India Travel

Banks and currency in Calcutta

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Around Calcutta in Calcutta

The River Hooghly served for centuries as a lifeline for foreign traders; north of Calcutta, its banks are dotted with the remains of tiny European settlements such as Serampore and Chandernagore. All these sites, together with the Hindu temples of Dakshineshwar. Belur Math and Kalna, and even the great Vaishnavite centres of Nabadip and Mayapur further north, can be taken in as day-trips on local trains from Calcutta's Sealdah and Howrah stations. Simple hotels are always available should you want to stay.

Banks and ATMs in Goa

The most efficient places in Panjim to change money are; Thomas Cook, near the Indian Airlines office, at 8 Alcon Chambers, Oevanand Bandodkar Road (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm. Oct-March also Sun 10am-5pm; and the Pheroze Framroze Exchange Bureau on Dr P Shirgaonkar Road (Mon-Sat 9.30am-7pm & Sun 9.30am-1 pm). Unlike most private companies, the latter's rates are competitive and they don't charge commission on either currency or travellers' cheques. The HDFC Bank on 18 June Rd has a handy 24hr ATM, where you can make withdrawals using Visa or Mastercard. Changing money in the regular, government-run banks tends to take a lot

Arrival and information in Gujrat

Porbandar is largely enclosed by water; by the sea to the south and by a smelly freshwater creek curving round from the north into the busy harbour on the western side of town. A path follows the coast from east to west but the beaches in between, used as public toilets, are rather unpleasant. Porbandar's main street, Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road, runs from a fountain at its eastern end, northeast of which is the railway station, to a triple gateway at its western end, near Gandhiji's house, in the middle, at the main square, it is bisected by Aria Sumaj

From Calcutta to Bangladesh

Calcutta is the main gateway to Bangladesh from India; you can reach Bangladesh by air, train or road. The Bangladesh Consulate is at 9 Circus Ave; visas must be obtained in advance. There are at least two flights daily from Calcutta to Dhaka and a return ticket costs around $100. Biman flies daily to Calcutta and twice weekly to Chittagong. Indian Airlines have five flights a week to Dhaka and two to Chittagong. Although there is no direct line from Calcutta into Bangladesh, trains from Sealdah take you as far as Bongaon. From here you can take an auto-rickshaw to Haridaspur, 5km

Arrival, information and orientation in Central Tamil Nadu

Trichy's airport, 8km south of the centre, has flights to and from Chennai (daily except Thurs & Sun), Cochin (Tues.Thurs & Sac) and Calicut ("Wed & Sun).The journey into town, by taxi (Rs100) or bus (#7, #28, #59, #63, #122 or #K1) takes less than half an hour; for enquiries and bookings go to Indian Airlines, 4A Dindigul Rd.There are also flights (4 weekly) from Colombo on Air Lanka, based in the Femina hotel. Trichy's main railway station, Trichy Junction - which has given its name to the southern district of town - provides frequent rail links with Chennai, Madurai and

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in North Bengal

Apart from Darjeeling and the hills, most of North Bengal is well off the beaten track; few travellers venture off the Darjeeling-Sikkim-Nepal road. Probably the best reason to do so is to visit the small Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, roughly 124km east of Siliguri. The sanctuary was established in 1943 to help protect wildlife against the encroachment of tea cultivation. Consisting of tracts of tali elephant grass on the banks of the River Torsa, and set against the backdrop of forested foothills, it now shelters around fifty highly endangered greater one-horned rhinoceroses, wild elephants, sambar and hog deer. jaldapara is open from

Cultural centres in Calcutta

Cultural representatives of overseas countries in Calcutta, typically with reading rooms and facilities for performances and film shows, include: the British Council. 5 Shakespeare Sarani; the Russian Gorky Sadan, Gorky Terrace, near Minto Park: and ttie German Max Mueller 8havan, 8 Pramathesh Barua Saram Similar facilities can be found at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in Gol Park, and USIS, American Centre, 38A Ciiowringhee Rd. Hospitals Cheap, government-run hospitals (notoriously mismanaged) include Calcutta Hospital

Banks and exchange in Hyderabad

Oddly for a state capital, most banks still don't do foreign exchange, two exceptions being the State Bank of Hyderabad, MG Road, and Federal Bank, 1st floor, Orient Estate. MG Road. Both are open Mon-Fri 10.30 am - 2.30 pm, the latter also Sat 10.30am-12.30pm. It's better to head for an agency such as Thomas Cook at Nasir Arcade, Secretariat Road; or L.K.P. Forex on Public Gardens Road, only ten minutes' walk north of Nampally station. Both are open Mon - Sat 9.30 am - 5.30 pm. In Secunderabad try the Allahabad Bank, next to Park Lane hotel.

Information about Calcutta

The efficient and friendly Government of India Tourist Office, Shakespeare Sarani (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-lpm, is your best bet for information on Calcutta,'West Bengal and destinations further afield, and can assist with itineraries and booking tours.The Government ofWest Bengal Tourist Bureau. 3/2 BBD Bagh East, arranges tours of Calcutta and package trips around West Bengal. They also issue permits and book tours and accommodation at the Sunderbans and Jaldapara wildlife parks. Tourist information counters at the airport and Howrah Station offer the same services. English-language newspapers such as the

Information on Calcutta

The efficient and friendly Government of India Tourist Office, 4 Shakespeare Sarani (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1 pm;) is your best bet for information on Calcutta, 'West Bengal and destinations further a field, and can assist with itineraries and booking tours. The Government of West Bengal Tourist Bureau, 3/2 BBD Bagh East (©033/248 8271), arranges tours of Calcutta and package trips around West Bengal. They also issue permits and book tours and accommodation at the Sunderbans and Jaldapara wildlife parks. Tourist information counters at the airport and Howrah Station offer the same

Music and dance in Calcutta

Calcutta music audiences have a reputation as the most discerning in the country. The main concert season is winter and spring, with the huge week-long Dover Lane Music Festival, held under a marquee in south Calcutta around the end of January and early February, attracting many of India's best musicians. Other popular venues for single- and multi-day festivals include Rabindra Sadan on the junction of AJC Bose Road and Cathedral Road and Kala Bhavan on Theatre Road. Sangeet Research Academy. Near Tollygunge Metro Station, one of India's leading north Indian classical music research institutes, offers long-term courses in various music

Travel details of Southern Orissa

Trains Bhubaneswar to: Agra (1-2 daily; 29-37hr 30min); Balasore (10 daily; 4hr); Bangalore (2 weekly; 31lir); Berliampur (7 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (6-3 daily; 8-13hr); Chennai (2-4 daily; 20hr 45min-26hr); Cochin (4 weekly: 36-38hr); Cuttack (11 daily; 30-55min); Delhi (3-4 daily; 25-43hr); Hyderabad (3 daily; 20-24hr): Mumbai (1 daily; 38hr); Puri (7 daily; 2-3hr); Varartasi (3 weekly; 23hr). Puri to: Agra (1 daily; 38hr 40min}; Balasore (5-6 daily; 4hr 30min-6rir); Bhubaneswar (5-6 daily; 1 hr 3Qmin-2hr); Calcutta (2 daily: 11hr 30min); Delhi (3 daily; 32-44hr); Varanasi (3 weekly; 22hr). Balasore to: Bhubaneswar (7-9 daily; 3hr 45min-6hr); Calcutta (6-8 daily; 4-Shr); Puri

Travel details in the Northeast

Trains Guwahati to: Calcutta (2-3 daily; 23-24hr); Chennai (6 weekly; 54hr); Delhi (4 daily; 28-41 hr); Dibrugarh (2 daily; 14-15r»rr); Dimapur (2 daily; 6hr); Jorhat (1 daily; 12hr); Mughalsarai (2-3 daily; 23-29 hrs); Mumbai (3 weekly; 43-46 hr). Jorhat to: Guwahati (1 dailly; 12 hours). Buses Agartala to; Guwahati (1 daily; 24hr); Neermahal (every 30min; 2hr); Shillorag (1 daily; 20tir); Silchar (2 daily; 11hr); Udaipur (every 15min; 2hr). Aizawl to: Silchar (2 daily:; 12hr). Guwahati to: Agartala (1 daily; 24hr); Imphal (1daily; 18hr); Itanagar (2 daily; 11 hr); Jorhat (12daily; 6-7hr); Kaziranga (12 daily; 4hr 30min);Kohima (1 daily; 12-14hr>; Shillong (12 daily;3-4hr); Silchar

Sports in Calcutta

Calcuttans are big sports fans. Football matches, especially those between the two leading clubs, Mohan Bagan and East Bengal, and cricket test matches draw huge crowds. There are two major stadium complexes, the Ranji Stadium at Eden Gardens and the new Salt Lake Stadium on the edge of the city. The Maidan, home to the Calcutta Bowling Club and the Ladies Golf Club, is a favourite venue for impromptu cricket and football matches, and the scene in winter and spring of regular race meetings. These are run by the Calcutta Turf Club, and bets can also be placed at their premises

The beach resorts in Coastal Bengal

The popular seaside resort of DIGHA. 175km southwest of Calcutta and almost halfway to Pun in Orissa, with its immense silted hard beach, was originally conceived as a health sanatorium. Direct buses run from the Esplanade terminus in Calcutta; trains from Howrah station run to Kharagpur from where you can take a bus. Alternatively you can get here on a WB tourist bureau bus. If anything, the casuarina-lined beach at BAKKHALI, 80km south of Diamond Harbour on the east side of the Hooghly, is even harder than the one at Digha. However, it's much less developed and far more attractive, and

Serampore In Calcutta

In 1799, the Englishman William Carey set up a press in Danish SERAMPORE, 25km north of Calcutta, and began to produce Bengali and Sanskrit bibles. He also pioneered Indian-language dictionaries, and established the Serampore College in 1819, which later became Asia's first modern university. Built on a high bank overlooking the river, the large Neoclassical building houses a small museum dedicated to Carey's life and work. Books in the accompanying library date back to the eighteenth century.

Tibet House in South Delhi

Tibet House. Institutional Area. Lodi Road (Mon-Fri 9.30am-lpm & 2-5.30pm; free), a cultural centre that organizes seminars and monthly lectures mostly in Hindi, also has a small and limited museum of Tibetan art, worth a visit it only for its beautiful thangkas (painted scrolls: admission Rs5). Other objects on display include old currency notes, costumes, objects of prayer and musical instruments; the shop sells the usual mix of clothes, Jewellery, medicines, incense and curios.

Listings Amitsar in Haryana and Punjab

Airlines the main Indian Airlines office is on Court Road 0183/213392; Air India (j 0183/546122) js located at the Amritsar International Hotel complex near the bus stand. Ambulance 0183/220900 or 501702. Banks and exchange Several banks offer foreign exchange facilities including the State Bank of India, halfway between the bus stand and the Golden Temple, the Bank of Punjab, near the temple, and the Chartered Bank and ANZ Grindlays, both at Hall Bazaar. Authorized agencies such as Narang Travels at the Amritsar International Hotel arcade, near the bus stand, also change money. Hospitals Kakkar Hospital Green Avenue (0183/506015); Sri Guru

State tourist offices in Calcutta

The most useful of the many tourist offices representing other states in Calcutta are those that cover trie northeastern states, and issue whichever permits may be necessary (details of permit requirements can be found on p.1043), and that of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Andaman and Nicobar, 3A Auckland Place; Arunachal Pradesh, 41B Chowringhee Place; Assam, 8 Russell St; Manipur, 26 Rowland Rd; Meghalaya, 9 Russell St; Mizoram, 24 Old Ballygunge Rd; Nagaland, 11 Shakespeare Sarani; Orissa, 41 Lenin Sarani; Sikkim, 5/2 Russell St;

Central Bengal

Central Bengal offers little in the way of major sights to tempt tourists off the Calcutta-Darjeeling route. It is a low-lying rural region where the pace of life is in stark contrast to that of its frenetic capital, Calcutta. Shantiniketan, built on the site of Rabindranath Tagore's lather's ashram, is a haven of peace, and a must for anyone interested m Bengali music, art and culture. The other highlights of the region include a cluster of exquisite terracotta temples in Bishnupur, the rums of Gaur, the region's seventh-century capital, and the palaces of Murshidabad. capital of Bengal's last independent