Kolkata

Simultaneously noble and squalid, cultured and desperate, Kolkata is a daily festival of human existence. And it's all played out before your very eyes on teeming streets where not an inch of space is wasted. By its old spelling, Calcutta, India's second-biggest city conjures up images of human suffering to most Westerners. But Bengalis have long been infuriated by one-sided depictions of their vibrant capital. Kolkata is locally regarded as the intellectual and cultural capital of the nation. Several of India's great 19th- and 20th-century heroes were Kolkatans, including guru-philosopher Ramakrishna, Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore and celebrated film director Satyajit Ray. Dozens of venues showcase Bengali dance, poetry, art, music, film and theatre. And while poverty certainly remains in-your-face, the dapper Bengali gentry continue to frequent grand old gentlemen's clubs, back horses at the Calcutta Racetrack and play soothing rounds of golf at some of India's finest courses.

Tippu Sultan mosque, built by last Muslim king of Mysore

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Things to See in Kolkata

Botanical Gardens
West Bank 4km W of central Kolkata, across the Hooghly Botanical Garden Rd

The haven of Kolkata's Botanical Gardens is a welcome respite from the choking noise and crowds. The gardens were founded in 1786 and extend along the west bank of the Hooghly River. It was in these gardens that India's famous black teas were first developed after cuttings were spirited down from tribal regions in Assam.

Birla Planetarium
96 Chowringhee Rd Chowringhee E of Maidan, near Victoria Memorial

Loosely styled on the Buddhist stupa at Sarnath, the Birla Planetarium is one of the world's largest and looks impressive when floodlit. Its outer circle forms a small but well-presented, tomb-like gallery featuring astronomer busts and planetary pictures. But the star shows are slow-moving and rather stilted.

Kali Temple
6km S of Sudder St Kalighat off Ashutosh Mukherjee Rd

Between Kalighat and Jatin Das Park Metro stations, Kalighat's Kali Temple is Kolkata's holiest spot. The current structure, painted silver-grey with rainbow highlights, dates from 1809. Of course the site is many, many centuries older and possibly the source of Kolkata's name. Inside, pilgrims jostle to present hibiscus offerings to the three-eyed Kali image whose crown can occasionally be glimpsed through the throng from the bell-pavilion.

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Info on Kolkata