Neighbouring Beauty of Kolkata

The visit to the 'City of Joy' gives soothing and relaxing breathe of the day. The scenic beauty of the city, rich in culture and history and also the travellers favourite has many things in its secret bucket. Depicted as a hub for 'Durga Pooja' which is the annual festival of the city celebrated with all grandeur and magnificence gives Kolkata a different picture unlike others. Earlier known as Calcutta, the city from the time of British rule has been an exotic combination of old traditions with British architecture. The touch of the East in the city gives it a unique persona differentiating it from others.

After getting to know about the city, you might wonder about its beauty. Wait! give some rest to these thoughts of yours because what we are talking today is all about the nearby attractions of Kolkata. These attractions are surely of interest for the working people who don't get time for themselves and apart from looking at the city's beauty they may wish to look for something else. Now if you are planning to visit for a weekend getaway from Kolkata, then you may go with me further to explore what is there that can be appealing to you. It is known for its architecture cultural festivals, etc.

We are also coming up with a lot of new amazing services apart from car rental in Kolkata to make your trip even more memorable and exciting. Be it a car rental, Bicycle touring, or a Trek, in the last, what matters is the Trip and we are specialized to create awesome trips for you.

Here is the list of some exciting places for a weekend getaway from Kolkata.

1. Bakkhali

It is the most alluring beach in Southwest. Bakkhali is a town in the Kakdwip Subdivision of the South in the state of West Bengal. Bakkhali is 138 kms from Kolkata, which takes four to five hours by road. The main attraction is Henry’s Island and Jambu Deep. There are many hotels where you can stay, like Hotel Dolphi Bakkhali, Hotel Deepak etc. There is direct train from Sealdah Junction to Namkhana Station. It is the nearest station to Bakkhali.

2. Shantiniketan

Shandhiniketan is a neighbourhood of Bolpur city in the Bolpur branch of Birbhum District in West Bengal. It is 152 Km far from Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore started a school with five students, and later it became a popular university. The main attraction here is Tagore Museum, Art Gallery, etc. The main place which is worth sightseeing is Kankalitala, the birth place of the 14^th century poet Chandidas. Shantiniketan is famous for its literary and artistic heritage. You can visit Vishwa Bharti University and its different departments. Shantiniketan is a glory for India. The Tagore Museum, the rural craft workshops, and the tribal crafts all are a part of the town's beauty. There are many festivals celebrated here like, Basant Utsav, Dhol Utsav, Holi, etc.

3. Rinchenpong

It is situated in Sikkim. It takes around four hours from Siliguri to reach here. The places which are worth seeing are, The Rhododendrun Sanctuary, Rinchenpong Monastery and Nigdoh. You can also view mountain from Rinchenpong. You can also do nature walks, trekking and bird watching. If you want to stay here, there are some popular hotels named, Orchid Villa, Hotel Rinchenpong Nest, etc. The best time to visit this place is February to May.

Rinchenpong monastery is famous for its beauty and Buddha statue. The main attraction of this place is vistas of snow – capped mountains, deep valleys and dense forests. It is the 3^rd oldest friary in Sikkim. Gompa has a statue where Ali Buddha is seated in yab – yum position for almost three centuries. This monastery has the part of Rinchenpong Village.

4. Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur is also known as Tata Nagar. It was innovated by late Jamshed ji Nusserwanji Tata. It is famous as steel city and Tata Nagar. It is positioned between the Subarnarekha and Kharkai Rivers in the East Indian state of Jharkhand. The city has lakes, dams, mountains, greenery, etc. There are many factories of steel and cement plants. There are some places which are sightseeing, like Jubilee Park, sports ground and artificial dimna lake all of which show the amazing views of the city. You can also do some activities like jet skking, water scooting and rowing. If you want to reach Jamshedpur, there are many flights available. Birsa Munda Airport, Indigo and Air India are the most popular airports. If you want to go by train, Tata Nagar is the popular train station in Jamshedpur. You can also stay at some popular hotels.

5. Kurseong

This place is also known for the land of white orchids. It is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal. It is popular for its waterfalls, temples and Buddhist gompas. This is a subdivision of Darjeeling district. The king of Sikkim handed it over to the British in 1835.

Kurseong is paradise for tourists. You can tour the great outdoors and take amazing views of the Himalayas. Most of the tourists come here between October to February and July to September, which are considered massive tour seasons to visit here. In off season the weather is heavy rainfall with thunder and lightning. You can also do some activities like playing in the snow and taking nature walks. The most popular places are Ambotia Shiva Temple, Downhill Deer Park, and Eagle’s craig. If you want to stay here, there are some popular hotels also.

The Bagdogra Airport is 60 km away from Siliguri to reach here. You can take taxi and reach Kurseong.

The nearest railway station is Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri, which is 57 kilometres from Kurseong. The toy train takes five hours from New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong.

6. Konark

Konark is positioned in the Puri District in the state of Odisha. It was built by Nara Simhadeva I. It is also known as Black Pagoda and made of black granite. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Konark Sun Temple has a unique architecture with geometrical patterns and carved wheels used to serve as sun dials. This temple is belong to the Sun God Surya. The name Konark is a combination of Sanskrit words Kona and Arka meaning Angel Sun.  When you see the temple first time, you will see a tall idol mid-air. It has a glamorous field from all four sides.

The temple is constructed in typical Kalinga style pattern by the King Narasimha Dev I of the Ganga dynasty. There are some rules and regulations for dress code you can wear like, shirt and trouser, dhoti or pyjamas with upper clothes. Women can wear saree with blouse. Shorts, miniskirts, middies, low waist jeans and short length t shirts are not allowed. Only Hindus are allowed in the temple. It is said that there was 52 tonnes magnet in this temple. The crafters put an iron plate between every gravestone pieces. It is also called Black Pagoda, because it look as a giant, tiered tower from the Bengal. The temple has a great aura of power which comes from the two powerful magnets.

The Sun Temple is an example of Indian skill and craftsmanship of that time. It is 773 years old. It is an amazing example of usage of golden ratio in ancient Indian architecture. Golden ratio of the Konark Sun Temple is 1.58 which is matched with ideal value of 1.68.

7. Cuttack

Cuttack is a city in Indian state of Odisha. It is the second largest megacity in the Indian state of Odisha. It is also known as the Millennium City or Silver City. Odisha High Court is located here. The main attraction in Cuttack are Chandi Temple of Goddess Chandi, Barabadi Fort and Dhableshwar Temple of Lord Shiva. Pradeep Beach is the most attractive beach in Cuttack. It is situated between Mahanadi and Bay of Bengal. The famous food of Cuttack are Pakhal, Podapitha and Paayes, etc. Durga Puja is famous in Cuttack. Maa Katak Chandi and Goda Chandi are famous shakti Pitham in Cuttack. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born here. Cuttack was innovated in the 13^th century by King Ananga Bhima III.

8. Ganga Sagar

Ganga Sagar is the place where everybody wishes to go for a holy bath in Ganga. It is a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Every year, on the day of Makar Sankranti, Hindus come here to take a holy dip in Ganga Sagar. Ganga Sagar is a village in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is 120 km far from Kolkata. It is an island in the Ganga Delta on Bay of Bengal. It is said that King Sagar in order to reap the benefits of 'Ashwamedha Yajna' sent his horse to measure the distances of both the world's where meanwhile Lord Indra came and stole the sacrificial horse and hide it near the ashram of sage Kapila. The King transfered his 60,000 sons in hunt of the steed due to which they became prey to the sage's anger and were then burnt into ashes. To serve 'Moksha' to the king's sons, the pious river 'Bhagirathi', named after King Sagar's descendent Bhagirath, was sent on the Earth by Mahadev on the latter's request. The town got it's name as 'Ganga Sagar' reverent to the existence of King Sagar's island.