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Kolkata, India
Photo: Kolkatan, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
South Kolkata (or South Calcutta) is a commonly-used term, but the extent of this district is not commonly agreed upon. This article uses the term to denote the localities of Alipore, Ballygunge, Bhowanipore, Chetla, Gariahat and Rash Behari.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The current residence of the descendants of the Bardhaman Raj family who shifted from Bardhaman to Alipore in 1955.
ধনধান্য Dhonodhānyo
An auditorium shaped like a humongous conch-shell (শাঁখ shānkh), an example of mimetic or novelty architecture in India. Inaugurated on April 2023, the building has 6 floors containing guest house, restaurant, cafeteria, VIP lounge, media lounge and a convention centre. It hosts various cultural programmes and is also a venue for national and international trade fairs.
মহানির্বাণ মঠ Mohānirbāṇ Moṭh
A Buddhist monastery.
জাতীয় গ্রন্থাগার Jātīyo Gronthāgār, previously Belvedere House
This is a stately mansion. Once home of the British Viceroys, the Belvedere House is now the National Library. The oldest library in India with a huge collection, including some rarities. It houses over a million books and is the biggest in India. The Belvedere House also houses the Museum of Word, offering an interactive insight on language.
A heritage building constructed in 1933.
A cultural hub of Kolkata, dedicated to Bengal's folk art and traditions, with a collection of textile practices, patachitra, old litho paintings, terracotta artefacts, ivory paintings, manuscripts, sculptures, and coins. It features works of artists like Nandalal Bose, Jogen Choudhury, Sanatan Dinda, S. Nandagopal, Wasim Kapoor, and Paresh Maity. It also houses a bookstore and a library with Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature, as well as an auditorium and a well-maintained guest house.
The yellow-coloured Bhowanipore residence of the Oscar-winning filmmaker is a popular landmark.
আদ্যাকালী মন্দির Ādyākālī Mondir
Houses Kolkata's patron deity. According to the legend, when Lord Shiva’s wife Parvati’s body was cut up, one of her fingers fell here. Rebuilt in 1809, this is one of the 51 shakti pithas.
নির্মল হৃদয় Nirmol Hridoy
A hospice for the sick, destitute and the dying established by Mother Teresa.
কেওড়াতলা মহাশ্মশান Keōṛātolā Mohāshmoshān
মহীশূর উদ্যান Mohīshūr Udyān
A piece of Southern India, with memories of Mysore king Chamarajendra Wodeyar X. He travelled to Kolkata (then Calcutta) to meet the then-viceroy Lord Elgin. He died of diphtheria in Calcutta at 31 in 1894. It is said that parts of the Keoratala crematorium was bought for his funeral. A ghāṭ (steps to the river) was built there along with a garden and a Vishnu temple.
মা ফিরে এলো Mā Phire Elō; Durga Museum
A museum dedicated to the various Durga Puja idols of Kolkata. A must-visit for Durga Puja connoisseurs.
Founded by William Carey in 1820, it is a lush environ owned and managed by the Agri Horticultural Society of India. The venue for exotic plant and flower exhibitions, it is spread over 21 acres comprising main lawns and informal gardens and children park, and has many rare and tropical plants.
আলিপুর চিড়িয়াখানা Ālipur Chiṛiyākhānā
One of the most famous zoological gardens in Eastern India. It was once notorious for its cross-breeding experiments between lions and tigers to produce strains like tigons, ligers and litigons. It was home to Advaita, the longest-lived animal in the world, who died in March 2006. The other success story of the zoo was a live birth of the rare Sumatran rhinoceros in 1889. The lakes within are a favourite retreat for migratory Siberian birds.
formerly Alipore Central Jail
A museum dedicated to the Indian independence movement, with a special focus on Bengal. It was a prison during the British rule, and was used to arrest many freedom activists. The museum contains patriotic lyrics of Kazi Nazrul Islam on the wall, along with the individual cells of Jawaharlal Nehru, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sri Aurobindo and others. There are exhibits within some of these cells that replicate the daily lives of the prisoners. The museum also has a somber site of the gallows where many activists were hanged. It also organises a sound and light show in the evenings in Bengali and Hindi.
Inaugurated in 1959 as the first popular science museum in Asia. It is a modern museum with lots of interesting artefacts, shows, events, and activities, primarily popular with school-going children. Its collection of old gramophones, sound recorders, telephones, steam engines, road rollers, and other industrial machinery of the period 1880–1950 is very significant. It also actively organises summer camps, awareness programmes, and astronomy observations for schoolchildren. The exhibitions, many of them demanding you to take an active part, can compete with those you could visit in countries like the United States.
CIMA
A small museum showing modern artworks. It has nearly 200 exhibitions, along with an annual pre-Druga Puja lifestyle exhibition.
Entry is by invitation or prior appointment only. A collection of ancient and modern board games, ranging from the oldest board game, The Royal Game of Ur, to current games such as Settlers of Catan and Grizzled.
The former home of the Indian freedom activist and the first Education Minister of India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Maulana Azad's work interpreting the mystic Sarmad, a member of Prince Dara Shikoh's court, is also a cornerstone of the secular tradition in India. The museum is replete with narrations of his life, times, work, personal archives, and belongings.
নেতাজি ভবন Netāji Bhobon
A heritage building maintained as a memorial and research centre to the life of the Indian nationalist Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Netaji's bedroom was on the first floor, shared with his father. Netaji's footsteps from the bedroom to the outside as part of the Great Escape of 1941 are also painted here, where he escaped from house arrest to gather foreign support for the Indian independence movement. The museum also showcases the car that Netaji's nephew drove him all the way to Gomoh, along with a collection of rare photographs, letters, and Netaji's clothes. There's a small bookshop with different publications by the Netaji Bureau, along with the recordings of Netaji's speeches.
Indrajal Bhavan
The residence of magician P.C. Sorcar and his son P.C. Sorcar Jr., now converted into an art gallery.
Opened in January 2024, the art gallery is considered a multidisciplinary haven for community engagement. It is housed in the 1940s mansion of the Thapar family, the owners of the art gallery.
A museum showcasing the 150-year-old heritage of the tram system in Kolkata.
Radha-Krishna Temple
The most modernly opulent in Kolkata and worth a visit. The adjoining tree-lined lane Queen's Park is the most exclusive and fashionable address in the city and is worth a stroll through. Some of the biggest names in the city call it home. A close second is Sunny Park, running parallel to Queen's Park on the other side of the Birla Temple.
লেক কালীবাড়ি Lek Kālībāṛi
One of the rare Japanese Buddhist temples in India. It was founded by Nichidatsu Fujii (Fujii Guruji) in 1935, a follower of Nichiren Buddhism.
বসুশ্রী Bosushrī
One of the four cinema halls that premiered Satyajit Ray's movie Pather Panchali. While the other halls were later shut down or became inactive, this one is still very active.
বিজলী Bij(o)lī
মেনকা Menokā
An iconic landmark in Kolkata, representing the elite (babu) Bengal with rich history and culture.
Founded in 1792, it is the second-oldest cricket club in the world after Marylebone Cricket Club. It arguably has the most picturesque cricket ground in Kolkata.
An open-air chess club under a busy flyover.
দেশপ্রিয় পার্ক Deshopriyo Pārk
The venue of one of the biggest Durga Puja celebrations of South Kolkata. It also contains one of the tallest permanently-installed Durga statues of the city as well. There's also a monument north of the park, dedicated to the Bengali authors and the martyrs of the Bengali language movements of Bangladesh and Assam.
Sarat Chatterjee Park
Park Circus Maidan becomes a focal point during the winter—especially in December and January—as it becomes home to circus companies and kids all over the city flock to the maidan to watch circus.
Multi-use stadium. Can accommodate 40,000 spectators.
Restaurants here: Oh! Calcutta (+91 33 22837161, mains from ₹150, excellent Bengali food). Ar-Han-Thai (Lebanese & Thai food), Spaghetti Kitchen (Italian food), Starstruck (Chinese, Continental, North Indian, Mughlai).
Authentic Bengali food. Fish and vegetarian speciality - sukto, mochar ghanto, chital macher muitha, chingri macher malaikari, kankra (crab), et al. Mutton Dak Bungalow has become a trade mark. No hard drinks.
Mostly for take-away service. Food also served.
Chinese and Thai cuisine. Drinks not served.
North Indian and Chinese cuisine. Try out the Punjabi speciality;makka di roti and sarson di saag
Chinese cuisine. No drinks.
Great Punjabi food, also has a Chinese restaurant. Drinks served.
Bengali & North Indian cuisine. Buffet lunch ₹375 (Monday to Friday), ₹425 (Saturday). No drinks.
Budget restaurant. Place not posh but tasty food.
পদ্মপারের রান্নাঘর Podmopārer Rānnaghor
Bengali and South Indian cuisine.
তেরো পার্বণ Terō Pārboṇ
Bengali cuisine with the ambience of a traditional Bengali home.
Mithai, North Indian vegetarian, street food.
North Indian fast food. Speciality - fish kaviraji, mutton chops, rolls, pakoda, mutton kaviraji, chowmein, pudding.
Dhakai cuisine. Speciality - bhetki paturi, biryani, mochar ghonto, kochu pata chingri bhapa, jhuri alu bhaja, mutton kosha, kosha mangsho.
One of the earliest posh restaurants in South Kolkata. Authentic North Indian delicacies. Continental and Chinese also served. Drinks available. Payment in cash only.
Innovative Chinese food. Grand buffets. Drinks served.
North Indian cuisine, street food. Popular items: chicken bharta, tandoori chicken, tandoori aloo, butter naan, dal tadka, rolls, paneer butter masala. No alcohol.
Pizza, fast food. Popular for: garlic bread, chocolava cake, pepperoni pizza, pasta, chicken wings, lava cake, veggie pizza. No alcohol.
A café housed in a building with Victorian arches. It blends the old and the new, and pays homage to the classics of the British Raj and the Mughal Empire as well as Japanese flavours.
A pastel-hued café with brews like black sesame latte, blue matcha and kesar chai. It's known for its "paint-your-own" experience, where guests can decorate their cakes, cookies or macarons.
A unit of Komala Vilas
South Indian vegetarian snacks and thali meal. Great food. Authentic South Indian taste - very different from the road side stalls catering to Bengali taste.
Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, Mutton Rogan Josh.
Mexican, Italian and other cuisine.
South Indian Non-vegetarian. Snacks like idli and dosha not available. Specialised main meal dishes. Enjoy Keralian food, Coorgi dishes et al.
Great Mughlai food, take away only.
Period dining experience - try it out.
South Indian vegetarian.
These are two separate kachouri shops, near each other. The footpath in front of the shops is always crowded. Their early morning stocks often get exhausted by around 9AM. They also serve later in the day. Any one going that way must give it a try. Don't miss the jalebis/malpuas after the kachouri-sabzi. The location shown in the map here is that of Maharani, and Maharaja is a little down the road towards the lakes.
Continental and North Indian cuisine. Drinks served.
Bengali cuisine.
Thai, Chinese, etc. Drinks served.
Indian sea food, South Indian, Keralian, Maharshtrian.
দ্যা ভবানীপুর হাউস Dyā Bhabānīpur Hāus
A multi-level café housed in a colonial bungalow built in 1907. Originally owned by the Ghosh family, the bungalow was vacant for years before being acquired by the Sureka family in 2016, who restored the house and converted into a café, serving modern cuisine. Doesn't serve hard drinks.
Authentic and traditional Bengali food.
Seafood, Chinese and Bengali cuisine.
North Indian, Chinese cuisine.
Sweets and snacks.
North Indian Continental and Chinese cuisine. Drinks served.
Chinese and Thai cuisine. Drinks served. Only cash payment.
Burger, fast food. No alcohol.
Healthy food, salad, fast foods. Popular items: Sandwiches, Chicken Wrap, Chicken Tikka Sub. No alcohol.
North Indian vegetarian cuisine. Popular items: Tea, lassi, paneer tikka, samosa, dudh cola, kesar chai. No alcohol.
One of the oldest sweet meat sellers in Kolkata, with a chain of outlets across the city. It is a revered name in the arena of Bengali sweets. Take away only.
Sweets and casual dining. Popular items: vegetarian thali, gulab jamun, dahi vada, dhania dosa, kulfi, mango lassi, idli.
Offers a wide range of sweets and snacks. Famous for its baked rosgolla.
A group of two cafés that provides a taste of Paris in Kolkata, blending bistro dining with artisanal bakery. The interiors have a European aura, serving French and Continental food, handcrafted breads, and desserts.
A cultural hub housed in the 100-year-old residence of barrister Pares Nath Banerjee, featuring a café, co-working space and an event venue. The must-tries include grilled chicken sandwich, fish finger, mutton bolognese, Kombucha fermented green tea and Vietnamese iced coffee.
Biryani and Mughlai food. Popular items: firni, mutton kosha, mutton boti kebab, chicken chatpata, mutton biryani, egg chicken roll. They have seven branches: 1. Chinar Park, 2. Anandapur (opposite Calcutta International School), 3. Hatibagan, 4. Park Street Area (Muzaffar Ahmed Road), 5. Park Circus 7-point crossing, 6. New Alipore, and 7. Jessore Road, Bangur.
A compact restaurant with modern décor, serves Chinese, Mughlai and Tandoori specialties. It also has a parcel counter as well as a banquet.
Chinese food. Drinks available. Popular items: Thai soup, noodles, lung fung soup, prawn, crispy chilli chicken, roast pork chilli, sweet corn soup. Jimmy's Kitchen has two branches: 1. 36F Ruby Hospital Road, 2. 14D, Lindsay Street.
Biryani and Mughlai food. The food has a good taste in the main shop but in their fry king outlet at Baghajatin some items are bad and unpalatable.
Zeeshan has several outlets mostly for take-away customers: 1. Deshapriya Park, 2. Kidderpore, 3. Garia, 4. Lake Market Area, 5. Ballygunge, 6. Tollygunge, 7. Esplanade, 8. College Street.
Biryani and Mughlai food. Popular items: biryani, rolls, firni, murg reshmi kabab, mutton tikka, mutton chaap, tandoori chicken.
Serves delicacies like fish and chips, sandwiches, and caramel custard. The window seat offers an elevated view of the museum.
Taj Bengal is a 5-star deluxe hotel and is amongst the top hotels in Kolkata. The luxurious restaurants are also open to non-residents.
Budget restaurant. Biryani and Mughlai food.
Bakery, desserts, fast food. Serves non-vegetarian items also. No alcohol. Some popular items: vegetable burger, vegetable pizza, chocolate pyramid, pineapple pastry.
A homely ambiance with both indoor AC and shaded outdoor seating options. Serves pork sausages, meatloaf, chili pork and Darjeeling meat platters.
Single, couple and family options. Air-conditioning, fibre-optic WiFi, streaming enabled.
Amenities include air-conditioning, telephone, internet connectivity, TV (Cable), laundry service, housekeeping, room service, continental breakfast. Deluxe Suite (King size Double Bed)/Deluxe Queen (Queen Double Bed)/Deluxe Twin (two single beds) rooms with attached bathrooms.
10-minute drive from Park Street and 1 minute from Minto Park. It’s on the 7th floor of a residential apartment. 4 bedrooms with free WiFi, attached bathrooms, common kitchen. All rooms are air conditioned. Owners live in the same building. Great location, safe, and 24/7 security. Recommended for backpackers.
Modern, prettily furnished rooms with attached bath, air-con, TV, etc. in a quiet, safe neighborhood. Helpful owner lives in the same building, and is a handy source for tips on what to see/where to go in Kolkata. They also have a great cook, so make sure you try a home-cooked Bengali meal when you're there.
A deluxe hotel and is amongst the top hotels in Kolkata. The restaurants are also open to non-residents. The hotel has 200 rooms and 29 suites, with terracotta statuary and palm-covered atrium lobby. It has fine dining restaurants such as Cal27, Sonargaon, Souk, Chinoiseire and The Chambers, along with an al fresco area and banquet halls.
One of the largest markets in Kolkata. Good for food and fashion. The shops in the marketplace sell a variety of saris, clothing, jewellery, electronic goods, furniture, and more. The makeshift shops along the footpaths, popular as hawkers, sell everything – crockery, cutlery, decorative items and utilities. Vegetables, fruits, flowers, betel leaf, fish, egg, meat are the main groceries available. You can buy branded and non-branded clothing from Western like tees and jeans to tradition Indian such as dupattas and sarees, along with bags and purses. It has numerous eateries and street food joints. Bargaining is important here, like in many shops.
Vegetables, fruits, betel leaf, fish, meat, eggs, etc., available
One of the largest markets in Kolkata. Vegetables, fruits, betel leaf, flowers, fish, meat, eggs, etc., available. It is the best place in South Kolkata for flowers, flower bouquets, floral rings etc.
Vegetables, fruits, betel leaf, flowers, fish, meat, eggs, etc., available. Old market, popular for both variety and fair prices.
There is an appealing range of upmarket shops housed across six floors. Forum is a centre of fashion and there are many beautiful clothes, accessories, and shoes to choose from. Those with nostalgia about things foreign can find shops selling Belgian chocolates, English biscuits, and so on. Restaurants and bars include Oh! Calcutta (+91 33 22837161, mains from ₹150, excellent Bengali food), Cafe Mezzuna, Ar-Han-Thai (Lebanese & Thai food), Spaghetti Kitchen (Italian food), Starstruck (Chinese, Continental, North Indian, Mughlai).
High-end shopping mall, branded shops, food court and restaurants, multiplex, offices, and a hotel.
Homeland Mall is one stop mall for house building materials and interior decor items. E Zone Electronic Mall is next to it.
Luxury retail, largest apparel store, fine dining, six-screen insignia class multiplex. Restaurants and bars include Chili's and Irish House.
Different varieties of fish starting from single piece to large quantities
By metro
The Blue Line runs along the city from north to south, and is the fastest and the most convenient way to reach South Kolkata.
By bus
Buses have the most extensive coverage and is inexpensive, providing last-mile connectivity. You can travel 20 km at around ₹10.
By train
The suburban overground railway tracks pass through the eastern and southern edges of Kolkata. The Park Circus-Majherhat section is also used by the circular railway system.
By auto-rickshaw
Point to point auto rickshaws are a cheap and popular means of transport, in most parts of the city, except the central business district. These accommodate four passengers and charge individually.
By taxi
Taxis are a fast mode of transport and offer you more comfort and privacy than the other modes. However, they are much more expensive than buses or metro rail.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Kolkata · International · CCU
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