Raj Bhawan
The then Governor-General, Marquis of Wellesley,
had the building modeled to resemble Lord Curzon's ancestral home – Kedleston Hall.
It is now the residence of the Governor. Writers Building
Now the seat of West Bengal Government, this is
where the early servants of the East India Company toiled. It had acquired its Palladian
porticos and its impressive facade by 1832.
Metcalfe Hall (1844)
Metcalfe Hall (1844), was designed after the Temple of Winds of Athens, and once
housed the Imperial Library, later moved to Belvedere in Alipore.
B.B.D. Bagh
Named after three young freedom fighters—Benoy, Badal and Dinesh, is a square
built around the old Lal Dighi tank, which still exits. It was later called the Tank
Square and then the Dalhousie Square. It is still the 'heart' of Calcutta and many famous
buildings housing important businesses and banks are located here.
Other interesting buildings in the B.B.D. Bagh (Dalhousie)
area are the Royal Exchange (a one-time residence of Robert Clive and now the office of
the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry), St. John's Church. This church's yard has
the Mausoleum of 'Calcutta's Founder', Job Charnock. The building is supposedly the oldest
piece of masonry in Calcutta.
 Howrah Bridge
The third largest bridge in the world, has around 2 million people crossing over it
daily. Visible from many places in Calcutta, the bridge is called 'Rabindra Setu'. Quite
near the Calcutta-end of the bridge is the spot where Job Charmock landed over 300 years
ago.
Strand Road
Along the River Hooghly, it has a number of 'ghats' (landings) which are closely
connected with the history of Calcutta. All the 'greats' used to land and depart from
these ghats.
Fort William
Between the river and the Maidan, is an imposing fort. One of the most expensive ones of
its time, it has the unique 'distinction' of never having a 'gun fired in anger' from its
ramparts. Now it houses the local army headquarters.
Maiden
An open patch of huge dimensions, it was kept as a free field of fire for Fort
William's guns. Though truncated in recent years for Metro Rail construction, it is still
a favorite area for thousands in the early mornings.
 Eden Gardens
At one end of the Maiden, it has been the site of many famous cricket battles
witnessed by around 100,000 fans.
Ochterlony Monument
(Shahid Minar)
Towers 158 ft. high in the Maidan. A mixture of Egyptian, Turkish and Syrian
architecture , it was built to honor Sir David Ochterlony's victory in the Nepal War
(1812-1814) in 1828.
 Victoria Memorial
At one end of the Maidan, is Calcutta's most imposing and monumental 'dream in
marble'. It took 15 years to build and was inaugurated in 1921. It is a treasure trove of
Raj relics, offers tree-lined walks in splendid parks, 'lakes' and houses a number of
superb statues including that of Queen Victoria.
In a stretch, on one side of the Victoria Memorial are:
Birla Planetarium, the magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral, Academy of Fine Arts,
Rabindra Sadan – a superb auditorium with fountains playing outside, and the adjacent
Nandan Complex, known for hosting cultural functions and cinema-at-its-best.
 Vidyasagar Setu
Near the Race Course, is the imposing and ultra-modern Second Hoogly Bridge.
Kali Temple
At Kalighat. It is located in a place known as
Kali Khetra from which Calcutta, perhaps, derived its name. Legend has it that when the
corpse of Shiva's consort was cut into pieces, a finger fell here. A prominent Hindu
pilgrimage centre.
Tagore House
Near the University is the place where the poet, Rabindra Nath Tagore was born. Now
converted into Rabindra Bharti University and Rabindra Museum.
Marble Palace
On Muklaram Babu Lane, off Chittaranjan Avenue, situated in an artistically laid out
garden, has a rare collection of antiques.
Jain Temple
In North Calcutta, is an ancient temple, and is dedicated to Sheetalnathji, the 10th of the 24 Jain tirthankaras.
Calcutta also has a great many historical churches and
synagogues.
Birla Temple
A new landmark in Calcutta is the Birla Temple on Syed Amir Ali Avenue. A splendid and
imposing structure in white, it attracts huge crowds.
Science City
One of the few such facilities in the world, the Science City near the Eastern
Metropolitan Bypass has a huge dome and bigger-than-life representations of dinosaurs and
suchlike. Hi-tech combines with impressive visuals to bring science closer to people.
Martyr's Memorial
Lying outside the road to the main gate of Fort William is the interesting presence of
this newly constructed and impressive memorial.
 Calcutta
High Court
Situated near Eden Gardens, it is the highest seat of judiciary in West Bengal. One of the
oldest buildings in India (constructed in 1872), it is built in the Gothic style of
architecture, a later extension retaining the same architectural symmetry.
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About three centuries ago when Calcutta was
founded, the river was a major factor in trade and commerce settlements founded by the
British, French, Dutch, Danish and Portuguese. The foreign settlers fought for possession
of prime areas around what is now Calcutta and the British emerged victors. Calcutta rose
to the eminence of being called "The Second City of the British Empire." Not
only did Calcutta achieve fame as a one-time capital of India, it also became one of the
most important centers of trade and commerce. After Independence, there has been a gradual
lessening of Calcutta's importance but it is still the most complex of all the Indian
cities.