River Walks
River walks features the Hooghly River, also known locally as the Ganges. 
We  provide 2 walks that highlight slightly different aspects of the river side.
Calcutta exists because of the river. The city of Calcutta started its life as a trading port. It became the capital of British India but its wealth and importance was based on the river Hooghly. You don’t get Kolkata if you do not see it in relation to this river.

River Walk 1...Shovabazar, Kumurtoli, and 2 Ferries to Calcutta
 We start the walk from Shovabazar, the site of one of the Kolkata’s original villages (Sutanuti) and walk to Kurmatoli, the enclave where fabulous sculptures of the gods are fashioned for the many religious festivals held in the city. This extensive artisan colony exists here because of the river. Traditionally all the basic ingredients used in the creation of the gods were brought in on local boats from surrounding villages. Along the way we visit a very old local market, pass through a small, friendly and lively poorer colony and pass houses of the very rich. We eventually reach the river, pause to take in its grandeur then stroll along the river to Baghbazar, passing small river shrines and bathing ghats once privately owned by rich Babus. Some of the earliest warehouses or godowns that were used to store goods traded by sailing boats from Calcutta to London and the world can still be seen here. It is here we board a local public passenger ferry that takes us to stops on the Kolkata side of the river and across to the Howrah side culminating in the passing under the monumental Howrah Bridge to Howrah Station. As you get on move to the front of the ferry and to the left side. It is away from the noise of the engine and here you will get the best views of the river ghats and its bathers, the ferry stops and the grand and not so grand buildings built along this river frontage. On reaching Howrah Station, the end of that ride we take in the cityscape of modern Kolkata from the Howrah side and can see the stark difference in the development of the city north of the bridge compared to south of the bridge. We then take a shorter ferry ride across the river getting a closer look at the city and the main buildings that grew up beside the river, buildings that formed the basic architecture for the development of this great city.

River Walk 2. Shovabazar, Kumurtoli, Howrah Bridge Walk & Flower Mkt
The second river tour mirrors exactly the first tour until it reaches Howrah Station. Instead of ferrying back to the Kolkata side of the river we walk along side the famous station and then across the equally famous Howrah Bridge and drop down into the flower market, with its crowd and colour energy. The tour ends with us sitting by the river Hooghly on a popular ghat, staring back at the Howrah Station, the Howrah bridge and at life on the river.

Shovabazar House

Capturing The Gods

Ganesh and friends

Durga Puja is coming.

Country Boats delivery mud.

Selling at the Flower Market.

Would you like to see?

The River as bath.

The bridge to Howrah.

Faded Glory...quiet respite.