10 Offbeat Instagrammable places in Kolkata, India

Of yellow taxis, centuries-old buildings, and colonial architectures most of which are coloured in red, Kolkata definitely excels in one element which is – Colour! These old buildings most of which are in shambles, the historical monuments, and the yellow taxis displaying the busy roads of Kolkata a spectacular appeal. The crowded markets, the street side tea stalls, everything makes the city very special and indeed photogenic. There are innumerable spots and specific neighbourhoods that can be called top Instagrammable places in Kolkata.

Growing on Instagram is awesome, as it means that more people are checking out your content and liking it, even. So, let’s discover which are the top 10 most Instagrammable places in Kolkata, so you too can visit them and get some wonderful clicks for your feed.

Of course, I am deeply attached to the city of joy after innumerable visits for the past two years. During all those times I made sure to explore the city in the best possible way. My friends who were my constant companion helped me to get the best feel of Kolkata.

But why are we looking into Instagrammable places in Kolkata? The reason – we love to update our Instagram feed with the best shots, don’t we? It’s great having people see all of the pictures you’ve snapped on your adventures. Along with Rajasthan, Goa, Pondicherry, Kolkata is one such place that is Instagrammer’s favourite. Below is the list of the most Instagrammable places in Kolkata, India.

10 Offbeat Instagrammable places in Kolkata, India

1. College Street

College Street is one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Kolkata. Located in Central Kolkata it is famous for book markets and is also popularly called Boi Para (Boi- Book and Para- Lane in Bengali). It houses some of the most iconic places in the city like The Indian Coffee House. It is a popular place of adda (casual meeting) which was visited by popular singers, writers, scholars, artists and other eminent personalities.

Students, ex-students of Presidency College, Calcutta University, and other educational institutions located in College streets visited the Coffee House for long hours of discussion. Along with its iconic significance, the Coffee House is one of the Instagrammable places in Kolkata. You just need to hold your camera, every angle is a perfect frame.

Along with the Coffee House, the book markets of college street are quite camera-worthy locations. They serve as amazing backdrops for portraits or street photography. Lanes after lanes there are bookstalls and people no one is really bothered if you are clicking a picture.

A simple walk along the long stretch of college street with yellow taxis plying every moment, trams passing by and the iconic Kolkata rickshaws, is sure to give you immense pleasure. Every moment is worth clickable.

2. Metcalfe Hall

Yet another offbeat Instagrammable place in Kolkata and one of my personal favourites is Metcalfe Hall. Located at the junction of Strand Road and Hare Street Metcalfe Hall is a heritage building that dates back to the colonial era of Kolkata.

It’s a memorial built in honour of Sir Charles T. Metcalfe, the Governor-General of India, for his efforts towards freedom of the press. The Hall is now turned into an exhibition centre with a display of various aspects of Bengal.

The exhibition hall displays popular and classic movie posters, lively black and white posters from old neighbourhoods of Calcutta, various artefacts related to Bengali weddings, and a display of Goddess Durga. All these present excellent frames are worthy of your Instagram account.

The best part is that photography is allowed inside but I am not sure about videography. My favourite corner was the second floor which was decorated with photo frames of classic Bengali Movie posters. It’s definitely one of the most offbeat Instagrammable places in Kolkata.

3. Esplanade

Well, another of my favourite Instagrammable places in Kolkata is Esplanade. The Metropolitan Building on Chowringhee Road near Kolkata is amazingly photoed-friendly.

Any pictures clicked with a yellow taxi which plays just abundantly on that road with the Metropolitan Building in the backdrop presents an amazing Instagrammable shot. Though you have to be careful as that is also one of the busiest roads in Kolkata.

I like clicking those buildings which have some history or story of their own. The Metropolitan building is no different. It was built in 1905 and later

Post Independence Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. owned the building. Even the streets market new Esplanade provides an excellent frame. For street photography lovers Esplanade is a sheer delight.

4. The Victoria Memorial

One of the most popular and sought-after locations in Kolkata. First-timers make sure to visit the Victoria Memorial as first priority. And why not! it’s one of the most spectacular places to visit in Kolkata. Built between 1906 and 1921 in memory of Queen Victoria, portrays the rich architectural heritage of Colonial India.

Made of white Makrana Marble its design will remind you of the Taj Mahal. It is a photography lovers’ paradise. Starting from the gates each and every angle is just perfect to get the right photos. Photography is allowed outside.

If you are lucky enough the sunset and sunrise views from Victoria Memorial are something you will be happy about. The working hours of the Victoria Memorial Gallery are from 10 a.m to 6 p.m and it’s open all days except Monday and National Holidays.

Whereas the visiting hours of the Garden area are March-August: 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. September to February: 5:30 a.m to 6 p.m. The garden is open the whole year even on Holidays. The Garden area is a very popular spot for wedding shoots and other professional photography.

5. St. Paul’s Cathedral

Located just adjacent to the Victoria Memorial is St Paul’s Cathedral. It is one of the most Instagrammable Churches in Kolkata due to its Gothic Architecture. On weekdays (Monday to Saturday) it’s open from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. On Sunday it’s open from 7:30 am to 6 p.m.

Photography is not allowed inside the church but on the premises, it’s allowed and provides an excellent frame for photography lovers.

The St Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican Church and is the first of its kind built anywhere outside the territory of Great Britain. When I visited St Paul’s Cathedral it was raining and I could click some beautiful reflections of the cathedral. On weekends you will find the place crowded. So for better photographs being an early worm would really help.

6. North Kolkata

When I mention North Kolkata the areas including Shobabazar, Shyambazar, and Hatibagan is indeed one of top-shot places for getting Instagram-worthy clicks. The hundreds of years old buildings, and the narrow lanes give the perfect old-world charm while drifting you to the Colonial era.

Some of the buildings are in very critical condition thus a signboard hangs outside warning it as “বিপজ্জনক বাড়ি “. Most of these buildings are brightly coloured and you can unhesitatingly click pictures from outside.

Some of the lanes of North Kolkata bear beautiful graffiti art on the walls. I shall cover those in a separate blog post. Most of the North Kolkata neighbourhood is situated by the bank of the river Ganga. The holy river presents an excellent backdrop for your Instagram-worthy pictures.

If you are a sucker for old doors and windows then North Kolkata is definitely is your spot. Almost every door of the old buildings is photo-worthy. Most of the lanes of North Kolkata are similar, exploring these lanes means long hours of walking. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothes. North Kolkata is well connected by metros and buses so reaching there won’t be of much trouble.

Few of my Instagram posts clicked at North Kolkata

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A post shared by Ishani Nath (@ishaninath05) on Dec 28, 2019 at 1:19am PST

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A post shared by Ishani Nath (@ishaninath05) on Apr 3, 2019 at 12:02am PDT

7. Hindustan Park

One of the poshest and most popular neighbourhoods in Kolkata is Hindustan Park. With a huge number of cafes, boutique cafes, and boutiques, it’s a favourite hangout spot of all in the South Kolkata neighbourhood. Pancham er adda, Sienna Cafe, Roastery Coffee House, Byloom cafe, are some of the most Instagrammable cafes in Kolkata.

One most popular buildings situated just opposite to Byloom boutique is the Art Rickshaw building. The painting done outside the building is a piece of art in itself. They keep on changing the painting. So you can get a different set of shots just from one single location. It has been one of my favourite Instagrammable places in Kolkata. Also, some of the lanes may surprise you will lovely graffiti art.

8. Kumartuli

One of my favourite and frequently visited places by tourists and photography lovers from all over the world is Kumortuli. You can read a detailed post of Idol Making lane of Kolkata, Kumartuli here – Kumartuli in Kolkata-A Photowalk

There are a lot of lanes and each houses idol-making studios that have been the family business for generations. Some of these lanes are accessible only after buying a ticket. Whereas some lanes are inaccessible to outsiders.

This place is quite popular as a portfolio or various brand shooting locations by photographers. Do not disturb the artists while at work, maintain silence and leave the studio once you finish clicking pictures. Most of the artists feel annoyed when there is too much of a crowd.

9. Princep Ghat

Of beautiful sunsets, a boat ride across the river Ganga, view of the majestic Vidyasagar Setu, Prinsep Ghat is definitely a photographer’s paradise. When you are doing the boat ride or from the bank itself you can get the most picture-perfect view of the Vidyasagar Setu. I have written a detailed post on my visit to Prinsep Ghat in Kolkata. Do read here- An Evening By the Prinsep Ghat in Kolkata

Visit during sunrise or sunset to capture different hues of the sky. Avoid visiting during rain or on a gloomy day as you won’t be able to capture the splash of colours in the sky. Also, the night view of the Vidyasagar Setu brightly lit up can be captured best from the Prinsep Ghat.

It’s one of my favourite places to spend some quality time with my friends and family and also absolutely one of the popular Instagrammable places in Kolkata.

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With the backdrop of the Victoria Memorial, lush green fields, and beautiful trees Maidan is definitely one of the best places for some candid photography. It is the largest Urban Park of Kolkata and most of the time remains thronged with local young boys playing cricket or flying kites.

It can be easily reached by metro as Maidan, Park Street, and Rabindra Sadan Metro are the nearest ones to reach. The best time to visit is in the morning or evening, the place is frequented by tourists and there are lots of food stalls nearby.

Maidan is also one of the popular places visited by photographers for pre-wedding shoots. The best Instagrammable view comes with a shot of the Victoria Memorial forming the backdrop amidst the green stretch of the park.

Another magnificent photograph is of the Iconic Tram that makes its way through the Western part of Maidan. You have seen this Tram shot in most Bengali films.

Bonus tip:

The markets of Kolkata are a perfect place if you want to capture the busy market life of Kolkata. For that, you must visit Mallick Ghat Flower Market, one of the largest flower markets in Asia.

The Indian Museum Kolkata is yet another Instagrammable place in Kolkata. The magnificent white building itself poses perfectly for your lens. It is located on Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Park Street. It’s closed on Monday and open from 10 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. on Tuesday to Friday and 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday.

Well, that was all about the 10 most Instagrammable places in Kolkata, India that you must explore when things get back to normal. To be precise the whole city of Joy is photo perfect. You need to take your camera and start exploring the streets. I am sure you won’t be disappointed at all.

So all that’s left for me to say is Happy Photographing! Read now and explore later. Planning is the only thing we can do during this lockdown and I should say plan a lot!!

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