Art and culture have always played an important role in Kolkata’s past and continue to do so even today. Keeping the passion alive, Nazrul Mancha is one of the most prominent event venues in the city. Situated in Rabindra Sarobar, the auditorium is most famous as the locale for Dover Lane Music Festival, a week long event dedicated to Indian and Carnatic Classical Music and held every January. For the rest of the year, the venue hosts various local and international events including dance and musical soirees, college functions as well as conferences and auditions. The large auditorium has a semi-circular stage and a seating capacity of approximately 3000. Regular performances by Bengali rock bands and other Indian groups make this a much-visited destination and especially popular among the youth of the city. However, the appearance of the space is not what you would expect of an auditorium of this standard to be and is in desperate need of renovation and modernization. It can be easily reached by buses and cabs.
When you stand in front of the building, you are bound to wonder why the academy needs such a high-storied structure to operate from. But once you step inside, any such questions are rightfully and aesthetically, laid to rest. Established in 1967, the Birla Academy of Art & Culture has been a staunch proponent of the arts in Kolkata. The museum within the academy has a number of collections including Indian, international and contemporary paintings as well as sculptures. However, most of its eleven floors are usually occupied by interesting temporary exhibitions and fairs. The library is well-equipped with a number of resources on various forms of art and culture. Apart from this, the academy also frequently organizes cultural events as well as educational lectures, seminars and summer classes on art. An annually held event called Kala Mela is aimed at showcasing upcoming local artists. Located right next to Lake Kalibari, you will always find something that piques your interest at this art hub!
Named after Swami Vivekananda, this is the northernmost of Kolkata's bridges and connects Dakshineshwar in Kolkata to the Bally area of Howrah. The setu is also known as Bally Bridge owing to its location, and Willingdon Bridge after the past Governor of Calcutta. Built in 1932, the multi-span steel bridge is 2887 feet in length and is adapted to support both, road and rail traffic. When it was declared to be unfit for regular functioning, a second Vivekananda Bridge was constructed to share the load. The second Vivekananda Bridge also called Nivedita Setu, is a cable-stayed bridge that runs exactly parallel to the original. If Dakshineshwar Temple and Belur Math are on your itinerary, you are bound to pass this architectural beauty at least once. The steel of the bridge combines with the muddy waters of the Hooghly River to form a striking visual. To view Vivekananda Bridge in its full glory, take a jetty from the Dakshineshwar Temple. Its sister bridges are the Rabindra Setu and Vidyasagar Setu that are on the same river.
La diosa hindú Kali es una parte esencial de Calcuta y su gente, y el Templo Dakshineswar Kali es uno de los sitios religiosos más importantes de Bengala Occidental. El complejo es de un tradicional estilo bengalí Navaratna con 9 espiras en honor a Kali y sus muchas representaciones, y a Bhavatarini en particular. En los alrededores del templo principal, se encuentran muchos otros templos más pequeños, incluyendo nueve templos de Shiva y el Templo Radha Krishna. En el templo se destacan los colores rojos y amarillos, y los peregrinos vestidos de todos colores completan la interesante y cargada paleta de la escena. También es conocido por haber sido el hogar del líder y maestro espiritual Rama Krishna Paramahansa, durante un periodo de tiempo, y en el patio hay una estatua del responsable de la construcción del templo, Rani Rashmoni. El templo tiene una estructura muy elegante, y cuenta con un estacionamiento para recibir a la concurrencia habitual de fieles. El río Hooghly y el puente Vivekananda Setu son el telón de fondo para este hermoso templo, que es muy reconocido por su profunda devoción por el místico Ramakrishna. Se erige orgullosamente al final de una escalera, es visitado por una gran cantidad de peregrinos por día, y es muy concurrido, la mayor parte del tiempo.
Kumor is the Bengali word for potter and tuli or toli roughly translates to quarter, and examples of skilled labor can be seen all over this small area that is close to Shobhabazar. The clay sculptures, at different stages of production, can be found displayed around the main street. Durga Puja, the city's most important festival, is when you will find this street to be most colorful. Most of the idols depict Indian deities and scenes from Hindu mythology. Although its use is religious, these idols need to be seen solely for the detailed artistry that they showcase. The easiest way to get to this area is via the tram service, as busy roads are a regular feature around this area.
As you enter the southern neighborhood of Ballygunge, the Birla Mandir is bound to catch your attention. Designed to emulate the Lingaraj Temple in Orissa, this white marble structure houses idols of many Hindu deities: statues of Krishna and Radha, Durga, Shiva, Ganesha and a few others can be found at different parts of the temple. Just like the Birla Mandir in Jaipur and Hyderabad, the interiors are a pristine white and the sense of space is a relaxing contrast to the claustrophobic atmosphere that is common to most Indian temples. By night, the entire mandir is illuminated which enhances its beauty considerably. In close vicinity are the Birla Museum of Science and Technology, Calcutta Ice Skating Rink and CCFC.