Biswa Bangla Gate - Kolkata - New Town

Behold the magic, witness the spectacle that is the Biswa Bangla Gate. An architectural marvel that is a testament to the efficient and quality execution of the concept.

At Biswa Bangla Gate, a formal dress code will be entertained.

BISWA BANGLA GATE: KOLKATA’S NEW ICON

Biswa Bangla Gate, popularly known as Kolkata Gate, is the new icon of a rising Bengal, the same way London Eye is for the UK and Eiffel Tower is for Paris.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has left no stone unturned in trying to make a new Bengal and not so long ago, she came up with the idea of having a gateway to modern Kolkata, one that would welcome tourists, entrepreneurs, scholars, guests and people of all talent as they landed at the airport and began driving into the city. It would be a gateway so iconic that no one would be left in any doubt that Bengal is rising and the new Bengal is here and now.

THE DESIGN

Now that the plot was selected and the project approved, it was time to decide how the structure would look like. For that, a national design competition was organized and a committee headed by architect Dulal Mukherjee, oversaw design plans from architects from all over the country. Most were variations of the inverted ‘U’ and catered to the wish of making the Gate a utility structure as well.

The prestigious project finally went to M/S Vector Designs, a Pune based company for their minimalistic but futuristic design, which matched HIDCO’s New Town vision. The plan initially was to have just a viewing gallery, but later on, it was decided to have a night-time restaurant as well.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

While the whole structure is climate controlled there is a lot on offer for both day time and night time visitors. Those visiting during the day can enjoy the glorious view besides sifting through the curio shop and enjoying their favourite cuppa. Night-time visitors, on the other hand, will have access to the fine dining restaurant serving up their choicest delicacies, all at a very reasonable rate. They will also get a remarkable view of hundreds of supple stems with softly glowing petal lights, swaying in the wind and stretching over three kilometers.

Prior to the restaurant coming up, there were two lifts in use, but that was eventually increased with the introduction of a service lift since there was no way a kitchen could be operated at the top and food had to be made and transported from the ground level. Servers would take the orders and relay it over phone, while in the very near future iPads would be used to do the same.

The whole area is equipped with free wifi, enabling visitors to upload their selfies on social media right away. There are designated selfie zones and one of the backdrops even looks like the bank of the river Ganges with a boat on it.