Places to visit nearby destination - Kolkata
Bandel Church
 Bandel, 43 km from Kolkata, is an anglicized version
of bandar, meaning ’wharf’ in Portuguese. Once an important
port, it is known today for its church, the oldest outside
Kolkata. However, the present church is a replacement
of an earlier edifice that was razed to the ground when
Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, sacked the Hooghly in
1632. The Portuguese, nevertheless, were soon allowed
to return and the present Basilica was built in 1660 by
Gomez de Soto, who had the keystone of the old church.
The new house of worship is dedicated to Our Lady of the
Rosary, Nossa Senhora di Rozario. In the centre of the
main façade is a beautiful statue of the Virgin (Our blessed
Lady of Happy Voyage) and the Child. It is believed to
have been originally on the altar of the old church destroyed
by the Mughals. Legend relates that Father da Cruz and
a pious Portuguese merchant used to pray before this image.
After the fort was captured by the Mughals, the merchant,
fearing sacrilege, took it from the altar, jumped into
the Hooghly and swam across with it but was seen no more.
One night, after the Portuguese returned to Bandel, a
violent storm woke Father da Cruz. He heard his friend’s
voice saying. ”Hail! Our Lady of Happy Voyage, who has
given us victory! Arise, oh Father, and pray for us all!”
On looking out of the window, he saw the river lit with
a strange light and it seemed as if someone was coming
towards the church. Early next morning, to the great surprise
of Father da Cruz, he found the image of the Holy Virgin
a few yards from the Basilica gate. He placed it on the
altar immediately and a special festival was instituted
to commemorate this miraculous event.
Years have gone by but the blessed Lady is still worshipped
at the Bandel Church. On her benign face is reflected
the faith and joy of men and women who live no more. The
universal feelings, however, are carried forward. The
beauty and peace of this Basilica is intoxicating. And
the flame of the candles lit by hundreds of devotees flicker
with hope even in these troubled times.
Belur Math
Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission,
is situated to the north of the city across the Vivekananda
Bridge from Dakshineshwar. The world-famous temple was
built by Shri Ramakrishna/’s beloved disciple Swami Vivekananda
in 1938. The great mansion lies 3 km south along the west
bank of the river Hooghly. It is a universal place of
pilgrimage, visited by people belonging to diverse castes
and creeds. The math is committed to social service, religious
harmony, spiritual attainment and renunciation.
Bishnupur
Located 100 km northwest of Kolkata in Bankura district,
Bishnupur has a glorious past that is reflected in its
rich architecture, music and handicrafts such as pottery
and weaving. It houses unique terracotta temples, each
more beautifully embellished than the other. Once the
capital of the Malla kings, Bishnupur is renowned for
its crafts such as intricate Balucheri saris, the rare
ganijifa (circular Indian playing card), delicate carving
on shells and bell metal artefacts.
The brick temples at Bishnupur, built between the 17th
and 18th centuries when terracotta had reached its zenith
under the Malla kings, are located in the ruined fort
area and its neighborhood. The oldest brick temple is
a curiously shaped Rasmancha with an elongated pyramidal
tower surrounded by hut-shaped turrets. It was built in
the late 16th century by King Beera Hambira. The temple
of Shyam Rai with its superior figurines and floral patterns
was the first of its kind in Bengal. The temple of Madanmohana,
the best known in Bishnupur, in the Sankharipara area
was built outside the fort compound by King Durjana Singh
Dev, son of Raghunath Singh, in AD 1694. It is built in
the /”eka ratna/” style, a square flat-roofed building
with curved cornices, surmounted by a pinnacle.
Apart from temples, Bishnupur has some very attractive
bandhs or large tanks that offer good sightseeing. The
Lalbandh, Krishnabandh, and Pokabandh were built by the
Malla kings around 17th and 18th centuries. These were
made to provide water to the villagers and to protect
the town from enemy attack by draining out the water towards
them.
Botanical Gardens
 Founded in 1786 beside the Hooghly in Shibpur, the Botanical
Gardens is a major attraction in the vicinity of Kolkata.
Covering an area of 110 hectares, it was intended to promote
the study of Indian trees and herbs. The main attraction
of the garden is a 250-year-old banyan tree (Ficus bengalhensis)
which rises to a height of 98 feet and measures over 1,300
feet in circumference.
Chinsura
Chinsura, barely 46 km from Kolkata, is the locale of
a Dutch factory built in 1628. The Fort Gustavas, as it
is known, has been described by Gautier Schouten in 1665
as the most magnificent edifice to be built in Hooghly.
Along the river bank were homes with pretty gardens inhabited
by the Dutch themselves and some Armenian families who
built for themselves a beautiful church. However, with
the outbreak of war in Holland in 1781, Chinsura was annexed
by the British. The ships owned by the Dutch sailed away.
The sound of guns softly died. What remains now is a vestige
of the past, behind the cloud of memories. You can seek
it in the ruins of Fort Gustavus, whose barracks have
now been converted into the Court; in the façade of imposing
mansions that tell their silent story; down the corridors
of Mohsin College in Hooghly, where, maybe on a moonlit
night, the light footsteps of Chinsura/’s famous beauty,
Elizabeth Wranghem, can still be heard.
Dakshineshwar Temple
Dedicated to Goddess Kali, the Dakshineshwar Temple is
situated to the north of Kolkata, a place where Ramakrishna
Paramhansa, the spiritual guru of Swami Vivekananda, lived
most of his life. The temple was built by Rani Rashmoni
in 1847. The temple comprises of three parts. Of these,
the smallest is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The more beautiful
shrine adjacent to it houses the renowned idol of the
Goddess Kali. Structurally, the temple is set on a platform
in a vast courtyard, which is encircled by a band of blood-red
paint. The whitewashed main Kali temple is the ornamental
variation of the typical Bengali hut design. The roof
is curved and the second story is capped by nine chhatris,
each with a beehive cupola, in the navaratan (/”nine-jeweled/”)
style. Ramakrishna/’s former room serves as a reminiscence
of his life and philosophy. Opposite to this building,
along the riverbanks, are situated five identical temples.
Ramakrishna died in 1886 at the age of fifty. The temple
of Kali, where many of his ecstatic trances occurred,
continues to attract pilgrims from all over India and
the world.
Shanti Niketan
 Shanti Niketan, Tagore/’s university township, is a must
on any itinerary that plots Bengal as a stopover. Situated
136 km northwest of Kolkata, this is the place where Rabindranath
Tagore lived and established a university. The Poush Mela
is celebrated in Shanti Niketan usually on the 22nd or
23rd of December. The three-day function marks the foundation
of Shanti Niketan. From Shanti Niketan, you can also take
a sojourn to Bakreswar, where ancient Kali and Shiva temples
rise into the azure sky. The hot springs are famous for
curing many chronic diseases.
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