Hotel Raj

About Hotel Raj

Hotel Raj is a two-star hotel at 42 Lake Ave in Kalighat, a short walk from the Kali temple in south-central Kolkata. It suits travellers who want to be at the temple gates early, before the queues build, and anyone who prefers to travel on the southern stretch of the Blue Line rather than stay in the centre. The address puts Kalighat metro within 0.5 km and Rabindra Sarobar within 0.7 km, so the whole north-south spine of the city is easy to reach without a car.

The hotel is a simple two-star property rather than a full-service city hotel, so expect a straightforward base. The listed facilities are a shuttle service and wheelchair-accessible areas. Rooms are the practical sort: somewhere to sleep, wash and leave bags while the day happens outside. Guests travelling for the temple, for family visits in the south, or for a short first trip to Kolkata fit the place best. Those wanting gyms, pools or in-house dining should look at larger hotels.

Location and neighbourhood

Kalighat grew around the Kalighat Kali Temple, whose present structure dates from 1809 and which is counted among the Shakti Peethas. Beside it stands Nirmal Hriday, the home for the dying that Mother Teresa opened in 1952. The quarter is also known for the Kalighat painting tradition and for Tolly's Nullah, the old Adi Ganga channel that still runs through this part of the city. Expect a devotional, working neighbourhood of shops, stalls and temple traffic rather than a planned tourist district.

The temple itself is 1.2 km away and walkable for most people, though the last stretch is crowded. Two metro stations serve the area: Kalighat at 0.5 km and Rabindra Sarobar at 0.7 km. Anything central needs a ride: Park Street is 4.7 km in a straight line, or 20 to 35 minutes by road, and Esplanade is 5.9 km, or 25 to 40 minutes. Victoria Memorial is closer, at 3.8 km and roughly 15 to 30 minutes by road.

Mornings here start early. Temple queues form well before daylight and the lanes fill with flower sellers. Evenings are calmer once the gates close, with families walking and street food appearing. During Durga Puja and Kali Puja, which fall on moving lunar dates, the area becomes very crowded and roads are diverted, so check the current year's dates and allow extra time. Outside festival weeks the mood is steady rather than hectic, and the streets are quiet by late evening.

Rooms and facilities

Two facilities are listed: a shuttle service and wheelchair-accessible areas. For business travellers the shuttle is worth asking about before arrival, since its route, timings and whether it must be booked in advance all matter. Families should confirm whether the accessible areas include the entrance and the rooms they are likely to use, and whether a wheelchair can be stored safely. Late arrivals should give the hotel an expected time in advance and ask whether reception is staffed overnight.

Kolkata's heat is the main practical concern for much of the year. April and May are hot and humid, often above 35 °C, and the monsoon runs roughly June to September with the heaviest rain in July. Ask about air conditioning or a working fan, hot water in the bathroom, and how the building copes with the waterlogging that follows heavy downpours. Winter mornings can be hazy, so a room away from the road helps. Mosquito precautions are sensible in the wet months.

Because the property is a two-star hotel with few listed services, it pays to confirm the details directly. Ask about check-in and check-out times, what identification is accepted, whether the shuttle runs to the airport or the stations, and how it is arranged. Confirm the type of room and whether a private bathroom is included. Ask about luggage storage for late departures and about the quietest rooms, since the lanes around Kalighat can be noisy near the temple.

Getting there

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is at Dum Dum, about 18.9 km from the hotel in a straight line, and the road journey usually takes 55 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Allow more in the morning and evening rush. Prepaid taxis and app cabs are available at the airport, and the Yellow Line metro now reaches Jai Hind Bimanbandar station, though services are still expanding, so check Metro Railway Kolkata before relying on it with luggage.

Howrah station on the west bank is 8.1 km away, a road trip of roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Sealdah, on the east side of the centre, is 6.6 km and about 25 to 40 minutes. Both are major interchange points for suburban and long-distance trains, and both have taxi ranks outside. Kolkata station at Chitpur handles some long-distance and Bangladesh services. Traffic on the approach roads is the variable, so build in slack if you are catching a train.

Kalighat metro station is 0.5 km from the door and Rabindra Sarobar is 0.7 km, both on the Blue Line, India's first metro, which opened in 1984 and runs from Dakshineswar in the north to Kavi Subhash in the south. The line passes Park Street, Esplanade, Central and Maidan, which makes it the simplest way to reach the centre. The Green Line now links Howrah Maidan with Esplanade, Sealdah and Salt Lake Sector V. Check Metro Railway Kolkata for current hours and stations.

Food and sights near Hotel Raj

The Kalighat temple, 1.2 km away, is the reason many people choose this area. Go early, expect queues and touts, remove shoes before entering and follow the rules posted on photography. Victoria Memorial, 3.8 km away and 15 to 30 minutes by road, holds a museum in white Makrana marble with 64 acres of grounds; it closes on Mondays and some national holidays. St Paul's Cathedral, consecrated in 1847, is 3.7 km away.

South Park Street Cemetery, opened in 1767 and 4.3 km from the hotel, is a quiet, overgrown record of early colonial Calcutta and repays an hour of walking. Mother House on AJC Bose Road, 4.6 km away, holds the tomb of Mother Teresa and receives visitors at set times. For food, the old names are in the centre: Flurys and Peter Cat on Park Street, Mocambo and Trincas nearby, and Nizam's near New Market for the kathi roll it is credited with.

Shopping around Kalighat is local rather than designed for visitors: temple offerings, flowers, sweets and everyday goods. For a wider choice, New Market, opened in 1874, is a ride away in the centre. Bookshops cluster on College Street, where the Indian Coffee House at Albert Hall is a fixture, and Oxford Bookstore is on Park Street. Evenings are best spent walking the Maidan or taking a slow drive past the lit-up landmarks, with Park Street at its best in December.

• Kalighat Temple (1.2 km)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (3.7 km)
• Victoria Memorial (3.8 km)
• South Park Street Cemetery (4.3 km)
• Mother House (4.6 km)

A day from Hotel Raj

Start before dawn and walk the 1.2 km to Kalighat Kali Temple while the lanes are still quiet. Shoes come off before entry and photography is restricted, so carry little. Return for breakfast, then take the metro from Kalighat or Rabindra Sarobar towards Maidan or Rabindra Sadan for the Victoria Memorial, 3.8 km from the hotel and 15 to 30 minutes by road if you prefer a cab. The museum is closed on Mondays.

In the afternoon, continue on foot around the Maidan. St Paul's Cathedral is 3.7 km from the hotel and the Birla Planetarium stands nearby. South Park Street Cemetery, 4.3 km away, is a good late-afternoon stop, quieter then and cooler. A taxi between these points is short; the metro also works if you return to Kalighat or Rabindra Sarobar. Keep the pace slow in April and May, when the heat builds through the middle of the day.

Spend the evening in the centre, where Park Street is 4.7 km away, or 20 to 35 minutes by road. Flurys, Peter Cat, Mocambo and Trincas are all in this stretch, and Oxford Bookstore is close by. Mother House, 4.6 km from the hotel, is better suited to a daytime visit than an evening one. Return by metro from Park Street to Kalighat, a short walk from the door, or take a metered taxi and insist the meter is used.

Booking tips and when to go

Book well ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, and for Christmas, when Park Street and Allen Park are lit from mid-December. Kali Puja falls on the new-moon night of Diwali and fills Kalighat, so rooms in this area go early. Ask about the cancellation terms and about check-in and check-out times when you book. If arriving by air, allow for the 55 to 90 minute road journey and avoid the worst rush hours when you can.

November to February is the most comfortable season here: December and January highs sit in the mid-20s °C, and February is pleasant. March warms up and April and May are hot, humid and prone to evening storms. The monsoon runs roughly June to September, with waterlogging after heavy rain, and October rains tail off. The temple is busy year round, and festival dates move with the lunar calendar, so check the current year's dates with West Bengal Tourism before fixing plans.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food, though cards and UPI are widely accepted in shops and restaurants. Yellow Ambassador taxis are metered, so ask for the meter; app cabs are an alternative. Drink bottled or filtered water. Dress modestly at the temple, covering shoulders and knees, and expect to leave shoes outside. Keep valuables close in crowded lanes and ignore unsolicited guides. For anything that changes, from metro hours to temple rules, check the relevant official body.

Hotel Raj: questions

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