Kolkata is situated in eastern India on the banks of the river Hooghly (Ganga) about fifty kilometres upstream of the Bay of Bengal. The city has been fondly described as the cultural center of India with a rich tradition of literature, poetry, drama, music and fine arts. In recent years Kolkata and the surrounding areas have embarked upon large scale infrastructure development with metros, highways, expressways and flyovers. The city built the first ever underground Metro in India which was opened to the public in 1985.

Kolkata is ideally located near the center of Asia almost equidistant from East and West Asian cities. Air travel takes no more than four to six hours from any major city in Asia. Some countries are even as close as one to two hour flight from the city. Weather is pleasant in January with temperature of 25ºC during the day and 12ºC at night. Light woolen clothing are generally adequate.

How to get there

The national air carrier Indian Airlines connects Kolkata with Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Patna, Ahmedabad, Port Blair, Ranchi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Silchar, Imphal, Guwahati, Agartala, Bagdogra, Lilabari, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Shillong, Jamshedpur, Aizawl and Rourkela. All domestic private airlines connect Kolkata to various parts of the country.

International carriers connect Kolkata with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, New York, Osaka, Moscow, Kathmandu and Dhaka. Places not connected by direct flights to Kolkata can be easily accessed from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad by flights not exceeding two hours.

Climate

The summer season lasts from mid-March to the end of June, with average maximum and minimum temperatures of 36º C and 25º C. The monsoon season, following the hot summer, continues until the end of September, with an average rainfall of about 26 inches. The winter season extends from late November to mid-February. The coldest month is January, when both the mean maximum temperature and the mean minimum temperature are at their lowest--21º C and 7º C, respectively.

Time Difference

The standard time for India is calculated from Allahabad and is common to all cities in the country. Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of London, 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Paris, about 10 hours and 30 minutes ahead New York, 3 hours and 30 minutes behind Tokyo and 4 hours and 30 minutes behind Sydney.

Languages Spoken

Bengali is the local language of the people of Kolkata. English, Hindi are most commonly spoken. In hotels and restaurants the staff speak English while the tourist guides are also well versed with the language. Indians being friendly can always help tourists who may not understand any other language than English.

Electric supply

The electricity supply in India is 220 Volts and 50 Hz. Appliances requiring 110 Volts would need a voltage adapter.

Currency/Foreign Exchange

The currency of India is Rupees. ATM machines are located near to the hotel for cash withdrawals with Visa or Master card. The hotel also offers foreign currency exchange. Major Hotels and shops will accept most credit cards. The Indian currency is Rupee (1 USD = 49.0 INR; more recent information can be found at http://www.xe.com/ucc/)

Smoking

Smoking is banned in public places, public transport and government offices, inside cinema halls. In several other places, boards prominently display the ban on smoking. Most hotels and restaurants have separate smoking zones.