The historic City of Joy has a lot to offer for Christmas enthusiasts. Here are all the places you can head to if you’re visiting Kolkata at this festive time of the year.
‘Tis the season, again! Your neighbourhood might be waking up from a foggy early morning slumber, but your hearts are surely going falalala. For a tropical country like India, Christmas is the only time of the year when (in some parts of the country) you can still bring out your boots, long coats and at least pose like it’s winter.
Christmas is right around the corner and your workplace is glittering in red and green. You might have already made the list of your demands from Santa this year. And trust us, there is no harm in bringing out the child in you and hanging out the stockings. We already believe in many myths even as grown-ups, after all.
If you are a fan of this festival, you will be glad to know there are a handful of places in India where they celebrate Christmas just like we read in stories. With the twinkling of the fairy lights all around, bells chiming in the crisp air, and children dressed in Santa’s attire… that’s Kolkata for you in the last week of December.
If you are looking to party all night and spend a fortune attending music festivals during Christmas, you should go to Goa. If you want to shop till you drop, go to the shopping carnivals in Delhi or Mumbai. But if you have grown up watching movies like Love Actually or Home Alone and have a penchant for celebrating Christmas like they do in the films, come to the City of Joy. It might not be similar in scale, but the vibe is all set.
Kolkata’s Christmas isn’t about religious zeal or discipline, rather a very open-arm approach to how festivals should be celebrated around the world. People flock together, eat well, and be merry — the simple joys of life. If you’re thinking of landing in Kolkata on Christmas Eve and plan to celebrate the local flavour of the global festival, here’s how to do it like a pro.
The best thing about this Christmas trail is that you can cover it all using the historic Kolkata metro. Try finding a stay near the Esplanade or Rashbehari area. And take a metro ride in the evening to Rabindra Sadan station. This is where it all starts.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Inspired by the architecture of Canterbury Cathedral in the UK, the Anglican St Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata was built in 1847. As you push the gate of the cathedral to attend Mass on a cold December evening, you’ll hear the leaves rustling all around, teleporting you to a distant British suburb. When the clock strikes midnight, hundreds of candles will light up before you. Witness the sheer magnificence and soak in the spiritual vibe.
Insider tip: Just in case you arrive early and have some time to spend, walk around and appreciate the architecture with the bell tower, soft lights, and children singing carols. Yes, you stand a chance to encounter monkey-cap wearing Bengali gentlemen singing carols in Bangla too!
Bow Barracks
This is a favourite destination among the film directors in Kolkata to define an Anglo-Indian community. Tucked behind the Bow Bazaar Police Station in the northern part of the city, is this cobble-stoned lane with old, red-brick buildings on either side. The British built these buildings during World War I to shelter troops. Years later, this area was home to the Anglo-Indians living in pre-Independent Calcutta (as Kolkata was known then). Christmas in Bow Barracks today is a celebration of a different kind altogether. There is magic blowing in the air along with the fragrance of plum cake.
Insider tip: You’ll find residents putting up stalls and selling home-cooked food to celebrate the festival. From homemade meatloaf to croissants, plum cake to pies and home brewed port wine — indulge to your heart’s content until the morning of December 25!
Nahoum’s
Having opened its doors in 1902, this century-old bakery, which is the longest running Jewish business in the eastern part of India, is ironically synonymous with Christmas in Kolkata. At the Esplanade metro station, ask anybody for the way to New Market. Rather, just follow the crowd, as all roads lead to Nahoum’s at this time of the year! Don’t judge the book by its cover. The old glass door with faded walls does not reveal the delicious secrets inside.
Insider tip: On December 24 and 25, you might also find a long queue. But let that not deter you. Because once you step inside, rich fruit cake, a lighter plum cake, marzipan, and all manner of Christmas delicacies await. And these all are Nahoum’s signature items that literally sell like hot cakes.
Beck Bagan Row
Just when you thought you had enough of cake, let me tell you there’s much more. Close to the Netaji Bhawan Metro Station, there are no dilapidated buildings or faded shops. At Beck Bagan Row, you will find a whole lane occupied by shanties with bakers from the Muslim community. That’s right, a festival of Christians celebrated by all communities equally.
Insider tip: You will find regular-looking home-baked cakes, but the taste will be etched in your memories for a lifetime. If you enjoy pork, walk into the streetside shops selling tender pork ribs and pork belly, slow cooked over coal.
Park Street
At the Park Street metro station, there may be a minute of hustle and bustle to disembark before you’ll be pushed by the crowd to the most magical place in town — Park Street.
In fact, a week before Christmas, this area lights up with fairy lights and a joyful fervour. There will be some Christmas party going right on the streets. With food and drinks overflowing, live music played in the backdrop — it’s a recipe for celebration.
Walk into Trincas, Flury’s or Moulin Rouge, you will be overwhelmed. These are decades-old eateries and bars that have been a part of Kolkata’s cultural evolution. These joints have witnessed how Kolkata had to give way to a globalised worldview without being given the chance to speak. The interiors smell of yesteryear and the decor tries too hard to compete with a plush elegant restaurant next door. But on the day of Christmas, these three places know their worth.
Insider tip: Order yourself a roasted Peking duck, turkey, beef steaks, and lamp pies! As you take the Juicy Lucy steak and gorge on it, you’ll feel this is the best a steak can be. The turkeys are local, thus adding a distinct heaviness to the flavour of the meat.
The Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, with the support of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Police organises a gala Christmas celebration at Allen Park and Park Street for one week with music by Usha Utthup, Krosswindz, Orient Express and more.
A family enjoys a quiet moment in church before heading out to celebrate. Image: Shutterstock/ParthaKar49.
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