India's 'City Of Joy' Is A Wildly Underrated Metropolis Brimming With Colorful History, Culture, And Food

Many first-time visitors to India focus on the country's Golden Triangle — a tourist circuit encompassing the capital city of New Delhi, India's picturesque Pink City of Jaipur, and the iconic Taj Mahal. However, further east, in the state of West Bengal, lies the colorful, sprawling city of Kolkata. Commonly known as the "City of Joy," Kolkata's food, art, and other aspects belonging to local culture are renowned. Formerly known as Calcutta under British colonial rule, Kolkata was also the country's colonial capital for over a century, which has left the city with a vast and complicated history that is reflected not just in its architecture but also in its food, art, and culture. In the late 19th century, it was the hotbed of a cultural and intellectual awakening, sometimes referred to as the Bengali Renaissance. The city has borne icons like India's first Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, and Satyajit Ray, who was honored with a lifetime achievement Oscar award.

Kolkata can be experienced through its festivals, its food, its historic buildings, or by simply walking through its endless winding lanes. The city encompasses many aspects that make India travel guru Rick Steves' favorite country in the world. To escape its heat and humidity, the best time to visit Kolkata is during fall and winter, between the months of October and February. As a major Indian city, it is well connected, and you can either fly into Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport or come in through the Howrah or Sealdah railway stations. Kolkata is also more pocket-friendly than other major Indian cities, so it's a great place to experience luxurious stays and meals at relatively lower prices. The city's street food is also legendary and considered one of the best in the country.

Because of its location on the banks of one of India's largest rivers, the Ganges, and just about 100 miles from the Bay of Bengal (the sea that flanks India to the east), Kolkata has been an important trading post for centuries and consequently hosted various cultures and religions over the years. There are several temple complexes in the city, and taking a boat ride across the Hooghly River is a picturesque way to visit the Dakshineswar and Kalighat temples. Belur Math, a complex established by the 19th-century Indian preacher Swami Vivekananda, is also worth a visit as it blends multiple religions in its design as a reflection of its founder's beliefs. The opulent Parasnath Jain Temple, gilded with silver and semi-precious stones, is a breathtaking sight and hints at the city's former wealth.

To experience Kolkata's most iconic cultural offering, however, one must visit during the festival of Durga Puja, which generally takes place between September and October. During the celebrations that last for over a week, almost every neighborhood in the city sets up a shrine to the Hindu goddess Durga. The shrines, called "pandals," are where the city's vibrant artistic community is on full display. Each pandal has a different theme, and the festival is on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To watch the artisans at work in preparation for the festival, head to the neighborhood called Kumartuli, which is where sculptors have created the goddess' idols for several generations. Finally, for a taste of the city's colonial past, visit the sprawling Victoria Memorial, built in honor of the late British Queen.

Kolkata's food scene is one of the best in the country, not just because of the sheer variety stemming from the city's multicultural history but also because the city's residents take their food very seriously. In fact, the first Indian chef with two Michelin stars, Gaggan Anand, hails from Kolkata. Unlike much of the rest of the country's cuisine, Bengali food is mildly spiced and more delicately flavored. Dishes made from fish abound, but there is also a lot of vegetarian food because of the city's large historical vegetarian population. 6 Ballygunge Place is a well-known eatery frequented by locals that serves up traditional Bengali food. An unmissable Kolkata dish is the kathi roll — meat skewers wrapped in fried bread — from the century-old eatery called Nizam's in the New Market district. Kolkata's sweets are also iconic, and you will see innumerable sweet shops around the city. Step into one of the many outlets of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick, a sweet shop that's been around since 1885, and sample them to your heart's content. The servers at sweet shops, as well as most restaurants in Kolkata, are happy to give you suggestions on what to eat.

The city hosts India's largest Chinese population, so you can head to local Chinatown, known as Tangra, to sample the unique brand of Kolkata Chinese food. The upscale downtown Park Street is also lined with famous eateries, but if you had to pick one, it should be Peter Cat, which is famous for its twist on the Iranian dish called chelo kebab. You can continue to pamper yourself by booking luxury accommodation, since five-star hotel rates in Kolkata actually start at under $100 per night for two people. For other cities in India with great eats, check out Mumbai which is ranked as one of the five best global destinations with a delicious and affordable street food scene.