Belur Math is situated approximate 6.4 Kms from Howrah Station on the western bank of river Hoogly. Ramkrishna Paramhansa was a great Indian  Hindu saint and philosopher who preached unity among all religions. 

After his death in 1886, his disciple Swami Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1887 all around the country and abroad to preach the teaching of his Guru. The headquarter of his international movement was set up at Belur Math 1899. The most fascinating idea about the architecture is that from which ever angle you look, it resembles a temple, a mosque or a church depending the way you look at the temple.  Spread over several acres of land, this is a ideal place of pilgrimage for people from the globe professing different religious belief, faith and religion. The premises of the Belur Math includes the main monastery and several temples.  It also includes a sprawling prayer hall with a statue of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

The twin organization Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission situated within the main monastery is committed to spread its message of religious harmony and divinity of soul without any distinction of caste, creed or religion.  

The legend goes as follows: 

Once a wealthy widow named Rani Rashmoni had decided to visit the sacred city of Banaras to offer worship to Divine mother Goddess Kali. In those early days no proper rail or road transportation facilities was on water

in luxury boats. It is said that her convoy consisted of twenty four boats with relatives, servants  and enough supply of ration. Suddenly, the night previous to her travel, Goddess Kali appeared in her dream and instructed her that instead to going to Benaras is she could build a beautiful temple on the bank of river Ganges and arrange for her worship, then she would manifest herself in the image and accept  her worship at that place only. Deeply affected by the dream she immediately procured a suitable land and promptly started constructing the temple in the year 1847.  The entire temple complex was completed between 1847 and 1855 with shrine of goddess Kali at the centre alongwith temples of Shiva and Radha Krishna. It is here that Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa the great Hindu saint and philosopher renowned for his spiritual personality served as a priest. While offering his worship to Goddess Kali, Ramakrishna would sometime overcome with such profound and ecstatic devotion that he would fall to the ground immersed in a spiritual trance losing total consciousness with the external world. Later Swami Vivekananda had worshipped the Goddess Kali, Bhaba Tarani, and did his sadhana at the Panchabati Garden adjacent to the temple. Henceforth, this has become a famous place of pilgrimage.

This temple is believed to be more than 200 years old. As per mythology, Kali was the wife of Shiva and on her demise he became very grief stricken and belligerent. He took her corpse started his mourning dance which shook the whole world. His dance gradually

became furous that the other Gods at Heaven became nervous. They realized that unless Shiva's dance was stopped the entire world will be devastated by his wrath. God Vishnu, the Preserver of the world took up his chakra and flung it at the dead body of Kali on his shoulder. This chakra sliced the entire corpse into several 52 pieces and these were scattered and fell across various location on the earth. The toe of the right foot incidentally fell by the bank Ganges.  It is said that the name Kalikata meaning piece of Kali, was derived from this and at this site, the Kali Temple of Kalighat was erected. It is on the name of this temple that the Britishers gave the place name  Kolkata which is nothing but the anglicized version of Kalikata. The present Kalighat Temple was built in 1809 beside the site of the ancient temple. Thereafter this temple has become an important pilgrimage site. Every morning a common sight is slaughtering of goats which are sacrificed to satisfy the blood lust of Goddess Kali. 

Kalighat Temple is a very important Hindu shrine that attracts huge number of pilgrims from entire Kolkata as well as other parts of the country and abroad.

Standing at the southern end of the Maidan and just to the east of Victoria Memorial and adjacent to the Birla Planetarium is the St. Paul's Cathedral of Kolkata. It was built between 1839 and 1847 it is now most important churches of Kolkata. The steeple is around 65 m high

which fell during the earthquake of 1897. It was further damaged during the earthquake of 1934 but now it has been reconstructed. It is famous for the serene service conducted on Christmas Eve.

Looking straight from the Kolkata maidan at the Southern end, no visitor can miss the sight of a huge majestic white marble structure with a moving angel at the top acting as a wind direction indicator. It is one 

of the citys classical structure representing Classical western and Mughlai style and called Victoria Memorial. Some also put it as an example of unhappy British attempt to build a better Taj Mahal. 

The history of this classic architecture goes as such:

When Queen Victoria expired on January 1901, the Viceroy of India Lord Curzon conceived the idea to build a monumental grand structure with an exquisite garden as a suitable memorial for the Queen.  The money was raised through voluntary donation from the people of India. This was to be converted to a historical museum where one could find paintings, manuscripts,  pictures and statues of all who played vital and prominent role in the development of the country. The architect of this grand architecture was the President of British Institute of Architects, Sir William Emerson and the construction was done by Messrs. Martin & Co. of Kolkata.  The foundation stone was laid by Prince of Wales ( King George V), on January 4, 1906.  The construction was completed in 1921 and opened to public on the same year by another Prince of Wales (Duke of Windsor). 

The surrounding garden, lake and specially the entrance with wrought iron gates, brass cannons, antique lamp posts and statue of Queen casts a spell of the grandeur of British Monarchy. Inside there are some eye-catching  water colour painting of Indian landscape and buildings.  Along with other items even the piano which was played by Queen Victoria as a little girl has been preserved inside.  The Topped with a moving angel this memorial faces the Kolkata Maidan.  The throne of Nawab and French guns captured by Lord Clive in the battle  of Plassey are also exhibited. A major attraction to the tourist is a sound and light show in the evening.  

On the northern side of the maidan one can never miss a 48 meter high tall monument. It is an architecture which is a peculiar combination of Egyptian, Syrian and Turkish style. Built in the year 1828 it was named as the Octerloney Monument
as a honour to Sir David Ochterlony who won the Nepal  war in 1814.  

It has been renamed as Sahid Minar which means Martyrs Tower  since August 9, 1969. One can have a spectacular of Kolkata's landscape from the top but prior permission from the Police Headquarter at Lalbazar is mandatory. 

Located in the Northern end of Dalhousie Square presently called BBD Bag, this building was constructed during the tenure of Lt. Governor Ashley Eden during 1770.  

This building was a place of residence for the Writers or Junior Servants of East India Company. At present this is the seat of the West Bengal Government Secretariat. 

On the western side is the the General Post Office, with its majestic dome and Corinthian columns. The original Fort William used to stand on the site of the present-day post office until it was abandoned in 1757. Through all indications

of  legendry black hole of Kolkata's has been removed since independence, it actually stood at the north-east corner of the post office. It is a tiny underground cellar where 146 people were forced into it on an uncomfortable humid night when the city fell to rule of Siraj-ud-daula. Next morning only 23 were only alive due to overnight suffocation. 

The General Post Office controls the entire postal system of Kolkata.

Looking to the east of the maidan, stands the National Museum which was built in 875. Built in an Italian style architecture it is considered to be the largest museum of the country and the best in Asia. This museum has six sections: Art, Archaeology, Geology, Zoology and Industry.

It has a varied collection of antiques and oddities.  There are meteorites, skeletons of prehistoric animals, rare armaments, fossils, stones, paintings of historic age of India, regal dresses/uniforms. Special attraction is a mummy.  

Located opposite to the Zoological Gardens at Alipore, the National Library was established in 1836. It was the sprawling residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal and known as Belvedere Estate is a depiction of Italian Renaissance style. After 

Independence this Imperial residence was named as the National Library of India. It was under the overall control of the Government of India, New Delhi since 1948.  The library is the largest in India with a collection of more than one million books. It also has several collection of rare manuscripts of immense historical value.