One of Kolkata’s most characterful rituals: an open-air oil massage on the steps of Babu Ghat, where masseurs have worked the riverfront for generations. For a few hundred rupees you’ll get a vigorous hour-plus rubdown in the Ganges breeze, amid bathers, pigeons and morning puja. It’s rough-and-ready, not a spa — come early, agree the price first, and soak up the scene.
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Babu Ghat, Hooghly riverfront · open-air street massage · mornings; agree price first