	Call: 1800-102-2220(Toll Free)**

About Kolkata

GENERAL INFORMATION

Area	:	Kolkata City Area 187.33 sq km. and Kolkata Metropolitan District Area 1380.12 sq km (532.87 sq miles ).
Population	:	The city holds a burgeoning population that is moving closer to 15 millions. The city suburbs are densely populated. The average population density is about 33,000 for every square kilometre..
Altitude	:	6.4 metres (20 ft.) above sea level.
Climate
Winter	:	Max 36.3 o Celsius Min 9.6 o Celsius
Summer	:	Max 41.7o Celsius Min 38.1 o Celsius
Rainfall	:	1581 mm (Monsoon Months – June to early September).
Best Season	:	October to March.
Clothing	:	Cotton in summer and light woollen in winter.
Weather		www.imdkolkata.gov.in

HOW TO GO

By Air : The city is serviced by 10 international airlines from both the East and the West, apart from Air India and the country’s domestic airlines.

Domestic: Indian Airlines operate air services between Kolkata and Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Chennai (Madras), Delhi, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Imphal, Mumbai (Bombay), as well as Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Singapore, Yangon. Air India operates service between Kolkata and Mumbai. Services are operated by Alliance Airlines (between Kolkata and Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Dimapur, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jorhat, Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Port Blair, Silchar, Tezpur, Visakhapatnam), Jet Airways (between Kolkata and Nagpur, Bangalore, Chennai, Bagdogra, Delhi, Imphal, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jorhat, Mumbai), jetlite Airlines (between Kolkata and Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Vishakhapatnam).

Airline Codes: Domestic

Al Air India
6E Indigo
SG Spicejet
IT Kingfisher
IC Indian Airlines
9W Jet Airways
S2 Jetlite Airlines

International Air Services are operated by Air India, Biman Bangladesh, British Airways, Druk Air, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Dutch Airlines, Indian Airlines, Lufthansa, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International.

Airline Codes: International

AI Air India
IA Indian Airlines
BA British Airways
BG Biman Bangladesh
BI Royal Brunei Airlines
KB Druk Air
KL Royal Dutch Airlines
SQ Singapore Airlines
LH Lufthansa
EK Emirates
TG Thai Airways International

By Rail : Kolkata is a major railhead and is linked to all parts of the country by an extensive network of trains. The two important stations are Howrah and Sealdah. Local trains are best for connecting to nearby places.

Road: Kolkata is connected by road with all the major cities of India. Some of these are Puri – 560 kms, Bhubaneswar – 498 kms, Shiliguri – 606 kms, Darjeeling – 678 kms, Patna – 547 kms, Haridwar – 1586 kms, Varanasi – 681 kms, Mumbai – 2060 kms, Delhi 1490 kms.

Local Transport : Metered Taxis, City Buses, Trams, Trains and Metro rail services are available.

Time Difference
The standard time for India is calculated from Allahabad and is common to all cities in the country. Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of London, 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Paris, about 10 hours and 30 minutes ahead New York, 3 hours and 30 minutes behind Tokyo and 4 hours and 30 minutes behind Sydney.

Languages Spoken
English, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu are most commonly spoken in Kolkata. In hotels and restaurants the staff speaks English while the tourist guides are also well versed with these languages.

Electricity
Line voltage is 220 volts AC/50 Hz. 5 Star hotels provide 110-volt plug point outlets also.

Currency/Foreign Exchange
The currency of India is Rupees. ATM machines are conveniently located for cash withdrawals with Visa or Master card. Major hotels also offer foreign currency exchange, and shops accept most credit cards. The Indian currency is Rupee (1 US$ = 47 Rupees; latest information can be obtained at (www.xe.com/ucc/)

Travel & Health Insurance
Delegates are requested to arrange for their own personal travel & health insurance. The organizing committee will accept no liability for personal injury sustained by or for loss or damage of property belonging to Conference participants, either during the Conference or during tours or events.

Passport & Visa Application
Citizens of all countries, including Commonwealth, require valid passport and appropriate visa. If you have plans to visit neighboring countries then a multi entry visa must be obtained. Click here for more information.

Credit Cards
American, Citibank, Master card, Visa and Diners Club credit cards are generally accepted by large establishments including hotels, shops and airlines.

Banking Hours
Bank working hours are 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. on weekdays and 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. on Saturdays. Selected bank branches operate from 0800 hrs to 2000 hrs during week days. ATM machines of various nationalized and Multinational bank branches are spread all over the city.

Smoking
Smoking is banned in public places, public transport and government offices, inside cinema halls and theatres located in the state of Kolkata. In several other places, boards prominently display the ban on smoking. Most hotels and restaurants have separate smoking zones. The conference halls, eating area and exhibition area are no smoking zones.

**Kindly select option 2 i.e. Sahara Global then select option 5 i.e. Conference.

Last Updated On October 10th,2009

Official Conference and Travel Manager

Copyright @ 2009 www.aioc2010.com
Compliments from Ophthalmological Society of West Bengal
Designed & Developed by Sahara Global

NRI Concierge Services | International Holiday Packages | Luxury Honeymoon Packages | Medical Tourism India | Surgery Abroad & Transplant