Located directly south of the entrance to the zoo is the (private) access road to the National Library, which houses India’s biggest archival collection of books and journals. Only members are allowed access into its hallowed portals to access reference material, but you are free to admire the beauty of the former viceroy's residential estate from outside.
National Library
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.1 MILES
Set very attractively amid palms and manicured lawns, this large religious centre is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, inspired by 19th-century…
1.08 MILES
The incredible Victoria Memorial is a vast, beautifully proportioned festival of white marble: think US Capitol meets Taj Mahal. Had it been built for a…
3.51 MILES
Despite being an awkward journey by public transport, Kolkata’s lovely 109-hectare Botanical Gardens makes for a great place to escape from the city’s…
5.05 MILES
Countless clay effigies of deities and demons immersed in the Hooghly during Kolkata’s colourful pujas (offering or prayers) are created in specialist…
3.86 MILES
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2.13 MILES
India's biggest and oldest major museum celebrated its bicentenary in February 2014. It's mostly a lovably old-fashioned place that fills a large…
4.02 MILES
The stately 1784 family mansion of Rabindranath Tagore has become a shrine-like museum to India’s greatest modern poet. Even if his personal effects don’t…
3.72 MILES
Near the southeast end of Howrah Bridge, this flower market is fascinatingly colourful virtually 24 hours a day. However, if you visit at daybreak, you'll…
Nearby Kolkata (Calcutta) attractions
0.12 MILES
Directly south of the zoo's entrance, the access road to the National Library loops around the very regal Curzon Mansion, once the colonial viceroy's…
0.27 MILES
A hidden island of tranquillity in the heart of Kolkata, this delightful garden complex offers visitors an opportunity to acquaint themselves with…
0.32 MILES
Kolkata’s 16-hectare zoo opened its doors in 1875 as one of British India's showpiece zoological gardens, but has gradually dropped in stature and…
0.73 MILES
There's a fascinating group of idol-makers' workshops where Kalighat Rd curves north from Hazra Rd. Figurines sculpted here are much smaller than those in…
0.9 MILES
Day-time entry tickets to the park and Victoria Memorial museum are sold here, but there's no access to the sound and light show.
0.92 MILES
Mother (St) Teresa’s famous (if surprisingly small) home for the dying was originally based out of this Kalighat pilgrim hostel. Its roof corners are…
0.97 MILES
This ancient Kali temple is Kolkata’s holiest spot for Hindus, and possibly the source of the city’s name. Today’s version is the 1809 rebuild, with…
1.08 MILES
More a private gallery than a museum, this smallish place has changing exhibitions that mostly feature excellent 21st-century works by Bengali artists, as…
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- path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
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