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VICTORIA MEMORIAL
At the southern end of Maidan stands the Victoria Memorial built between 1906 and 1921 on the lines of the Taj Mahal in memory of Queen Victoria. This huge white-marble museum houses a vast collection of memorabilia from the days of British Empire. There are portraits, statues and busts of almost all the main participants in British India history. Two regular sound and light shows are held in the evening. Closed on Mondays.

HOWRAH BRIDGE
It is one of three bridges on the river Hooghly and is the most famous symbol of not only Calcutta but also West Bengal. This bridge is marvel of British engineering. Howrah Bridge is a suspended bridge on pillars. The bridge though very old is still holding good to reduce the traffic across the river. This Engineering marvel has been the firmest symbol of Calcutta. The huge cantilever bridge, strung on 270 feet high pillars connects Calcutta from Howrah. It four traffic lanes are daily used by over a lakh vehicles. The newly constructed Vidya Sagar Setu is also a cable suspended bridge. This bridge is supposed to reduce the traffic on the old Howrah Bridge.

SAHEED MINAR
This 165 ft. High monument was erected by public subscription in 1828, to honour Sir David Ochter Lony, a one- time resident of Malwa & Rajputana. More recently, it has now been renamed 'Saheed Minar' to honour the martyrs of the freedom struggle. An important landmark in Calcutta, it is located at the Northern end of the Maidan.

VIDYASAGAR SETU
Vidyasagar Setu a golden Gate Bridge look alike, 2kms downriver, was completed in 1994. It is a modern day engineering marvel and is the largest cable stayed bridge in Asia. The bridge connects the twin cities of Calcutta and Howrah. It was built at a cost of Rs. 388 crores. Unfortunately it is not making the big difference that was envisaged, as the approaches are too narrow to to handle the amount of traffic that use bridge, and plans for widening the road are slow in implementation

BIRLA PLANETARIUM
This planetarium, near the government of India tourist office, is one of the largest in the world and is located on Calcutta's Eastern metropolitan bypass. There are shows in English everyday. This 21st century marvel of science, communication and environment is the first and only institution of its kind in India. Set amidst trees and lawns, here one finds science out of doors and alive.

SCIENCE CITY
It is located on Calcutta's Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. This 21st century marvel of science, communication and environment is the first and only institution of its kind in India.The pioneering effort of NCSM, in setting up open air Science Parks has now added a new dimension to science teaching through a process of discovery in the outdoor setting. Set amidst trees and lawns, here one finds science out of doors and alive

INDIAN MUSEUM
This museum was established in 1878 on Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The museum is built in Italian architectural style and is considered as the largest museum in the country and one of the best in Asia. The largest museum in the country, the museum has six sections: Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry (economic botany). From the Egyptian mummy to the skeleton of the whale and some rare statues; the museum has every thing. One of the rooms has a collection of meteorites. The museum also has a unique fossil collection of prehistoric animals which includes a giant crocodile and a huge tortorise.The art collection has many fine pieces from Orissa and other temples and superb example of Buddhist Gandharan art

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
Calcutta's interesting zoo-the oldest in India-was the creation of Sir Richard Carnac Temple who was Governor of Bengal from 1874 to 1877. It was opened on Jan 1st 1876, by the Prince of Wales. The 16 hectare grounds house a wide species of animals & birds including the rare white Bengal Tiger. There is a separate reptile house and a children's zoo. Migratory birds find sanctuary on a small lake in the zoo every winter. The gardens are open from 6 a.m. To 5 p.m. daily.
The Zoological Gardens at Alipore opened to the public in 1876, have one of the finest collections of birds, animals, and reptiles. Within the Gardens, there is also a childrens' Zoo. The aquarium in front of the Zoological Gardens contains sea-fishes of rare varieties

BOTANICAL GARDENS
The extensive Botanical Gardens, on the west bank of the Hoogly river, strech forever 1 km along the river and occupy 109 hectares. The gardens were originally founded in 1786 and administered by Colonel Kyd. It was from these gardens that the tea now grown in Assam and kolkata was first developed. Trees of the rarest kinds, from Nepal, Brazil, Penang, Java and Sumatra can be found here. There are towering Mahogany trees, an avenue of Cuban Palms and an Orchid House. Mango and Tamarind trees shade the grassy lawns. But the main attraction of the garden is the 200 year old Banyan Tree, claimed to have the second largest canopy in the world. It is the world's largest, having a circumference of 330m.

The Palm House in the centre of gardens is also well worth a visit.The gardens are over the Howrah Bridge, 19Km by bus from Chowringhee. The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset, and although they tend to be very crowded on Sunday, on other days they are peaceful and make a pleasant escape from the hassles and crowd of Calcutta.

BIRLA MANDIR
Located on Asutosh Chowdhury Avenue, it is the latest addition to the places of visit in Calcutta. Built over twenty- two years of painstaking labour, it is an all marble structure with very high quality Rajasthani engravings.

BANGIYA SAHITYA PRISHAD CHITRASALA, KOLKATA
The Bangiya Sahitya Aprishad Chitrasala was established in the year 1910. It is the storehouse of many precious medieval stone and metal sculptures, letters of famous Bengali authors, various objects of art and archaeological objects that bears testimony to the cultural aspects of Bengal. There are many old manuscripts that have been preserved here, along with many other valuable materials. Located in the Acharya Prafulla Chandra Street, the Chitrasala stores and promotes cultural heritage of India.

ST. PAUL`S CATHEDRAL, KOLKATA
The St.Paul`s Cathedral was designed according to Indo-Gothic pattern and its foundations were laid in 1839. In the year1847, finally the Church was completed but then it has been renovated many a times after that. The Cathedral is well known for its British legacy and the carrier of the Christianity all through the years. Kolkata is a home of diverse religions out of which Christians occupy a massive portion. This Church stands out in the crowd though it has been affected many times by natural calamities. The Church is located in the southern end of the Maidan and east of the Victoria Memorial.

The St. Paul`s Cathedral exhibits a beautiful architectural pattern and was the first `Episcopal Cathedral Church` to be set up in an oriental country`. The Church displayed Indo-Gothic pattern of architecture and it took Rs 5 lakhs for the construction. The church was built under the sponsorship of Bishop Wilson. Major Forbes of the Bengal Engineers` Association proposed the plans for the construction. The Cathedral is renowned for its splendor and it also has a stained glass panel in the west window, dedicated to honour Lord Mayo who was assassinated in the Andaman Islands. Sir Edward Burne-Jones designed this memoir. There are many such memorials inside the cathedral, and still now they have been preserved properly. These preserved memorials form a link between the past and the present and entices the visitors to the Cathedral. The height of the Church tower is 201 ft. and it is 247 ft. long with the width measuring 81 ft. Coming to the interiors of the Cathedral, one is amazed to see the beautifully decorated large cathedral hall. It has marvelously carved wooden pews and chairs along the west stained glass window; the eastern walls are covered with intricate artwork, which attracts the eye, which are the two Florentine frescoes. The whole artwork is a visual treat for the onlookers; the floral designs that adorn them are so unique and artistic. The Mural paintings lend a majestic touch to the whole ambience. The Chruch contains pictures, which are basically the life and work of St. Paul, and they are extensive in their portrayal. The worldly remains of Bishop Wilson are preserved in a coffin that is situated inside the underground chamber. He was conferred the commission plate by Queen Victoria and this till now finds a place among the displayed things out there.

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