Gajoldoba Ecotourism is a word that first came up in the West in the 1980s, and has since made its way across the world, as more and more people realise the critical need to conserve ecosystems and habitats. Quite simply put, ecotourism is for tourists who
It has been just a year that India has begun observing National Tourism Day on January 25. So not much history there yet. Of course, the history of tourism in India is a different matter – going back at least to the 19th century courtesy
St Olav's Church From 1755 to 1845, the town of Serampore (pronounced in Bengali, as Srirampur) in Hooghly district was known as ‘Frederiksnagar’, in honour of King Frederick V of Denmark. This, of course, was because Serampore became a Danish colony in the early 18th century. Since
Jhargram royal palace Kolkata has traditionally been known as a ‘City of Palaces’. While the sobriquet is undoubtedly justified, it runs the risk of ignoring the hundreds of other palaces that West Bengal boasts of. Truth to tell, this is a ‘state of palaces’, many of
Benaras - the very name brings up a lot of emotions, especially for a Bengali girl like me. Growing up in a Bengali household, I was familiar with the place since childhood. Though many hours away from Kolkata by train, Benaras was home to so
You may not be able to plan a long-distance trip throughout the year. But as the holiday season approaches, here are three easily accessible winter vacation destinations close to Kolkata, where you can be sure of a peaceful mini-break: Chupi (Purba Bardhaman): Technically, we should say
It all started in 1972 and will end in 2024. Bengal is set to get the world’s largest religious monument in Mayapur, said to be replacing Cambodia’s 400-acre-large Angkor Wat temple complex as the largest religious monument. Temple of Vedic Planetarium in West Bengal was
Recently, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) identified two geological heritage sites in the Indian Himalayan Region of India. The sites are Siwalik Fossil Park, Himachal Pradesh and Stromatolite bearing Dolomite/ Limestone of Buxa Formation, Sikkim. With the inclusion of these two sites, there are
Happy days are here again for tourists who have been counting months and days on their fingertips, waiting for governments to lift regulations imposed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic since last year, and tear up the miles once again. The tourism sector in North Bengal
Zoological Garden, Alipore As we near the end of our walking tour of Kolkata, it is now time to venture to the south and west, and heading to the centre. The best place to start is Rabindra Sadan, from where you can hop onto a bus