Art & Culture
Known as a city of festivals, Kolkata celebrates
several religious and cultural festivals. Poila
Baisakh is the Bengali New Year that is celebrated
on April 15. Inviting guests at home, visiting
friend's place, offering sweets and organizing and
participating in cultural activities are main
activities of the day. If you're in Kolkata on
this day, don't miss out the chance of exploring
the customs and traditions of the city.
Durga Puja is the biggest festival that is
celebrated during Navratras. The city comes to a
standstill during this festival as almost everyone
throngs on the streets and enjoys the traditions
and customs. On this occasion, women dress up in
saris and men in traditional dhoti kurta. People
meet with their friends, gorge on sizzling
cuisines and tempting sweets and admire the works
of idol makers.
Cultural festivals including Dover Lane Music
Festival, Calcutta Book Fair, Kolkata
International Film Festival, National Theatre Film
Festival, Kolkata International Music Festival and
National Children's Theatre Festival are very
popular. Lavish arrangements showcasing the
veterans as well as emerging talents from all over
the world appeal every art, music, and drama and
book lover.
Why not enjoy the spicy street food of Kolkata
once you're out on a walk. The city offers some of
the most amazing street foods including phuchkas,
beguni, kathi rolls, mutton rolls and fish-based
dishes.
Bengalis have a deep love for sweets and
fish-dishes. If you're in town, don't miss out
gorging on tantalizing Bengali dishes at some of
the best restaurants in the city. Oh! Calcutta,
Suruchi, Ballygunge Place, Bhojohori Manna
Esplanade, Bhojohori Manna Ruby and Manna Hazra
are few restaurants that offer you specialty
Bengali dishes.
The city also hosts a number of pubs and night
clubs. They offer amazing ambience and excellent
drinks with spicy and tangy snacks and rocking
music.
Kolkata is one of the greatest centers in the
world for art, culture, drama, theatre and poetry.
Don't miss out a single chance of experiencing and
exploring the wealth of creativity if you ever get
a chance to visit the city!
Art Galleries
The cultural capital of India will not disappoint
the art lovers. The city is home to numerous art
galleries showcasing traditional as well as
contemporary art. Since Kolkata is a birthplace of
several artists, the art galleries here exhibit a
wide range of works of artists from all over the
world.
Those who have love and appreciation for art can
visit these places and explore the art pieces and
sculptures from the famous personalities. Some of
the galleries are extremely vibrant and remain
active whole year by showcasing something new and
unique every day or week.
Aakriti Art Gallery displays exclusive art pieces
and sculptures from the best visionaries of
contemporary art. Located on Hungerford Street, it
is one of the famous art galleries in Kolkata.
If you love modern Indian art and are interested
in art furniture and artifacts in wood and metals,
Gallery Kolkata is just the right venue for you.
Located on Cathedral Road, The Academy of Fine
Arts exhibits an impressive collection of modern
Indian art pieces including paintings, sculptures
and Indian Textiles.
Birla Academy of Art and Culture showcases
paintings, sculptures, terracotas and bronzes from
modern and medieval periods. Those who love
greenery and lake painting must visit the place.
Located in College Street, Ashutosh Museum of
Indian Art hosts Bengal's rich artistic heritage
and showcases unique paintings including
Patachitra and Katha Shilpo.
Other than these most famous art galleries, the
city also hosts several other galleries where art
lovers can go and admire the beauty spread all
around. Just be sure to check out the open days
and timings before planning to visit them. Some of
them are closed at very odd days or hours.
Auditoriums in Kolkata
Kolkata hosts a number of auditoriums where
cultural activities, theatres, drama and plays are
a regular affair. Known as the cultural capital of
India, the city has several auditoriums in almost
all divisions including east, west, central, north
and south.
Girish Mancha, Kala Mandir, Rabindra Sadan, Gyan
Manch and Chitrabani are some of the most famous
auditoriums in cenral Kolkata. North Kolkata hosts
two or three auditoriums in Shyam Bazar and Tala.
South Kolkata has a large number of auditoriums
including Sisir Mancha, Nandan, Madhusudan Mancha,
G.D. Birla Sabhaghar and Nazrul Manch.