New Town
New Town (নিউটাউন Niuṭaun), also called Rajarhat (রাজারহাট Rājārhāṭ), is one of the newest sections of Kolkata at the extreme east. It is the second IT hub of Kolkata, with the offices of TCS, Infosys, Unitech and other fintech (financial technology) companies. Eco Park, one of the largest urban spaces in India, is the main tourist attraction of this district, attracting people from West Bengal and even beyond.
New Town was developed in the late 1990s and is rapidly growing under the leadership of the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO). The Indian government declared New Town a "Solar City" and later a "Smart Green City". As one of the newest parts of the bustling metropolis, New Town will take you to an ultra-modern world, compared to the "Old Town" of North Kolkata.
Get in
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By bus
[edit]- 1 New Town Bus Stand (AH Block, Action Area I)
By car
[edit]New Town is served by certain arterial roads to and from the township. Major Arterial Road (MAR) starts from Salt Lake Sector V, then turns left at Narkelbagan More crossing, turns left again at Akankha More and finally meets at VIP Road (Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani) near Kolkata Airport. The road serves the Action Areas I and II.
There are two other roads that begin from Narkelbagan More. The one next to Rabindra Tirtha (not the one next to HIDCO Bhaban) runs across Action Area III, while the one opposite Rabindra Tirtha runs across the southern parts of Action Area I before meeting at a narrower 2-lane road next to East Kolkata Wetlands.
See and do
[edit]- 1 Aquatica, Kochpukur (off St 299; Thakdari
), ☏ +91 33 3200 7947, +91 93315 55220. Daily 10AM to 6PM. This theme water park offers visitors a cool respite from the heat and grime of city life. Aquatica has a number of rides including tremendously exciting ones like the Black Hole, the Wave Pool, Niagara Falls, surf racer, Tornado and the Aqua Dance Floor. Regular parties and fashion shows are hosted here, especially in the winter. 
- 2 Biswa Bangla Gate (বিশ্ব বাংলা গেট Biśba Bāṃlā Geṭ), MAR, Narkelbagan, Action Area I (Rabindra Tirtha ). An arch monument in New Town and one of the most iconic structures in Greater Kolkata. "Biswa Bangla" literally means "World Bengal". The structure consists of a single ring supported by two parabolic arches from four sides of the Narkelbagan intersection. The ring houses a restaurant and a visitors' gallery, which are surrounded by glass. There are two staircases and an elevator to reach the gallery. Decorative paintings of luminaries have been drawn on the wall inside the ring with the outer side having a glass façade to have a view of the township.
Museums
[edit]- 3 Fanattic Sports Museum (FSM), Ecospace Business Park, Action Area II (Ecospace ). 11AM–7PM (closed on M). A sports museum dedicated to various types of sports and the first of its kind in West Bengal. ₹10.
- 4 Mother's Wax Museum, MAR, Action Area II (Prakriti Tirtha ), ☏ +91 33 2324 7243. Noon-3:30PM. The Mother's Wax Museum consists of nine sections containing 18 to 19 wax models of eminent personalities. It contains models of Maradona, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Manna Dey, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, etc. 150.
- 5 , DJ Block, Narkelbagan, Action Area I (New Town Police Station ). A military aviation museum built by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and is exhibiting a Tupolev Tu-142 of Indian Navy. Other exhibits for its interior and surroundings like a mannequin pilot, bombs, machinery etc. will be developed by the Navy. Apart from the aircraft on display, there is a small children's park and a coffee shop.
Convention centres
[edit]- 6 Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Action Area I.
- 7 Nazrul Tirtha (নজরুল তীর্থ), Action Area I (Nazrul Tirtha ). A cultural and educational centre dedicated to the poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The cultural centre is functioning partly as a cinema hall and open air theatre for exhibitions and performances.
- 8 Rabindra Tirtha (রবীন্দ্র তীর্থ), MAR, Narkelbagan, Action Area-I (Rabindra Tirtha ). A cultural centre dedicated to the poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It houses an exhibition of Tagore’s paintings, archives, a research centre, an auditorium and dormitories for students opting to conduct their research on Tagore.
Eco Park
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- Eco Park (Prakriti Tirtha), MAR, Action Area II (Eco Park , Prakriti Tirtha ), ☏ +91 33 2706 4010. Noon–4:30PM (closed M). ₹20.
A 480-acre landscaped park surrounding a 104-acre water body. There are eight gates to access the park. Parking facilities available at Gate 1 and Gate 4. Activities include paddleboats, rowboats, duo cycles, birdwatching, etc. You can also ride in trackless "toy trains" to enjoy the park. The attractions within the park include:
- 9 Butterfly Garden. It consists of a large dome to enclose a plant habitat consisting of different species of flowering annuals and perennials that support a large range of butterflies organised around a circular body of water.
- 10 Ghum railway station. A dummy railway station with a toy train of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. You can get into the train to get a feeling of the Darjeeling Hills. It costs ₹10 per head for photoshoot inside the train.
- 11 Harinalaya (হরিণালয়, Deer Park).
- 12 Promenade. The spine of Eco Park is a paved pathway lined with coconut trees. It is designed to enjoy the waterbody. There's a massive Solar Dome and a replica of the Eiffel Tower along the promenade.
- 13 Solar Dome. A dome-shaped structure that houses a museum about solar energy and its use in daily life. The structure itself generates a lot of solar power. Has a guided tour with a robot.
- 14 Seven Wonders. It consists of replicas of seven world-famous monuments: the Pyramids of Giza, Christ the Redeemer, Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Petra, Colosseum and Moai Statues. Accessible from Gate 4.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Axis Mall, CF Block, Action Area-IC, ☏ +91 33 32006827. Shopping mall, restaurants, Bioscope multiplex with four screens. Restaurants include Aaheli (4F), Addiction (4F), Café Coffee Day (2F), Calcutta Retro (5F), Mehak-e-Punjab (4F).
- 2 City Centre II, Action Area-IID. There's Inox at third floor. Restaurants include KFC (GF, Block C), McDonald's (GF, Block A), Pizza Hut (GF, Block C), Gamma's World Cuisine (2F), Massekah (2F, Block B), The Orient (GF) and Zion Lounge (GF).
- 3 Down Town Mall, Uniworld City, Action Area-III.
- 4 Home Town, BG Block, ☏ +91 90 07 862472.
Eat and drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | Under ₹1000 |
| Mid-range | ₹1000 to ₹3000 |
| Splurge | Over ₹3000 |
Splurge
[edit]- 1 Novotel, CF 11, Action Area-IC, ☏ +91 33-40323334.
- 2 Swissotel, City Centre, Action Area-IID, ☏ +91 33 6626 6666, [email protected].
- 3 Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, MAR (South-East), Action Area-II (opposite Eco Park), ☏ +91 33 4037 1234. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
Connect
[edit]The 10.5 km (6.5 mi) area from Kolkata Airport to Salt Lake Sector V is a free Wi-Fi zone.
Cope
[edit]Police stations
[edit]- 1 New Town Police Station, New Town Rd, DJ Block, Action Area I, ☏ +91 33 23246077.