WEST BANGAL

Gardens of Kolkata

To consolidate their hold on Bengal and avoid any further attack on the establishment the British had built a fort which cost them an awesome 2 million pounds in those days. The forest around this fort was cleared to give a clear shot to the cannons. Today the fort stands as the reminder of first steps of British towards establishment of the Indian empire. The cleared area is now known as the Maidan and acts as breather for the otherwise congested city. This maidan is located in the heart of the city and is an ideal place for a morning stroll or even for a break from the ever increasing rush of the city. It acts as the lungs of the city. The Chowringee road, the Victoria memorial and the Eden Garden surround the maidan while the Raj Bhawan over looks it. The maidan is flanked by the skyscrapers of Kolkata. On one side of the Maidan is the Kolkata Race course.

The Botanical gardens: The botanical garden of Kolkata is perhaps the most important gardens in India. This garden has a well classified and categorized variety of flora and fauna. The 250 year old Banyan tree is a special attraction. It is said that the tree has spread its area so much that it is difficult to say which one is the original trunk. The circumference of the tree is around 400 meter. The botanical garden is located on other side of Kolkata on the banks of Hoogly. The horticulture gardens in the heart of the city is a famous avenue for the flower and other exhibitions. It is particularly famed for the display of seasonal flowers.

The Zoological Gardens: Spread over an sprawling area of 45 acres the Alipore Kolkata zoo is perhaps the largest in the country. This zoo was established in 1876 and is the one of the oldest zoo gardens in India. In this zoo are kept many animals from all over the world. But the main attraction are the white tigers of Rewa. Also are famed the winter migration of birds to this zoo. Close to the Alipore zoo is the Aquarium. Here tropical fresh water and sea fishes are kept in aquariums. The Alipore zoo has got a reptile house which houses some of the reptiles found in India. The reptiles kept here includes King Cobra and the crocodiles.

Victoria Memorial

An splendid example of British architecture, this building was built in memory of Queen Victoria and was inaugurated by Prince of Wales in 1921. The Memorial is based on architecture of the Taj and is built in marble. The wrought iron gates, the lamp posts, the brass cannons and the Statue of the Queen at the entrance every thing spells the magic of British monarchy and their grandeur. The memorial today treasures many paintings, attires and other items used by the British during their rule in India. This building can also be termed as the British museum. In 25 rooms of the memorial are kept around 3500 items which are related to Queen Victoria. In the evenings the light and sound programs is a major attraction for the tourists. The Fountain of Joy in the premises of the memorial presents an atmosphere of memorable charm.