Kolkata

Kolkata (to give the former Calcutta its proper Bengali name) is the capital of the Indian State of West Bengal – and the capital of India under the Raj until 1911. The modern city is a teeming ethnic melting pot, with multiple languages spoken and where extreme poverty and wealth are never far apart. Culturally tolerant and progressive, the city is home to a profusion of artistic and musical genres – not to mention India’s first Gay Pride celebration.

Must See:
Get into the swing of it and see how the Commonwealth can show us a thing or two about putting. Visit the Royal Calcutta Golf Club and they’ll proudly tell you that, having been established in 1829, it’s the first of its kind outside the UK.

Must eat at:
In a city once renowned for its chaos and squalor, there’s now no shortage of opportunities to go upper class. Head to the Oberoi Grand hotel and the truly opulent Baan Thai, for a scent of the east that will thrill the tastebuds.

Must be there for:
Fairs, festivals and mild(er) weather converge in the months from October to February. Go at the beginning of that period and you might well catch Durga Puja, a five-day throng that’s one of the most celebrated events in the Bengali calendar.

Well-travelled facts:
· The city is said to take its name from a local village – Kalikata – and officially changed its name from Calcutta in 2001.
· Roadside ‘hawking’ is big business here – they are thought to turn over $2bn between them every year.

Visa:
British citizens need a visa to visit India for business or pleasure.
For full information, visit http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/