City of Joy

Also called the City of Joy, Kolkata is the main commercial, educational and cultural centre of East India. It is the third most populous metropolitan area in that country, and has been facing an economic stagnation since the end of British Empire in India, in 1947. Known for its dirty streets, bad smell and waves of beggars, Kolkata could be an amazing surprise for travellers, showing much more than just a bunch of garbage.

The city was the birthplace of five Nobel prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize, and has been the background of notable film directors, actors, musicians, photographers, dancers, athletes, poets, scientists economists and even magicians. Kolkata is the capital of culture in India.

The city has many Museums and open places for art, science and history appreciation, such as the planetarium, the science city, the Victoria Memorial, dedicated to the British Queen, the Marble Palace Mansion, an amazing collection of sculptures, photographs and beautiful oil paintings, and the Indian Museum, the nation's oldest one.

If you are an enthusiast, you should visit the city during the Durga Puja, a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. During five days, people gather, party, pray, and the city is filled with lights and colours, and in the last day, the pandals, temporary structures of the goddess, are put in water as a farewell.