Riding Kolkata's Heritage Tram Through Old Calcutta
Launch library · evergreen read
Kolkata holds the distinction of running one of Asia's oldest tram networks still in operation, and a ride through the city's older quarters offers a slower, more deliberate way to take in its colonial era architecture. The trams themselves, with their wooden benches and unhurried pace, feel like moving artefacts of another century.
Routes through central Kolkata pass grand government buildings dating from the city's period as a colonial capital, their columned facades now weathered but still commanding. Nearby, College Street's book market spills across pavements, a chaotic tribute to the city's long standing reputation as a centre of literature and intellectual life.
Further along, tram lines skirt the Maidan, a vast green expanse at the city's heart that has served as parkland, parade ground and public gathering space across generations. Victoria Memorial rises at its edge, a marble monument whose scale still surprises first time visitors to the city.
Travelling by tram rather than car changes the experience considerably, forcing a pace that suits Kolkata's character: contemplative, layered and resistant to being rushed. For visitors willing to slow down, the tram route offers one of the most atmospheric ways to encounter the city's heritage.