Things To Do in Kolkata

Kolkata is a huge, sprawling city, divided into north and south, both spread along the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, which divides it from the vast suburb of Howrah, located on the western bank. Howrah is where you'll be deposited if you arrive by train; the main station is close to the Howrah Bridge, which connects with the city proper. Just east and south of Howrah Bridge are Kolkata's commercial and tourist hubs, centered around B.B.D. Bagh, still known by its colonial name, Dalhousie Square, and the long stretch of road once known as Chowringhee (now Jawaharlal Nehru Rd.) that runs southward, alongside the Maidan, Kolkata's vast urban park. Many visitors base themselves around Chowringhee; nearby Sudder Street teems with budget accommodations, while Park Street has plenty of boutiques and fine restaurants.

To the northeast is the rapidly expanding business district of Salt Lake City, which has few historical sites but is steadily developing a reputation for its upscale business hotels and high-tech entertainment facilities. It's the closest district to the airport.

The Miracle of Mother Teresa & the "Pure Hearts" -- Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity (MOC) is now headed by Sister Nirmala, a converted Brahmin. There are some 3,500 MOC sisters around the world, working in 569 centers in 120 countries, but their selfless efforts are not without controversy. Even during Mother Teresa's time, tales of pecuniary troubles and controversies over the way in which the poor and dying were being treated (and converted) beleaguered the MOC. There have always been plenty of cynics, despite the Vatican's confirmation of Mother Teresa's "miraculous" healing of a young woman's malignant tumor (the woman claims to have been cured after seeing Mother Teresa in her dreams), a move that has irritated rationalists and the medical profession. Still, in Kolkata alone, more than 50,000 destitute sick and dying are looked after by the blue-and-white-sari-wearing nuns of the MOC, a demonstration of selflessness that you might deem miraculous in itself. Adjacent to the Kali Temple is "Pure Heart," or Nirmal Hriday (251 Kalighat Rd.; tel. 033/2464-4223; Fri-Wed 8-11:30am and 3-5:30pm), the very first MOC center. Mother House (54 A.J.C. Bose Rd.; tel. 033/2249-7115; same hours as Nirmal Hriday) is the MOC headquarters, where Mother Teresa is buried. Nearby is Nirmal Shishu Bhawan (78 A.J.C. Bose Rd.; same hours as Nirmal Hriday), where some 250 orphans are cared for.

Durga Puja -- Not Just Another Festival -- Indians celebrate all year long throughout the country, but the grande dame of festivals is the Durga Puja (signifying the return of the goddess to her parents' home), the most sacred festival for the Bengalis. Though it is celebrated with much pomp all over northeastern India, Kolkata does it best, and if you're traveling here in September or October you simply have to include Kolkata in your itinerary. Literally every family is involved, not just in their own celebrations, but also as participants of the collective neighborhood presentation of Goddess Durga. Pandals, a kind of marquee used to shelter the idol, abound in the city, and have over the last decade become a commercial enterprise, with lucrative cash prizes for the most impressive -- this has led to some highly innovative designs, where the raw materials include everything from bamboo and cloth to futuristic high-tech gizmos. The mode of transport for Durga is declared by the pundits just before the festival commences, and for many orthodox Bengalis, it is a sign of what awaits them in the coming year -- for instance, an elephant could mean prosperity, while a boat may signify natural disasters. The festivities last for 4 days, with dances and frenzied drumming, lots of food, and endless bouts of shopping -- it is mayhem on a grand scale and well worth experiencing. On the last day, idols (ranging from 1 inch to grandiose figures of over 9m/30 ft.) are immersed in the Hoogly, which carries many a prayer into deeper realms.

Santiniketan: Where the World Makes a Home in a Single Nest -- Known as the intellectual capital of India, Bengal has given birth to plenty of big personalities, but the one every Indian is most familiar with is the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His collected works are easily available in any bookshop or library but the literary domain was not the only one he contributed to. Visit his creation Viswa Bharati University (which means communion of the world with India) at Santiniketan, 160km (99 miles) from Kolkata, where you will find a unique setting for imparting education, with classes held in the open; much the same way as the ancient Indian school system (gurukul). Education takes on a different meaning here and with prior appointment, you can spend time amid students and teachers to learn more. If you decide to stay overnight, you could opt for one of the four guesthouses on campus (contact PRO) or try the simple but charming Hotel Chhuti Holiday resort (tel. 033/3293-4545; www.chhutiresort.com) or Hotel Camellia (tel. 03463/54-778; www.camelliagroup.org). (Note: Nearby, the exquisite terra-cotta temples of Kalna are an added incentive to make the trip.) Santiniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal 731 235. tel. 03463/26-2751, or PRO 03463/26-2626; www.visva-bharati.ac.in. Closed on Wednesday.

Kolkata is also renowned for its fashion designers. Look for garments by the promising local Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who is taking Kolkata's fashion industry to new heights (there's an outlet at 37/1C Hazra Rd.; tel. 033/2285-2381). Another name to reckon with is Anamika Khanna, recognized for her flamboyant fashions for both men and women. If time is short, drop in at 85 Landsdowne Road (tel. 033/2486-2136), a one-stop shop stocking all the major Indian labels like the two mentioned before along with others like Kiran Uttam Ghosh and Ritu Kumar. However, if you're looking for something very ethnic and traditional, you should head to Shamlu Dudeja's workshop (4/1 Alipore Park Rd. near Taj Bengal; tel. 98-3002-6288; call for appointment). With a team of rural women (SHE-Self-Help Enterprise), Shamlu has successfully revived the art of Kantha embroidery, making it into a much sought-after craft both locally and abroad. Smaller but also worth visiting are Women's Friendly Society (29 Park Lane; tel. 033/2229-5285) and Good Companions (13 C, Russell St.; tel. 033/3292-9612) for hand-embroidered linen from the villages of West Bengal -- both can be done when you head out to explore the New Market or if you are staying at The Oberoi or Peerless Inn. In fact, a few steps from here will also get you to the government-operated Central Cottage Industries Emporium in Chowringhee (7 Jawaharlal Nehru Rd.; tel. 033/2228-4139 or -3205) where you can pick up a wide range of Indian curios, along with everything from saris to silk carpets. But the place to visit if you are madly interested in textiles is Darshan Shah's brainchild Weaver's Studio (5-1 Anil Moitra Rd., Ballygunge Place; from Garihat road, take a left at the Industrial Training Institute; tel. 033/2440-8937; www.weaversstudio.com). Other than a fabulous resource center for all kinds of Indian textiles, thousands of hand-printing wooden blocks and books, you can also watch the intricate processes of weaving, printing and natural dyeing, which makes the final shopping aspect very special, if not altogether enlightened (note: You can only visit the factory by appointment). If scouting around The Park, visit Bengal Home Industries (11 Camac St.; tel. 033/2282-1562) or Sasha (27 Mirza Ghalib St.; tel. 033/2252-1586) for Bengali handicrafts, In the same area, hop into Dolly's Collection of Earthcraft (18J Park St., next to Petercat) for natural products -- a hole in the wall but with some simple and sweet items like mats made out of banana fiber or tiny terracotta turtles with cocky grins. You can pick up a wide range of Indian curios, along with handlooms and handicrafts, from Dakshinapan (2 Garihat Rd.), an open-air shopping complex (on the same lines as Dilli Haat in Delhi). It's a great place to browse, and while there, you absolutely must pop into the 20-year-old Dolly's Tea Shop (G62, Dakshinapan), which has become an institution by itself. Other than having a cuppa, you can also purchase excellent quality tea and as Dolly herself will tell you, "India has the best tea in the world, so why look elsewhere?" Hugli (Hastings Court, 96 Garden Reach Rd.; tel. 033/2489-2104) and Khazana at the Taj Bengal hotel are two good options for handicrafts as well; although the prices are high, quality is excellent. If you feel you can lug some heavier stuff back home, drop in at Minnoli (Karnani Estate, Unit G-I 209, AJC Bose Rd.; tel. 033/2289-1307), where owner Sharad Narula shows his obvious passion for antique furniture. Proud of a collection that includes everything from silver spoons dating from the first World War to 60-year-old glass lamps, Minnoli encapsulates the very spirit of Kolkata.

Inevitably, Kolkata is also home to one of India's best bookstores, Oxford Bookstore (17 Park St., Kolkata; tel. 033/2229-7662 or 033/2217-5266; www.oxfordbookstore.com), which carries a good range of local and imported periodicals, books on India and Kolkata, and fiction. Another shop worth investigating is Family Book Shop (1A Park St.; tel. 033/2229-3486 or 033/3290-6003); it's tiny but has an interesting upstairs section. You can also try Crossword on Elgin Road or Starmark on Lord Sinha Road.

Drinking & Partying

Kolkata is officially dry on Thursday, but this doesn't affect the upscale hotels. Local laws supposedly prohibit the sale of alcohol after 10:30pm, so if you're up for an all-nighter, be sure to ask the exact time for last rounds at any bar you visit. In the budget-oriented Sudder Street precinct, the open-air bar at the Fairlawn Hotel (13/A Sudder St.; tel. 033/2252-1510) is an atmospheric place for sundowners and early-evening drinks. The Park (tel. 033/2249-9000; www.theparkhotels.com) is the place to hang out after hours -- Someplace Else rocks all night long with live bands belting out alternative rock, salsa, blues and jazz every night of the week. Together with vibrantly hued Tantra (strictly for couples and room guests; Rs 500 on weekends per couple), which has the largest dance floor in the city, it attracts the city's hippest crowd. The '60s-styled and -themed cocktail bar Roxie's (entry is free if staying at The Park hotel or on recommendation by an existing guest) is worth trying to get an invite to, if not for the decor (rough and classy with exposed red bricks), then definitely for the music that darts between the '50s, '60s, and '70s, enjoyed best with what the bar prides itself on -- "mood cocktails." If this wasn't already enough, The Park also has Aqua, a poolside alfresco lounge. Wooden loungers and deck beds, suspended timber deck, hot tub, and cool pool -- Aqua has it all. Known earlier as Cinnamon, the Marrakesh Lounge (24 Park St.; tel. 033/2227-4974) and Virgose, at the Hotel Hindustan International (235/1ACJ Bose Rd.; tel. 033/2283-0505; www.hhihotels.com), are also popular, especially with those who want to stray far from the bustling crowds that throng in and around The Park.

Live Performance

Theater, music, dance, and poetry recitals all thrive here. Check out the listings in the "Bulletin Board" section of The Times of India. Upscale hotels also carry the useful monthly booklets City Info and Cal Calling. Rabindra Sadan concert hall (A.J.C. Bose Rd. and Cathedral Rd.; tel. 033/2223-9936 or -9917) hosts regular theater and musical events, as well as dance-drama performances and local-flavored Bengali poetry evenings. Cultural events also take place at the Academy of Fine Arts (2 Cathedral Rd.; tel. 033/2223-4302). The British Council (5 Shakespeare Sarani; tel. 033/2242-5478; www.britishcouncil.org) often offers plays and performances in English. Bengali and English dramas are performed at Kala Mandir (48 Shakespeare Sarani; tel. 033/2287-9086). For musical programs, contact Sisir Mancha (1/1 A.J.C. Bose Rd.; tel. 033/2223-5317). Indo-German productions are occasionally held at Max Mueller Bhavan (8 Pramathesh Barua Sarani; tel. 033/2486-6398; www.goethe.de).

Cinema, Galleries & Exhibitions

Considered the art capital of India, Kolkata hosts a huge number of art exhibitions. Scan the newspapers for information about what's on while you're in town. Or check out the Birla Academy of Art and Culture (108-109 Southern Ave.; tel. 033/2466-6802; www.birlaart.com) or the Centre for International Modern Art (Sunny Towers, 43 Ashutosh Chowdhari Ave.; tel. 033/2485-8717; www.cimaartindia.com; Tues-Sat 11am-7pm, Mon 3-7pm, closed Sun). The Academy of Fine Arts (2 Cathedral Rd.; tel. 033/2223-4302) has art galleries (daily 3-8pm) and a museum (Tues-Sun noon-6:30pm; admission Rs 5), where you can see works by Rabindranath Tagore.

While most Malls have multiplexes, the best cinema complex in the city is Nandan (1/1 A.J.C. Bose Rd.; tel. 033/2223-1210 or -0970), with excellent screens and a fantastic sound system. Nandan also regularly hosts art-film screenings and retrospectives (the annual Kolkata Film Festival takes place in Oct/Nov; www.kff.in). There are a number of stand-alone cinemas in Chowringhee where you can watch movies in the company of feverishly excitable Indian audiences.