India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (377 page)

The Tollywood Oscar Achiever

Kolkata has its own film industry, known throughout the Bengali world as Tollywood. In fact, it was this city that gave birth to India’s finest filmmaker,
Satyajit Ray,
who died in 1992—the same year he received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar. While Bollywood was churning out dazzling choreographic daydreams, Ray made classic films that filled art-house cinemas around the world. For more on Ray, .

Tigers in the Sundarbans: India’s Best-Kept Secret

One of the most enigmatic national parks in India, the
Sundarbans
is the largest delta in the world, with saline mud flats and thick mangrove forests teeming with wildlife, of which the Royal Bengal tiger is the most exotic inhabitant. Spanning around 4,264 sq. km (1,663 sq. miles) in India and an even larger area in neighboring Bangladesh, and surrounded by the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987 but remains one of the least developed parks in Asia, as access is only via water. Although there are affordable government ferries (West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation;
033/2248-7302
) offering overnight trips, it is a bit of a slog just to get to the ferry itself, as it involves several switches between cabs and smaller boats, and accommodation is below par. However, for the enthusiastic,
Vivada Inland Waterways
(
033/2463-1990;
www.vivada.com
; [email protected]), offers comfortable accommodation in boats, as well as relatively easy access; packages vary, but be prepared to shell out in the region of $735 to $885 for a 4-day luxury cruise, and of course with no guarantee to sighting anything bigger than a Kingfisher. The
Sunderban Tiger Camp
(
033/3293-5749;
www.sunderbantigercamp.com
) offers a cheaper alternative with its range of river-side accommodation (huts, tents, cottages, A/C cottages; non-A/C doubles from Rs 2,750) set in the midst of gardens teeming with waddling ducks and geese. While the watchtowers and museum are in a sorry state, the cruise along the silent mangroves is quite lovely.

Cruising Down the Ganges

Great mountains spawn great rivers. No surprise then that from mighty Himalayas flow two of the world’s longest, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. Meeting in Bengal, a province now split between India and Bangladesh, their combined flow enters the sea through the world’s largest delta. The Ganges in particular has always been the highway of empires—Hindu, Buddhist, Moghul, and British—and a cruise along it and the Hugli (its westernmost branch through the delta) is a journey through history. Regular steamer services ended before World War II, but now
Assam Bengal Navigation
is running cruises of 1 to 2 weeks both along the Hugli from Kolkata through rural Bengal and, from 2010 onwards, along the Ganges proper as far as Patna, with its associations ranging from the Buddha’s life on earth to the East India Company’s opium trade. Cruises also take in the scene of Robert Clive’s victory at Plassey, the medieval ruins of Gaur, and Murshidabad, the capital of the Nawabs of Bengal. The ships are intimate (no more than 24 guests), air-conditioned and comfortable, with knowledgeable guides on board to elucidate the complexities of the region’s long history ($350 per person per night).

ORIENTATION

Kolkata is a huge, sprawling city, divided into
north
and
south,
both spread along the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, which divides it from the vast suburb of
Howrah,
located on the western bank. Howrah is where you’ll be deposited if you arrive by train; the main station is close to the Howrah Bridge, which connects with the city proper. Just east and south of Howrah Bridge are Kolkata’s commercial and tourist hubs, centered around
B.B.D. Bagh,
still known by its colonial name, Dalhousie Square, and the long stretch of road once known as
Chowringhee
(now Jawaharlal Nehru Rd.) that runs southward, alongside the Maidan, Kolkata’s vast urban park. Many visitors base themselves around Chowringhee; nearby Sudder Street teems with budget accommodations, while Park Street has plenty of boutiques and fine restaurants.

To the northeast is the rapidly expanding business district of
Salt Lake City,
which has few historical sites but is steadily developing a reputation for its upscale business hotels and high-tech entertainment facilities. It’s the closest district to the airport.

WHAT TO SEE & DO

You need at least 2 full days to cover Kolkata. Spend the first day exploring central and south Kolkata, and the second visiting sites in the north, for which you should hire a car and driver.

Day 1 (Central & South Kolkata)

Start by catching a taxi south to the city’s most famous temple,
Kalighat Kali
. After this, visit Mother Teresa’s
Nirmal Hriday
home for the destitute and dying, right next door (see “The Miracle of Mother Teresa & the ‘Pure Hearts’”). Or, if you’re a bookworm, check out the
National Library
in the 300-year-old former summer residence of Prince Azim-us-Shan, the grandson of Emperor Aurangzeb. The library has a catalog of over 2 million books. Our recommendation is to enjoy the relaxing, tranquil atmosphere of
South Park Street Cemetery
before you head into the chaos of central Kolkata. If you’re hungry, nearby
Suruchi
(89 Elliot Rd., near Mallik Bazaar;
033/2229-1763;
no credit cards; open Mon–Sat 10am–5:45pm, Sun 10am–2:45pm) is an authentic Bengali restaurant, with a no-frills, homegrown atmosphere.

You can save time by using a vehicle to move on to central Kolkata, or enjoy the walk along Park Street to
Chowringhee Road,
taking in the upmarket shops and boutiques and perhaps stopping at
Flury’s
(
033/2229-7664;
credit cards accepted; daily 7:30am–10pm) for tea and a sandwich. Now officially known as “Jawaharlal Nehru Road,” Chowringhee is Kolkata’s main drag, with less human excrement along its sidewalks than almost anywhere else in the city. It is lined with colonial Victoriana—including the monumental
Indian Museum
(see below) and that pinnacle of Calcutta’s society life,
The
Oberoi Grand.
Continue north along Chowringhee into the heart of the city, where you can explore the roads around
B.B.D. Bagh
(see below).