Prinsep Ghat

The Palladian screen of columns went up in 1843 for the orientalist James Prinsep, and the embankment beside it has been the city's favourite evening ever since. The promenade runs along the Hooghly under the cables of the Vidyasagar Setu; towards sunset the light turns copper, wooden boats push off for half-hour rides at around ₹400 per boat, and the whole waterfront fills with families and students. Early morning is the quiet version: the same view with almost nobody in it.

Sunset, wooden boats and a lit bridge: the riverside evening Kolkata keeps for itself