AIR
Kolkata is an important air communication link to north-east India. IA, Alliance, Jet and Sahara all fly to Kolkata. IA flights are from Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Guwahati and a host of other cities. Jet has a daily flight from Bangalore (via Hyderabad), Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. It also has flights every Wednesday and Friday from Jorhat. Although the international airport is not as big as Delhi and Mumbai, there are many international flights from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, and various destinations in East and Southeast Asia and Europe.

Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport is in Dum Dum, 20 km from the city centre. The general inquiry numbers are 526 6233 and 140. Arrival and departure inquiries can be made at 511 9841 / 45. Jet tele-city check-in: 229 2227; 9 am to 7 pm everyday. Airport enquiry: 511 8767 / 87 Extn 4263/ 65. The IA and AI offices are at IA House, 29, C R Avenue (Tel: 511 9638).

RAIL
One of the major railheads in India with frequent trains via the Eastern Railway connecting the metro to most parts of the country. Some important connections are the Poorva Express, Kalka Mail and Rajdhani Express (from Delhi), the Madras Mail and Coromandel Express (from Chennai) and the Gitanjali Express and Mumbai Mail (from Mumbai). Additionally, the Darjeeling Mail plies to New Jalpaiguri from the Sealdah Railway Station.

Railway station
Kolkata has two main railway stations ? Howrah, which is on the other side of the Hooghly River and Sealdah. Howrah is the busier of the two and is easily accessible from all over the city; Sealdah services the northeastern zone.

ROAD
CSTC (Kolkata State Transport Corporation), NBSTC (North Bengal State Transport Corporation) and SBSTC (South Bengal State Transport Corporation) run buses connecting Kolkata to various destinations in West Bengal and other states. There is also a bus to Phuntshiling (Bhutan) via Siliguri. Bus terminus: The State Transport Bus Stand is in Esplanade.

SEA
Kolkata is connected to Port Blair by a streamer service run by the Shipping Corporation of India.

CLIMATE
Being near the coast, Kolkata is very humid all through the year. The summers are very warm, with temperatures ranging between 38.1° C and 41.7° C - Months May - Jun.  Winter temperatures range between 16° C and 29° C - Months Nov - Jan

STD CODE
033

Population
43,88,262 (1991 Census)

Languages
Bengali, Hindi and English

Victoria Memorial
A fine example of British architecture, the Victoria Memorial stands proud in the heart of the city. Built as a memorial for Queen Victoria, this milk white marble museum recalls India s colonial past. Sound and light shows are held every day of the week at the Victoria Memorial, save Mondays, which is the only day the memorial is not open to visitors.

Birla Planetarium
The Birla Planetarium is one of the largest of its kind in India. It occupies a place in the centre of bustling Kolkata and its dome like structure is an important landmark on the city skyline. They have daily shows in English and Hindi.

St Paul?s Cathedra
It is one of the first important churches built in India. Just east of the Victoria Memorial, this imposing structure is marked by beautiful stained glass. The kind of calm one feels within this church is truly remarkable, and if you are the kind of person who likes to spend a quiet moment with yourself in the midst of a busy day, this place is a must-visit for you.

Eden Gardens
The famous Eden Gardens have surpassed their identity as gardens. They house the Kolkata cricket ground where some of the most famous cricket matches in the history of the country have taken place, such as the 1996 World Cup semi-final match between India and Sri Lanka. The gardens derive their name from the sister of the former Governor General, Lord Auckland. Near the gardens, you can stroll along the banks of the Hooghly River. You can also take a short cruise down the Hooghly with the Vidyasagar Setu Bridge etched in the background.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple
The goddess Kali represents the destructive side of Shiva?s consort and this can be witnessed every morning outside the Kalighat Temple where there is a daily goat sacrifice. Be wary of temple priests who latch onto you and demand donations. The Kali Temple was once neat and clean but over time it has become busy and commercial. Despite this, followers of the goddess visit this temple in hordes. Kolkata takes its name from Kalighat, where this temple is located.

Howrah Bridge
If you travel by rail, Howrah Bridge is the first Kolkata sight. It was constructed after 1943 and spans over 450 m. It is also known as the Rabindra Setu, and over 10,000 people and vehicles ply across it everyday, making it one of the busiest bridges in the world. Walking across it is often the easiest bet, instead of waiting for the traffic to ease its way through the narrow bridge.

BBD Bagh
Dalhousie Square, renamed Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh after the three martyrs of Bengal, is located in the heart of the city. It is surrounded on all sides by historical buildings like the Writers? Building, Raj Bhavan, State Legislative Assembly, Kolkata High Court, St John?s Cathedral, GPO and Reserve Bank of India.                

The New Market, which was founded in 1874, is the oldest shopping establishment in the city. It is also known as the ?Hog Market?. You can purchase everything from saris and jewellery, to vegetables and poultry under the same roof. Other markets such as the Air-Conditioned Market and Vardaan Market have lots of shops where you can buy clothes, shoes and sundry.
Kolkata is famous for its Tangail saris and these can be found in abundance at Kundahar, 10, Sarat Banerjee Road and Ananda, Russell Street. For handicrafts and textiles you should visit Dakshinapan, which houses several emporia such as Gurjari or the Bengal Home Industries off Lord Sinha Road. You can purchase good Chinese shoes at the Chinese shoe shops in New Market, and if you are looking for mishti doi (sweet curd) or rasgollas, try Ganguram or K C Das.