Biswa Bangla gate, popularly known as Kolkata gate, is a doorway to the city of joy. Whenever we talk about gates in India, one can visualize two popular spots, India Gate in Delhi and Gateway of India in Mumbai. But, the newly erected Kolkata gate’s futuristic design is a sight to behold. The architecture marvel is the new icon of the city. It houses a hanging restaurant cum gallery.
The Biswa Bangla Gate (Kolkata Gate) is built at the 3rd Rotary near Rabindra Tirtha on Biswa Bangla Sarani in New Town. The crossroads junction leads in four directions, airport, action area 3 the wetlands, and sector 5/6. Since its opening, the iconic city gateway has become a popular tourist spot in Kolkata.
The stunning views of the Kolkata skyline and the beautifully maintained greenery all around, including green rooftops, the delight of dining at the hanging restaurant, the joy of clicking selfies all add to the unforgettable experience.
Things to Do At Kolkata Gate
Gallery
The gallery displays the rich culture and history of Bengal. It is filled with decorative portraits of eminent Bengali personalities and various other themes that make you nostalgic. Among the primary installations is a painting and an English-translated poem by Mamata Banerjee.
The gallery is open from 4 PM – 6 PM. Visitors are allowed inside the tunnel only for 45 minutes. One can choose between the two time slots 4 PM and 5 PM. The ticket is valid for a particular time slot for that day only. The entry fee is Rs. 100 per head. No fees for children below three years.
Visitors can book tickets online too. Due to the ongoing pandemic, currently, the gallery is closed.
Gallery Timing At Kolkata Gate
4 PM – 6 PM
Two-time slots of a duration of 45 minutes are available – 4 PM and 5 PM
Hanging Restaurant
The hanging restaurant has a sitting capacity of 70 persons at a time. The fully air-conditioned restaurant has a good ambiance.
In the restaurant, you can drool over both veg and non-veg items. The spread is impressive and has a range of Indian, Chinese, and Continental dishes. Beverages and desserts are also there on the menu.
The guests have to book a ticket as a cover charge of Rs 500+ taxes per head. Then one can order dishes within this value. It costs around Rs. 650 on weekends and Rs. 550 on weekdays. Pre-booking is also available.
Daytime visitors can enjoy the buffet for lunch, and night-time visitors have access to the fine dining restaurant serving up their choicest delicacies, all at a very reasonable rate.
Hanging Restaurant Timing – Biswa Bangla Gate
Tuesday to Sunday
Lunch & Brunch – 12:00 AM To 3:00 PM(Changed to 1 PM to 4 PM due to Covid )
Dinner – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (Changed to 5 PM to 10 PM due to Covid )
Two slots for dinner —7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM.
Selfie Zone
There are designated selfie zones with magnificent backdrops. The whole area is a free wifi zone.
One can access the ring using the glass capsule lifts. As required by the fire safety norms, two decorative staircases are also installed.
How To Book Tickets Online For Kolkata Gate
The guests are accommodated on a first-come-first-serve basis. One can also book tickets through the official website of Biswa Bangla or BookMyShow. However, Online reservations cost 20% extra charges. The prices vary from time to time. Due to a pandemic situation, online booking is closed.
At the Kolkata gate, there is a ticket counter on the ground floor. From there, individuals get their coupons after showing the online booking proof.
Important Points About The Kolkata Gate
- Only 50 people are allowed inside the ring of Biswa Bangla gate.
- No toilet facility is available at the restaurant. Visitors can use the Toilet near the ticket counter/parking place.
- No inflammable articles, Bags, Cigarettes. Gutkha, water bottle, any type of food allowed inside. However, sometimes they allow lady’s purses.
- Drop bags at the baggage counter near the ticket counter.
- Waiting time is 25-30 minutes.
- Enough car parking space beside the Kolkata gate.
- Formal dress code
Corporate Outings At Biswa Bangla Gate
As per the Biswa Bangla site, corporate organizations may book the viewing gallery for an hour with a maximum of 50 heads at a price of Rs.20,000. Time slots for such groups are from 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
For group sales or special events booking, drop a mail to manager@biswabanglagatekolkata.in.
By Phone – +91-8420105555, +91-8420122200, +91-8334065345
How Kolkata Gate was Planned
The idea of the gate was ideated way back in 2010. It was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s idea to have a gateway to modern Kolkata, one that would welcome people from all walks of life as they began driving into the city. Banerjee wanted to portray it as a doorway to a new rising Bengal.
Also Read: Biswa Bangla Mamata Banerjee’s Vision To Rebrand Bengal
To decide the design of the structure, a national design competition was organized to oversaw design plans from architects from all over the country. As it happened, most were variations of the inverted U.
Finally, the designs of Pune-based company, M/S Vector Designs, were selected for their minimalistic but futuristic design. The initial plan was just for a viewing gallery, but later, the restaurant was inducted as well.
It is built by Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) under the government of West Bengal.
Work on the proposed structure began on March 6, 2017, and was completed on 27 January 2018.
The Architecture Of Kolkata Gate
The unique architectural features two inverted parabolas coming from 4 quadrants of road inter-section joined at the top. The height of the Kolkata gate is 55 m(180 feet). At the height of 25 m, a circular ring shape platform walkway is designed. The structure is made of steel and glass.
Around 70 tons of steel were used for this engineering marvel. The whole structure is made from flat steel and has not used a single piece of curved steel.
The Curved, double-glazed glasses in the ring are brought from Bengaluru.
A Biswa Bangla globe installation in the middle was also a part of the design. But, during installation, it crashed to the ground. Later, to avoid future accidents, the globe plan was dropped.
Around ₹25 crores were spent on building this beautiful piece of architecture.
The View From Kolkata Gate
From Biswa Bangla Gate, one gets a 360-degree view of the city. Skylines of New Town, an elaborate alpona beneath the gate, and green artistic patches as far as the eye can see, the entire view is breathtaking, especially at night.
At night time, one get a remarkable view of hundreds of supple stems with softly glowing petal lights, swaying in the wind and stretching over three kilometers. From here, one can see a lot of parts of New Town, Bidhannagar, Rajarhat, and Kolkata.
It has become a favorite destination for pre-wedding photoshoots.
It is not like the old tiring Kolkata. The monument gives a fresh view of modern Kolkata with full of energy.
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