statue called “Angel of Victory” which mounts on the ball bearings, and the dome of the memorial heightens the grandeur and overall appeal of the monument.

‘Another charming Taj’ ” A poem in marble” and ” the finest building in Bengal” are some of the titles which Victoria Memorial holds. The building was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s 25- year reign in India.

• HOWRAH BRIDGE

A first suggestion that one will give when asked about the best place to visit in Kolkata, Howrah Bridge is a suspension bridge span over Hoogly River in West Bengal, India. Although on 14 June 1965, it was later renamed as Rabindra Setu after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, it is still popularly known as Howrah Bridge. Connecting Howrah and Kolkata, Howrah Bridge is an iconic landmark of Kolkata.

• DAKSHINESWAR KALI TEMPLE

Dakshineswar Kali Temple was built in the traditional ‘Nava-Ratna’ or nine spires style of Bengal architecture and is located 20 km North of Kolkata city, admiring the Hooghly river’s eastern bank. The temple’s presiding deity is Bhavatarini, an angel of kali who is the form of Adi Shakti. It is a temple that resides in the heart of every single Bengali. Sanctum of Goddess Kali, along with Kamkrishna Paramhansa and his consort and spiritual companion, Maa Sarada Devi. The temple of Goddess, who is believed “to liberate her devotees from the ocean of existence” – Bhawatarini, a manifestation of goddess Kali, was constructed by a philanthropist called Ranu Rashmani in 1855 which is among the famous temples in Kolkata.

• BELUR MATH

Belur Math, founded by Swami Vivekanand, is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and mission. The math is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the important institutions in Kolkata. A pilgrimage place for people of different religious importance, people from all over the world, visit the place.

• ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN, ALIPONE

Kolkata Zoo aka Zoological Garden, India’s oldest formally stated zoological park is a big tourist attraction in Kolkata. It was known as the home of the now expired Aldabra giant tortoise Adwaita, who was 250 years old when he passed away in 2006. The zoo has a number of crowd-pulling mega found, which includes African lion, Jaguar, great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, grant’s zebra, royal Bengal tiger, and Indian elephant. It is also the home to several attractive birds like Macaws and Lorimer, Ivanhoe’s pheasant, lady Amherst’s pheasant, and golden pheasant, ostrich, emu, hornbills, and many more.

• SCIENCE CITY

A perfect combination of education with fun, the science city, is the largest science museum in the world, which imparts knowledge with fun. It is a major attraction of Kolkata. A separate area designed for aquatic creatures provides a detailed description of the various insects and fishes in the world. The aquarium shows a number of rare fishes, and a unique time machine is an all-time favourite amongst the visitors. The optical illusions hold a significant part here. Along with Torando, ocean waves, energy ball, and quicksand. It is located at the crossing of the EM Bypass and the JBS holder Avenue in Kolkata.

• INDIAN MUSEUM

The largest in India and the ninth oldest museum in the world. Indian Museum in Kolkata showcases a rare collection of Mughal paintings, mummies, fossils, skeletons, armours, and ornamental and antiques. A multipurpose museum, established over 200 years ago by the Asiatic Society of Bengal, is not dedicated to specific themes or areas, instead, it displays objects from a wide range of art fields and anthropology to zoology and botany.

• MARBLE PALACE

A palatial nineteenth-century mansion in North Kolkata, Marble palace, is located at 46, Muktaran baby street, Kolkata 700007. The best preserved and most elegant houses of the nineteenth century, Calcutta is famous for its marble walls, sculptures, and floors from which it derives its name. Genuinely valuable pieces of art share space with many kitschy art objects of literature value people feel the collection to be superficial and gaudy.

• ECO PARK

Eco-Park is the biggest park made so far in India. It’s an ecological and urban park spread across 480 acres land and 104 acres waterbody with an island in the middle.

It has Bangla Haat, Children’s Eco Park, Floating Musical Fountain, Butterfly Garden, Play Area, Bamboo Garden, Fruits Garden, Food Court, Adda Zone, Grass Land, Tea Garden, Mask Garden, Formal Garden, Seven Wonders, Eco Island and many more. Apart from these, there are fun & adventurous activities such as Kayaking, paddle boat, ice skating, cruise, duo-cycling, etc.

• EDEN GARDENS

The second-largest cricket ground of India Eden Gardens in Kolkata was established in 1864. The stadium can accommodate up to 80,000 audiences. The world’s first-ever day/night Test match was also played here between India and Bangladesh.

Also, check out Best Things to Do in Kolkata, Best Food Places and Restaurants in Kolkata and some great facts about the Kolkata.