Esplanade

Calcutta was once nicknamed the City of Palaces. This comes from the numerous palatial mansions built all over the city. During the British colonial era from 1700-1912, when Calcutta was the capital of British India, Calcutta witnessed a spate of frenzied construction activity of buildings largely influenced by the conscious intermingling of Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Islamic schools of design. Unlike many north Indian cities, whose construction stresses minimalism, the layout of much of the architectural variety in Calcutta owes its origins to European styles and tastes imported by the British and, to a much lesser extent, the Portuguese and French. The buildings were designed, and inspired by the tastes of the English gentleman around and the aspiring Bengali Babu literally a nouveau riche Bengali who aspired to cultivation of English etiquette, manners and custom as such practices were favorable to monetary gains from the British. Today many of these structures are in various stages of decay. Some of the major buildings of this period are well maintained and several buildings have been declared as heritage structures. Conservation efforts are often affected by problems of litigation, tenant troubles, ownership disputes, old tenancy laws and a lack of funds.

Indian Museum

— J.L. Nehru Rd. ☎ +91 33 2249 5699, Fax:+91 33 249 5696, (http://www.indianmuseumko...). Established in 1814, this was the first such museum in Asia. Among its famous collection is the urn that held the ashes of the Buddha though this is generally not on display, an Ashoka pillar the three-lion symbol from which became the official emblem of the Republic of India and numerous rare antiques. Closed on Mondays. Admission: Rs 10 for Indians Rs 150 for non-Indians.

BBD Bagh

— Government House, Calcutta, built in the early 19th century, is modelled on Kedleston Hall. The House was once the seat of the Viceroys of India; later, when the Government moved to New Delhi, it became the residence of the Governor of Bengal, a function that it fulfills to this day. While the basic features of Kedleston have been faithfully copied the Palladian Front, the Dome etc., Government House is a much larger, three storied structure. Also, the Government of India evidently did not have the funding constraints that forced the Curzons to leave their house incomplete: Government House has all four wings originally conceived for Kedleston. So today, a 'complete', brick built Kedleston, on a much grander scale, is set in acres of gardens at the heart of the Calcutta business district.

Mahabodhi Society of India

— 4A Bankim Chatterjee St near College St. ☎ +91 33 2219 9294. A small, but interesting Theravedan Buddhist temple located in an historic building. There is a library and shrine room on the second floor. Meditation classes are held every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.

Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha

— 1 Buddhist Temple St, near the Indian Airways head office. ☎ +91 33 2211 7138. A Buddhist monastery established in 1892 and run by the Bengal Buddhist Association. The distinct red building mostly consists of a school and a guest house. There is a very small Buddhist shrine tucked away on the 1st floor.

General Post Office

The Reserve Bank of India

The Raj Bhavan

— the Governor's Residence, (http://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in).

Zoological Gardens

Calcutta Race Course

National Library

(http://www.nlindia.org)

Vidyasagar Setu

— popularly known as second Hooghly Bridge

Eden Gardens

— These pleasant gardens are located to the north of the Maidan and are the venue for international cricket matches. They were designed by Emily and Fanny Eden in 1841. At the northern corner lies the

Burmese Pavilion

— set in a small lake, which was brought from Burma by Lord Dalhousie in 1854

Nakhoda Mosque

— the largest mosque in Kolkata