We all love and adore our city Kolkata. Many of us had been living here for decades, but have very little knowledge about the golden era of Calcutta. From the capital of Britisher's Indian to city of joy, it had been through a lot.
So I thought why not tell you guys about some of the unknown and very interesting facts about your own beloved city Kolkata. From a rich sports heritage to art, from music to architectural marvels it has all.
All the facts were collected through elaborate online research and I am sure you will learn something new out of it.
1. In the British era, Calcutta was a very posh place to live in. The elementary needs were expensive and the British Babus were luxury-loving. They used to play polo and horse riding. Calcutta Polo Club (established 1862) is the oldest one in the world!
2. Continuation of the first point another luxury hobby the Britishers had was to play golf. The RCGC (royal Calcutta golf club) is the first golf club ever, outside the United Kingdom.
3. The British were the first who brought cricket to India. When talking about cricket, there’s one fact which even many cricket buffs do not know: the Calcutta cricket and football club is the second oldest cricket club in the world after MCC: the Mecca of Cricket.
4. Kolkata people go nuts about their sorts and football comes on the top of their priority list. Founded in 1898, the Calcutta football league is the oldest football tournament in the country and the second oldest in the world!
5. Calcutta is one of the fewest cities in the world, to have Trams still running. And it is still a very mesmerizing view to see a tram pass by.
6. There’s a saying that what Calcutta thinks today, India thinks tomorrow—true that! After more than 2 decades of the metro railways (or the rapid transit system), Delhi has had one, and Mumbai is thinking of having one!
7. You might term this one as a pro or a con; nevertheless, it’s quite true that Kolkata is the only city in India with hand-pulled rickshaws .
8. Kolkata might be the city of temples and palaces, but little known is the fact that the Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest in the world!
9. Founded on 19th November 1792, the U.S. Consulate in Calcutta is the second oldest consulate of the U.S Department of State. It is located on the Chowringhee Road, near Maidan.
10. After the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair, Kolkata Book fair is recognized as the world’s largest conglomeration of books! Besides, it’s one of a kind and Asia’s largest book fair—it is also the most-attended book fair in the world!
These were some of the brain smacking facts about Kolkata hope you liked it. We will post a continuation of this blog, so stay tuned. Please give us your feedback on how you liked it. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.