Southern Plaza

About Southern Plaza

Southern Plaza is a three-star hotel at 73 Dr. Megnad Saha Sarani in Kalighat, south-central Kolkata, a short ride from the Kalighat Kali Temple and within walking distance of the Kalighat metro station on the Blue Line. It suits travellers whose main reason for the area is an early-morning temple visit, and anyone who wants a southern base with easy metro access to Park Street, Esplanade and the Maidan. Guest score: 3.9 out of 5 from 581 reviews.

The stay is practical rather than grand. Expect air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a 24-hour front desk, an on-site restaurant and a bar, parking, lifts, a business centre, laundry service and luggage storage. Rooms are served by room service and the building has 24-hour security. This is a workable base for a short city visit, a family trip or a business stop, with the southern Blue Line covering most sightseeing trips.

Location and neighbourhood

Kalighat grew around the Kalighat Kali Temple, one of the Shakti Peethas; the present temple dates from 1809. The lanes leading to it hold shops selling offerings, sweets and Kalighat paintings, a local tradition that once supplied images to pilgrims. Nirmal Hriday, Mother Teresa's first home for the dying, opened in 1952 beside the temple. Tolly's Nullah, the old Adi Ganga channel, runs through the neighbourhood. The mood is devotional and busy, with touts around the temple approaches and queues at peak hours.

The temple and the metro station are the two things to walk to: Kalighat metro is 0.6 km away and Rabindra Sarobar 1 km. Everything else is a ride. Victoria Memorial is 3.7 km in a straight line, 15 to 30 minutes by road; Park Street 4.5 km, 20 to 35 minutes; Esplanade 5.7 km, 20 to 40 minutes. Autos and app cabs cover short hops, and the metro is quicker than the road at rush hour.

Mornings here belong to the temple. Pilgrims arrive before dawn and the streets around the ghats fill early; the first hours are the calmest window for a visit. Evenings are quieter, with families walking and shops shutting late. During Durga Puja the neighbourhood lanes carry pandals and crowds, and Kali Puja on the new-moon night of Diwali brings its own rush. Festival dates move with the lunar calendar, so check the current year's dates before planning around them.

Rooms and facilities

For business travellers the useful parts are the business centre, Wi-Fi, room service and the 24-hour front desk, plus laundry service and luggage storage for short trips. A car rental service and express check-in are listed among the hotel's facilities. The on-site restaurant and bar mean a meal or a drink does not need a trip out after a late meeting. Confirm restaurant hours, whether the business centre needs booking, and how the hotel handles early check-in.

Families and late arrivals are covered by the 24-hour front desk, lifts to upper floors, parking and a restaurant on site. Non-smoking rooms are listed, and rooms have a desk, television, telephone, safe and private bathroom with shower; ask for a non-smoking room when booking if that matters. A banquet space and an ATM on the premises help with group stays and practical errands. If traffic noise matters, ask about room position when you book.

Kolkata's heat and monsoon shape what to check. Air conditioning matters from March onwards, when temperatures sit in the low thirties and climb past 35 °C in April and May. In the monsoon, roughly June to September, waterlogging follows heavy downpours, so allow extra time for any trip out. Confirm laundry turnaround, whether the room has a bath or shower only, and what the hotel can arrange for early check-in or a late departure, since times are set by the property.

Getting there

The airport, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (CCU), is 18.6 km away in a straight line, 55 to 90 minutes by road depending on traffic. App cabs and metered yellow Ambassador taxis both run the route; insist on the meter in the yellow taxis. The Yellow Line metro now reaches Jai Hind Bimanbandar station at the airport, though services are still expanding, so check Metro Railway Kolkata before relying on it for a tight connection.

Howrah station, on the west bank, is 7.9 km away, 30 to 45 minutes by road; Sealdah is 6.4 km, 25 to 40 minutes. Both handle most mainline arrivals, and the road time is realistic only outside peak hours. Some long-distance and Bangladesh trains use Kolkata station at Chitpur instead. Traffic on the approaches to both Howrah and Sealdah can be slow, so build in time rather than cutting a connection fine, particularly in the evening.

By metro, Kalighat station is 0.6 km from the hotel and Rabindra Sarobar 1 km, both on the Blue Line between Dakshineswar and Kavi Subhash. India's first metro opened in 1984, and the network continues to expand. The Blue Line runs through Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan and Rabindra Sadan, which covers most of the central sights. For Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V, change to the Green Line at Esplanade. Check Metro Railway Kolkata for current stations and hours.

Food and sights near Southern Plaza

Kalighat Kali Temple is 1.2 km away and is the reason many stay here. It is one of the Shakti Peethas, and the present building dates from 1809. Go early, expect queues and touts on the approach, remove shoes and follow the posted photography rules. Nirmal Hriday, the home Mother Teresa opened beside the temple in 1952, is a short walk on. The Kalighat painting studios nearby show a tradition that once supplied pilgrim souvenirs.

Victoria Memorial is 3.7 km away, 15 to 30 minutes by road, and worth half a day: the white Makrana marble building went up between 1906 and 1921, and the grounds cover 64 acres. The museum closes on Mondays and some national holidays, so check Victoria Memorial Hall before setting out. St Paul's Cathedral, consecrated in 1847, is 3.5 km away, with the Birla Planetarium nearby. Both sit within one ride of the hotel.

Park Street, 4.5 km away and 20 to 35 minutes by road, holds Flurys, Peter Cat, Mocambo and Trincas. Nizam's near New Market is credited with the original kathi roll, and Nahoum's in New Market is an old bakery. For a simple meal, Indian Coffee House on College Street is the classic stop. New Market, opened in 1874, is the place for shopping, and Oxford Bookstore is another address worth knowing. Evenings on Park Street run late.

• Kalighat Temple (1.2 km)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (3.5 km)
• Victoria Memorial (3.7 km)
• South Park Street Cemetery (4.1 km)
• Mother House (4.3 km)

A day from Southern Plaza

Start with the temple. Kalighat Kali Temple is 1.2 km away, close enough to walk, and the earlier you go the shorter the queues and the easier the approach past the touts. Wear something you can walk in and be ready to leave shoes outside. Afterwards, walk or take a short ride to the metro at Kalighat, 0.6 km from the hotel, for the run north towards the Maidan and Park Street.

Afternoon suits the Victoria Memorial, 3.7 km away and 15 to 30 minutes by road. Allow time for the grounds as well as the galleries, and remember the museum closes on Mondays and some national holidays. St Paul's Cathedral, 3.5 km from the hotel, is close enough to add, with the Birla Planetarium next door. Return by metro from Maidan or Rabindra Sadan, or take an app cab if the heat is heavy.

Evening: Park Street is 4.5 km away, 20 to 35 minutes by road, and the Blue Line connects via Park Street station. Dinner options include Peter Cat, Mocambo and Trincas, with Flurys for something sweet. South Park Street Cemetery, opened in 1767 and 4.1 km from the hotel, is a quiet later stop if daylight holds. Mother House, 4.3 km away on AJC Bose Road, holds Mother Teresa's tomb and is better saved for another morning.

Booking tips and when to go

Book well ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, and for the Christmas lights on Park Street and Allen Park from mid-December to New Year. Kali Puja falls on the new-moon night of Diwali, and the International Kolkata Book Fair usually runs in late January or early February. These periods bring extra visitors to the city. Confirm check-in and check-out times with the property when booking, and ask about an early arrival if the flight lands before dawn.

November to February is the easiest season here: dry, comfortable days with December and January highs in the mid-twenties Celsius. February stays pleasant. March warms into the low thirties, and April and May are hot and humid, often above 35 °C, with evening storms. The monsoon runs roughly June to September, heaviest in July, with waterlogging after downpours. October rain tapers off. Winter mornings can be hazy, with poor air quality.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food; cards and UPI are widely accepted in hotels, malls and restaurants. Use app cabs or insist on the meter in yellow taxis, and agree the route with auto-rickshaw drivers on fixed runs. Drink sealed water and eat freshly cooked food from busy stalls. At the Kalighat temple, dress modestly, remove shoes, follow the posted rules on photography and keep valuables close in the queues; ignore anyone offering a shortcut for a fee.

Southern Plaza: questions

Similar stays near Southern Plaza

4★

Mavenoak Dreams B&B

Kalighat, Kolkata · 4-starSee live price

3★

Itsy Hotels Neeranand Plaza Bhawanipur

Kalighat, Kolkata · 3-starGuest score 4.4/5 · 284 reviewsSee live price

3★

Hotel Pan Asia Continental

Kalighat, Kolkata · 3-starGuest score 4.3/5 · 10056 reviewsSee live price