Media Coverage

Map of joy

The Hindu
July 20, 2013

The author unfolds Kolkata’s first tourist map, which reveals the old city like never before.

By Nidhi Dugar Kundalia

Kolkata Beyond The Durga Puja

 Outlook India
October 16,2018

Wondering if there is anything to Kolkata beyond Durga Puja? Here are five things to do to know a bit more about the city beyond its festive charm.

Take yourself on a journey through the best food walks – one Indian city at a time

 Outlook India
October 9, 2018

Who doesn't like to eat, right? If you are a foodie the streets of India are a haven. Spicy, salty, sweet, crunchy - street food in India has every element you can hope for. We tell you about six food walks you must go for when you're exploring the country's unique dishes!

Is Kolkata India’s City of Stories?

Conde Nast Traveller
June 19, 2019

From prisons that housed revolutionary poets to streets where serial killers once roamed, there's so much more to Kolkata, provided you know where and how to look...

Kolkata City Guide – National Geographic UK

National Geographic UK
Monday 22 April, 2019

Look beyond Kolkata’s colonial past and you’ll find the colourful street food stalls of Grey Town, the Hooghly’s buzzing riverbanks, and a cafe culture alive with spirited debate. The Bengali capital is no faded museum piece.

The Calcutta Bunglow: Old house gets new life

The Millennium Post
Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Kolkata: At a time when the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is requesting owners of old and dilapidated buildings to maintain the structures or pull them down to make rooms for new ones, an old house in shambles has been restored.

t2 Checks Out Calcutta’s First Heritage Bed & Breakfast

The Telegraph
Saturday, May 5, 2018

t2 checks out Calcutta's first Heritage Bed & Breakfast, lovingly restored by Calcutta Walks

Trip down heritage lane

The Telegraph
Monday, April 9, 2018

It was a Sunday morning with a difference. At least for a group of 200 women, all members of the Ficci Ladies Organisation (FLO) Kolkata. They were up and ready to hit the road at 5.30am, some even warmed up at an early Zumba session, with a single agenda on their mind — to know the heritage of our city better. The occasion? A Colonial Heritage Walk to raise funds for cancer patients, organised by FLO Kolkata in collaboration with Kanoria Foundation, Kotak Mahindra Bank and SREI. The tour, guided and conducted by Iftekhar Ahsan of Calcutta Walks, also saw Bollywood actor Rahul Bose joining in. Team captain Iftekhar pens his walk diary  for t2...

Book brings Briton to roots

The Telegraph
Tuesday,February 13, 2018

Calcutta: A compilation of journals chronicling a British housewife ' s life in Calcutta and erstwhile Dacca between 1856 and 1889 has opened up a whole new world to discover for her great- granddaughter at the age of 76. Sarah Royle was tingling with excitement when she reached Ho Chi Minh Sarani, formerly Harrington Street, on Sunday. This was where her great- grandparents H. J. Reynolds and Margaretta had lived for three decades.

Vande Mataram – The Independence Day Walk

The Telegraph
Thursday, August 17 , 2017

Time travel leaves walkers in awe
Every nook and crany that Calcuttans pass by every day came alive with stories of the freedom struggle this Independence Day during the Vande Mataram — The Independence Day Walk.    

A Haunted Night Tour

The Telegraph
October 30th, 2013

If you walk your way through Howrah’s flower market, across the Zenana Bathing Ghat, you will reach a spot that’s just under the Howrah Bridge. On Monday night, the golden glow of the bridge overshadowed the moon. Gentle ripples of the river Hooghly slapped across the garbage-ridden banks...   

Map Of Joy

The Hindu
July 20th, 2013

“How do I get people to fold this map properly?  Look, the Howrah Bridge is a mess. And there’s a big crease right through Dakhineshwar,” chides Iftekhar Ahsan, city walks operator, as I look down sheepishly at my wrinkled copy of The Calcutta Walks Tourist Map. This man has every right to get protective. After all, this one of a kind map he charted himself...

Your guide to Kolkata’s Durga puja

Lonely Planet
October 15th, 2013

Durga Puja is more than a religious festival. This ten-day festivity, beginning with Mahalaya (15 October) and ending with Bijoya Dashami (24 October), is meant to celebrate the victory of goddess Durga over the demon Mahisasura. However, puja in Kolkata is also the best showcase of the city’s...

A walk down pages of history

The Times of India
March 5th, 2012

Simla House is as far removed from '10 Janpath' as Old Kolkata is from New Delhi. The two-storied, decaying mansion, which was the residence of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first president of the Indian National Congress, stands in striking contrast to the sprawling and chic bungalow that houses his present-day successor, Sonia Gandhi.

Calcutta Calling: How To Enjoy The City In 24 Hours

Outlook India
May 31, 2018

Must-visits of the enthralling city of Kolkata on a time crunch

Home is where the iftaar is

livemint
May 25, 2019

Sample ‘iftar’ meals from across the country, dished out by home chefs, food authors and walk curators. By Avantika Bhuyan

How a group of investors are preserving Kolkata’s architectural legacy

Quartz India
June 12, 2019

By Chandrima Pal

Lonely Planet Recommends

Lonely Planet
 

Calcutta Walks and Calcutta Bungalow

Breakfast In A 92-Year-Old Bed

The New Indian Express
Sunday, May 20, 2018

A Walking Tour Company in Kolkata takes a decrepit old townhouse and transforms it into a handsome, heritage bed and breakfast

Outlook Traveller Checks Out Calcutta Bungalow

Outlook Traveller
Sunday, May 13, 2018

Ever wanted to stay in a quintessential North Calcutta bungalow? Calcutta Bungalow in Shyam Bazar will make your dream a reality.

Calcutá a pé com os locais

viagemviva.org
Monday, March 12, 2018

Explorar a cidade "um passo de cada vez" é a proposta ecológico-cultural do coletivo Calcutta Walks Ver a Ponte Howrah, visitar o Victoria Memorial, andar na boi-para(conhecida também como Book Lane e College Street) ou curtir o festival Durga Puja. Quem já foi ou pretende visitar a cidade indiana de Calcutá certamente está por dentro dessa programação. Mas, que tal descobrir a cidade caminhando com a Calcutta Walks, um dos walking tours mais bem recomendados do mundo?

Kids take a walk through history

The Telegraph
Sunday , December 17 , 2017

Ritwick Ghosh and Ramanuj Ghosh guided the students in their walk that started from outside The Lalit Great Eastern and moved through the Old Court House Street and covered Esplanade Mansions, Raj Bhavan, Currency Building, St. Andrew's Church, Writers' Buildings, and St. John's Church.

Calcutta Walks @ CNN Travel

CNN Travel
Tuesday, December 5, 2017

(CNN) — Founded in 1690 on the banks of the river Hooghly, Kolkata -- or as it was known until 2001, Calcutta -- quickly grew from a fishing village into a flourishing colonial metropolis and served as the British imperial capital until 1911. Unlike other large cities in India, the capital of West Bengal has retained a great deal of charm, not least because hundreds of magnificent decaying buildings dating back to the British occupation have survived more or less intact -- giant government edifices, local mansions and historic hotels among them.

As The Muezzin Calls / Ramzan Food Walk

The Telegraph India
Thursday , June 22 , 2017

Ramazan walk

- A special walk for some special memories — Mudar Patherya on a Ramazan rite of passage. The danger of doing a Ramazan walking tour is to believe that the walk would begin with food and end with food. But it is a deeper Ramazan that the members of the Sarobar Book Club (meets every alternate Saturday in the Rabindra Sarobar) set out to explore through the streets of central Calcutta, with Iftekhar Ahsan of Calcutta Walks.

A long weekend in… Calcutta

Financial Times, UK
July 17th, 2010

Ramazan walk

Rudyard Kipling described Calcutta as the “City of Dreadful Night”. Others have named it the City of Palaces for its array of cathedrals and mansions. The truth is that Kolkata (as it was renamed and is now largely known) is both these things: choked by pollution and poverty yet vibrantly colourful, with a grandeur reflecting the supreme Imperial confidence of the British...

Three ways to see Kolkata

Conde Nast Traveler
April 25th, 2012

Learn the stories behind Dalhousie Square Park (now BBD Bagh) and the nearby Howrah Bridge with Calcutta Walks’ ‘In the footsteps of the Raj’ tour. Local historian Iftekhar Ehsan leads a walking tour of the area that was once India’s most important precinct, back when it was the seat of ...

A Walk in Calcutta

The New York Times
April 29th, 2009

ON a rainy day in the late 17th century, an enterprising agent of the British East India Company named Job Charnock sailed along the Hooghly River, a tributary of the Ganges that flows from high in the Himalayas into the Bay of Bengal, and pitched a tent on its swampy banks...

Old Meets New At These Restored Kolkata Bungalows

Outlook India
October 1,2018

A few enterprising souls have taken up the onerous task of preserving Kolkata’s architectural legacy and restored old Kolkata houses to shops, museums and even BnBs. Here are our top five.

Did You Know About Kolkata’s Jewish Past?

Outlook India
August 23, 2019

Walk back in time to delve into an almost-forgotten chapter in Kolkata’s cosmopolitan history.

Heritage feritage: Calcutta wakes up to its own beauty

The Telegraph
April 7, 2019

For the longest time possible, Calcutta was not part of the heritage conversation. So what has changed?

The grey town of Kolkata is somewhere between black and white towns

https://www.escape.com.au
December 20, 2018

And you need to see it.

How 2 Kolkata Residents Saved A 20th Century Building From Being Torn Down

Inuth - The Express Group
Monday, May 7, 2018

The heritage properties face a constant onslaught as they are often de-listed and then pulled down

Healing Heritage

The Times of India
Saturday, May 26, 2018

Kamalika Bose, Heritage Synergies India, shares her views here, on how such reuse endeavours must also look to integrate the essential needs of its residents, such as healthcare, education and social infrastructure - and not be merely repurposed for visitors and tourists.

Finding the soul of Kolkata, India, on its bustling sidewalks

Star Tribune
Thursday, April 26, 2018

My husband, Todd Melby, is a writer, as comfortable at the keyboard as a driver behind the wheel. So why is he sitting on a box at a sidewalk desk, dictating a letter to a man behind an old typewriter? And not just a letter, but a love letter? Because the typist is there. And we are in Kolkata. And he loves me.

Lit Fest members go on a walk to remember

The Times of India
Thursday, February 15, 2018

Delegates of Shabd — a literary meet — took a stroll around Kolkata to learn about the architectural and cultural heritage of the city. Around eight people, all in comfortable walking shoes, gathered in front of Stephen House, BBD Bag, Kolkata, early in the morning. After having chai from a roadside stall, the group walked around the area and marvelled at the architectural splendour. Culturist Sundeep Bhutoria, who conceptualised Shabd, said, “Kolkata is the cultural capital of India. I wanted the members of lit fests from across India to get a feel of the city and so planned this walk.” After the long walk, the group took a tram ride from the Esplanade depot. Srinivas Murthy from Hyderabad Literature Festival engaged in an intense conversation with the tram driver, Zainuddin Khan. “Welcome aboard. Tighten your seat belts and don’t keep your hand outside the window. In case you find the ride bumpy, blame it on me because today I will be testing Zainuddin’s driving skills,” Srinivas announced before the journey and the group had a good laugh. The touristy morning began at 8.30 am, with Ritwick Ghosh conducting the guided tour. “Besides British rulers, many other communities lived in this city, including the Armenians. Arathoon Stephen, one of the rich Armenian hoteliers who lived in the city, built many properties. Stephen House is one of them,” informed Ritwick while sharing the history behind the building. From Writers’ Building and Lal Dighi to GPO and Raj Bhavan — the group covered Dalhousie and Esplanade areas. “What fascinates me is the way this city functions. I like the way each city dweller takes pride in calling it the cultural capital of the country,” said Mita Kapur of Mountain Echoes lit fest. The tram journey ended in front of Calcutta University on College Street. “With the university campus and hundreds of bookshops, College Street is the literary hotspot of Kolkata,” said Ritwick. “But the real culture centre is our Coffee House down the road. We will not be able to visit it due to a lack of time, but don’t miss it the next time you are around,” he added. “I’m an architect by profession and so, enjoyed the tour immensely. I wish we had some more time in hand to explore other parts of the city,” said Srinivas.

DurgaPuja Tours 2017

http://www.getbengal.com/
Saturday, September 9, 2017

Getbengal writes about how you can make this Puja extra memorable by joining Calcutta Walks on its Puja special tours. Contact us Calcutta Walks and let us help you create some memories forever!

The Luxury of Learning History Travel in Bengal

Elite Traveler
September 24th, 2013

Well what a change from the standard luxury hotels for the gal. First she tries a much-loved family hotel in Brittany and then, whoosh and as if by magic, here she is in the gardens of St John’s Cathedral in Kolkata (Calcutta)...

Ramadan Food Delights in Kolkata

The Wall Street Journal
August 17th, 2011

The city of Kolkata, located on the banks of Hoogli river is known to many for its hand-pulled rickshaws (though banned since 2005, they continue to ply), for the beautifully decorated halls during the festival of Durga Puja, for the colonial charm of buildings like the Victoria Memorial and its gardens, and for the literary legacy of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore...

Love it Up: Simply Kolkata

India Today
January 29th, 2014

With Valentine's day approaching, it's time to celebrate love. If you and your partner are longing to spend some quiet moments together, then pack yourself a nice picnic basket and head out for a romantic date under the clear blue sky. The majestic Victoria Memorial, makes for a great picnic spot and the entry to the beautifully manicured gardens...

Vibgyor Streets | The Enduring Charm of Black Town

National Geographic Traveller
April 24th, 2014

In June 1757, the Battle of Plassey was raging on the banks Bhagirathi River. Siraj-ad-Davda, soon to be the last independent Nawab of Bengal, was a tired man. His uncle Mir Jafar was behaving suspiciously and the forces of the British East India Company, led by Robert Clive were aleging...