For 34 years after a decisive election victory in 1977, West Bengal was a stronghold for the Marxist Communist Party of India – CPI (M). Although the party lost power in 2011, you'll still find hammer-and-sickle motifs widely plastered on walls around Kolkata, and a major street is still called Lenin Sarani. Just off this thoroughfare, close to Esplanade bus station, a statue of Vladimir Ilich stands as a reminder of the state's communist past.
Lenin Statue
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.49 MILES
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4 MILES
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0.48 MILES
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1.15 MILES
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Nearby Kolkata (Calcutta) attractions
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This fanciful multidomed mosque was built in honour of nawab Tippu Sultan by his son during the 1830s.
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0.39 MILES
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