Kolkata, known as both the City of Joy and the City of Palaces, is a city full of contradictions.

With roots that cannot be detangled from its British colonialist past, it now struggles with its present location within one of the poorest and most populated regions of India.

Built in the image of a European capital, Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, boasts a cosmopolitan population, with a reputation for literature and the arts.

In struggling with its unique identity – an amalgam of east and west, old and new – Kolkata has become one of the most thriving and forward-looking cities in India and Asia as a whole.

Generally regarded as the heart of intellectual India, with four of India's seven Nobel prize winners hailing from here, Kolkata boasts beautiful colonial architecture brimming with history.

The most famous of these is the Victoria Memorial, which opened to the public in 1921.

Funding for the memorial to Queen Victoria following her death in 1902 was entirely made up of donations, mostly from the British and Indian nobility. Modelled on the Taj Mahal, the memorial cost a modest 10.5 million rupees to build – the equivalent of just £149,000.

The memorial, colloquially referred to as 'the Victoria', is set in sprawling lawns and is illuminated at night and is a must-see site for those visiting Kolkata. It holds a number of portraits of the British royal family, as well as oil paintings and historical artefacts.

Tourists wishing to be educated while in the city might want to visit India's oldest museum, wittily called the Indian Museum.

The museum is situated on Chowringhee Avenue and boasts possibly the largest collection of Indian natural history with a focus on the Raj and Kolkata and Indian art.

Similarly, the Marble Palace, off Chittaranjan Avenue in the north of the city, is a privately-owned collection of different sculptures and paintings, as well as a small menagerie and aviary.

The palace is so-named because its interior is full of 50 different varieties of marble.

Kolkata's residents are known for their joie de vivre and for having a knowledge and interest in art and culture which is arguably unrivalled by any other Indian city.

This is why its residents join the throngs of tourists who gather for its famous book fairs, art exhibitions and concerts.

Mother Theresa's home is not just a city of museums and galleries, however, but it is also a shopper's paradise.
The city has seen a number of shopping malls springing up such as Shoppers' Stop and Emami Shoppers' City in central Calcutta, which have boosted the city's cosmopolitan feel, bringing several western names to the city.

All in all, Kolkata is a perfect place to visit for those who would like a traditional Indian adventure with a unique flavour.