How to Reach: Local buses and metered taxis are available from various parts of the city. You may also hop into any College Street bound Tram car.

Photography / Video charges: Nil

Nearest Railway Station: Sealdah

Nearest Metro Station: Esplanade

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Esplanade

Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport

Time required for sightseeing: 1 hour.

The University of Kolkata is a hallowed institution of higher learning and was founded in 1857 under the direction of the Court of Directors of the erstwhile East India Company. The University of Kolkata was set up along with the similar Universities at Madras and Bombay.

The primary motive to set up Universities in key metropolitan cities of India by the East India Company was due to the fact the British regime needed trained and highly skilled manpower to run their day to day administration. To achieve this goal, the British regime introduced Institutions of higher learning which in the years to come would supply a steady stream of highly educated and intelligent young men to work in the British East India Company.

Initially though, the University of Kolkata merely functioned as a governing body and most of its activities were related to administering the affiliated colleges. But with the passage of time, Post Graduate courses were taught at this esteemed University which strictly adhered to the University of London model.

This august institution has produced many distinguished man and woman who have made a mark both in India as well as in the international arena. The list of distinguished scholars who passed out from Kolkata University is a veritable Who's Who in every sphere of human activity. The names of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, C.V.Raman, Meghnad Saha, Satyaji Ray, Satyen Bose, Nirod C Choudhury, Amartya Sen etc. readily come to mind.

A visit to Kolkata University is incomplete without a visit to the Asutosh Museum which happens to be the first in-house public museum in any Indian University. The museum is a virtual treasure trove of Indian art and antiquity. A mind boggling 25,000 rare antique items are showcased in this museum.

The legacy of its rich historical past is still intact at the University of Kolkata and as per the recent list of the world's top 500 Institutions of higher learning which was compiled by the Institute of Higher Education, Sanghai Jian-Tong University, the University of Kolkata does find its rightful place among the world's elite list of Universities. Kolkata University has indeed been successful in preserving its glorious heritage and has carved a niche for itself in the competitive world of academia.