The Biswa Bangla Gate (Kolkata Gate).. Standing tall at 55m high with majestic arches, a  60m diameter circular ring shape platform walkway and more hidden within them beautiful walls… Quite a sight… This is what I saw as I headed to the hotel in New Town [we were staying at for a night before we headed off to Sundarbans].

When I enquired about this to the cab driver, he just shrugged and said something new that the Government has erected Madam.. I too hadn’t heard of this before, and so forgot about it as we turned right under the arch towards our hotel. The next morning, we passed this once again, and that is when I noticed the walkway/ glass panel and began to dig to figure out more about this structure.

It is not just any structure, but one that is good to visit, explore and you can even dine in the restaurant there.. How cool is that? A gateway to the new /modern Calcutta, this is the Biswa Bangla Gate or Kolkata Gate. If you pay attention, you will see a set of spiral staircase on 2 sides of the arch, used to go up, or you can use the elevator tucked away in one of the pillars. Once you are up on the walkway, you get a 360 degree view of the city below, can explore and feast on the art installations, or grab a bite at the restaurant [apparently they have time slots, do check this before you make a booking]. In fact, this Gate has its own website and you can even book your tickets from there.

So, next time you are in Kolkata and looking for something new, check this place out.. As we drove on, I could see the structure disappear slowly from the view… the 4 of us began chit chatting about lay ahead of us, the boat, the forest, the birds, and ofcourse the tiger….