Kolkata (or Calcutta, as many of us still prefer to call it) is also known as the City of Joy because it is the hub of fun, food and activity in West Bengal. The city is known for a number of iconic tourist spots, the yellow taxis and the colourful buildings. This city with a soul will never leave you disheartened. Which is why we got in touch with photographers Tripti Shukla and Manojit Mitra for pictures that capture the true essence of the city! Scroll down to see for yourself!
#1
Dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria, The Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata is one of the most iconic tourist spots in the city!
#2
Durga Puja is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in West Bengal, particularly in Kolkata. Here’s a picture of a Maa Durga idol in the making.
#3
Here’s a picture of the iconic yellow taxi at the popular Park Street in Kolkata. The street is the main evening recreation hub for Kolkata people since the British era.
#4
The city is home to a number of such colourful buildings that depict the charm of the city of joy. This shot is of a residential building near the eminent Shobhabazar.
#5
Kolkata is the only city in India to still keep up with the hand-pulled rickshaw as a mode of transport.
#6
This picture was taken on a rainy day in Esplanade a neighbourhood in central Kolkata. This is one of the prime spots for photography enthusiasts in the city.
#7
The Ahiritola Jubakbrinda Durga Puja Committee in North Kolkata took up the task to paint a 300 ft long road in Ahirotola area with graffiti dedicated to sex workers during the Durga Puja in 2018.
#8
Eden Gardens is often regarded as India’s home of cricket as it is the oldest cricket ground in India. It is the home ground of the Bengal cricket team and the IPL team – Kolkata Knight Riders. The venue is also used for Test, ODI and T20I matches of the India national cricket team.
#9
A sunset straight out of a dream captures at the Princep Ghats. The ghat was built-in 1842, during the British Raj, along the Kolkata bank of the Hooghly river.
#10
The Kolkata street art scene is intriguing, to say the least. So much so that the city even hosts a street art festival annually. This picture is taken at Kumartuli which is a traditional potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata.
#11
One of the most iconic places in the city the Biswa Bangla Gate is an architectural marvel and is to Kolkata what London Eye is to the UK and Eiffel Tower to Paris.
#12
Showing the busy side of the city of joy, the Burrabazaar in Kolkata is one of the biggest and cheapest shopping destinations in the city. You can find stationery, décor, electronic goods, textiles, household items, hardware items, cards, spices, medicines, cosmetics and much more at this wholesale market.
#13
This painted yellow taxi in Calcutta’s art hub Kumartuli was painted by local artists to celebrate World Art Day and Bengali New Year.
#14
Here’s another picture of Kolkata’s yellow cab on a busy street during the rush hour.
#15
Here’s a stunning picture taken during the royal celebration of the Chathh Puja at the busy Mullick Ghat located near the Howrah Bridge on the Hooghly river.
#16
Here’s a stunning shot of one of the most popular tourist spots of Kolkata, the iconic Howrah Bridge with a suspended span over the Hooghly River. No trip to Kolkata is ever complete without visiting this bridge.
#17
Here’s another picture of the yellow cab rushing past the well lit, busy streets of the city of joy.
Featured image source: intagram/manojitmitra
