Kolkata Race Course

The Kolkata Race Course, run by the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, lies in the centre of the city and is one of the largest and most prestigious horse-racing venues in India. Next to it is a large polo ground often described as the best in the country.

The course dates from 1820. At first it was a gathering place for the colonial elite, but by 1880 the public at large was being admitted. The club's building is said to have been the home of the Apcar family, Armenian merchants who arrived from Persia in the 1770s, which accounts for its Palladian design, marble floors and teak doors.

Racing is busiest in the Derby seasons, from July to September and from November to March, when the city fills with racing followers. Polo matches keep the grounds in use outside the racing calendar.