Calcutta

State capital of: West Bengal

Main languages: Bengali, Hindi and English

 

History:

 

The capital city of Calcutta had been renamed as Kolkata. Urban agglomeration includes the districts of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The city is located on the banks of the river Hooghly or Ganges. The city had been the capital of India under British rule till the year 1911. The city gets its name from the three villages Kalikata, Sutanuti, Gobindapur which also means the land of the Goddess Kali. Though the city owes its existence to the British there were mentions of the same in 'Ain-I-Akbari', written by Akbar's Prime Minister Abul Fazal. The imperial Jagir and its zamindari rights were given to Savarna Roy Choudhuri of Barisha by Jahangir. During the British reign the city had two distinct areas known as the white town and the black town. Kolkata became the centre of the Indian independence movement with great leaders like Bose in the lead. The city port had been bombed twice during World War II. 

 

Geography and demography:

 

The city is located in eastern India at 22°33′N, 88°20′E. Kolkata lays on the Ganges delta with an elevation of about 1.5 m. The city was originally a vast wetland. The soil is here alluvial with deposits of clay, silt and other grades of soils. The city is prone to earth quakes and cyclone zoning is at high damage risk here. As per the 2001 census the city had a population of 4,580,544.

 

Climate:

 

The city has a humid climate with dry winters. The monsoons usually begin in June and last up to August. The winters here are short and temperatures fall up to 9 degrees centigrade in peak winter months of December and January. Maximum temperatures in summer go up to 40 degree centigrade. The city is prone to hail storms and thunder storms. The southwest monsoons provide rainfall here. Growing air pollution is a major concern.

 

Economy:

 

The city is the business hub of the eastern Zone of India. There are various commercial and industrial enterprises here. The Calcutta Stock Exchange is the second largest bourse in India. Calcutta also has a commercial and military port. The economic decline of the city due to unstable political situations followed after independence. Hawkers form a major part of the contributing economy and generate business worth Rs. 8,772 crore. Apart from the industrial and the jute textiles here the Bengali film industry or Tollywood also flourishes. Various handicrafts are also sold here including the popular 'batik' and jute works. 

 

Tourism and culture:

 

The city is the home to mixed culture groups. Festivals of Durga puja, Diwali, Id, Christmas are celebrated here. The Durga puja is one of the major tourist attractions also. There are various places to see here like the St. Paul's Cathedral, Mullick Bari, Calcutta Zoo, Science city, Fort William, Indian Museum, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Tipu Sultan Mosque, Belur Math and many more. Music and Sports are adored by all residents of Kolkata. The Eden Gardens for cricket and Calcutta Football League are some of the oldest Asian playing grounds. The popular sweets of Kolkata, especially 'rosogollas', are savored by all. 

 

Education:

 

The city is home to various cultural and educational institutes like the Asiatic Society, Bose Institute, the Indian Statistical Institute, the Indian Institute of Management and Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science,

 

Transportation:

 

The city has an international airport and is well connected through railways and roads to different parts of the country. Water transport is also available.