Calcutta, an ancient city which has seen history unfold itself in front of her. A city which has completed three hundred years of its establishment. Calcutta, which had the privilege of being the capital of British India before it was shifted to Delhi. Calcutta, a city which has adopted to the modern trends and techniques of the world but has not shed the leisurely life style and the calm which it has acummulated since ages. A city which till few years ago was the most densely populated city in the world. Calcutta has the country's first Metro railway and also retains some of the building which are more than hundred year old. It is a city of enduring charm.Calcutta City, West Bengal, India

Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The city has a population of almost 5 million, with an extended metropolitan population of over 14 million, making it the third-largest urban agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in India.

The city served as the capital in India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. Since 2000 however, an economic rejuvenation has arrested the morbid decline, leading to a spurt in the city's growth. Like other large cities, Kolkata continues to struggle with urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. A vibrant city with a distinct socio-political culture, Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union movements.

Referred to as the "Cultural Capital of India", "The City of Processions", and the "City of Joy", Kolkata has been home to luminaries such as Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose, Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray, Satyendranath Bose, Swami Vivekananda and many others.

The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh,[3] an archaeological site, provides evidence that the area has been inhabited for over two millennia.[4] The city's documented history, however, begins with the arrival of the British East India Company in 1690, when the Company was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock, an administrator with the Company who eventually settled in Sutanuti after invading through Hijli Kingdom, is traditionally credited with founding the city.

In 1699, the British completed the construction of old Fort William, which was used to station its troops and as a regional base. Kolkata (then Calcutta) was declared a Presidency City, and later became the headquarters of the Bengal Presidency. Faced with frequent skirmishes with French forces, in 1756 the British began to upgrade their fortifications. When protests against the militarisation by the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah went unheeded, he attacked and captured Fort William. A force of Company sepoys and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the following year.

Kolkata was named the capital of British India in 1772. By the early 19th century, Kolkata was split into two distinct areas — one British, one Indian. The city underwent rapid industrial growth from the 1850s, especially in the textile and jute sectors; this caused a massive investment in infrastructure projects like rail roads and telegraph by British government. The coalescence of British and Indian culture resulted in the emergence of a new class of urbane Indians — Asia's first middle class — whose members were often professionals, read newspapers, were Anglophiles, and usually belonged to upper-caste Hindu communities.[5] Throughout the nineteenth century, a socio-cultural reform, often referred to as the Bengal Renaissance resulted in the general uplifting of the people. In 1883, Surendranath Banerjea organised a national conference — the first of its kind in nineteenth century India. Gradually Kolkata became a centre of the Indian independence movement, especially revolutionary organisations. The 1905 Partition of Bengal on communal grounds resulted in widespread public agitation and the boycott of British goods. These activities, along with the administratively disadvantageous location of Kolkata in the eastern fringes of India, prompted the British to move the capital to New Delhi in 1911. The city's port was bombed twice by the Japanese during World War II.[6] As food stocks were being diverted to feed Allied troops, millions starved to death during the Bengal famine of 1943.[7] In 1946, demands for the creation of a Muslim state led to large-scale communal violence resulting in the deaths of over 2,000 people.[8] The partition of India also created intense violence and a shift in demographics - large numbers of Muslims left for East Pakistan, while hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into the city.[9]

Over the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent Marxist-Maoist movement — the Naxalites — damaged much of the city's infrastructure, leading to an economic stagnation. In 1971, war between India and Pakistan led to the mass influx of thousands of refugees into Kolkata resulting in a massive strain on its infrastructure.[10] In the mid-1980s, Mumbai overtook Kolkata as India's most populous city. Kolkata has been a strong base of Indian communism as West Bengal has been ruled by the CPI(M) dominated Left Front for three decades now — the world's longest-running democratically-elected Communist government.[11][12] The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the central government in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, Information Technology (IT) services revitalized the city’s stagnant economy. The city has also experienced a growth in the manufacturing sector. Following similar moves elsewhere in the country, the state government changed the city’s official name from Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001; this act was seen largely as a political ploy.

Kolkata is located in eastern India at 22°33′N 88°20′E in the Ganges Delta at an elevation ranging between 1.5 to 9 metres.[14] It is spread linearly along the banks of the River Hooghly in a north-south direction. Much of the city was originally a vast wetland, reclaimed over the decades to accommodate the city's burgeoning population. The Sundarbans National Park separates the city from the Bay of Bengal, which is located about 154 km to the south.

Like the most of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the predominant soil type is alluvial. Quaternary sediments consisting of clay, silt, various grades of sand and gravel underlie the city. These sediments are sandwiched between two clay beds, the lower one at depths between 250 and 650 m and the upper one ranging between 10 and 40 m in thickness.[15]

The Gardens

To consolidate their hold on Bengal and avoid any further attack on the trade establishments the British had built a fort which cost them an awesome 2 million pounds in those days. The forest around this fort was cleared to give a clear shot to the cannons. Today the fort stands as the reminder of first steps of British towards establishment of the Indian empire. The cleared area is now known as the Maidan and acts as breather for the, otherwise, congested city of Calcutta.

Lake

(An artificial lake was built towards south of the Calcutta city. Today this lake serves as venue for the hosting of various Voctoria Memorial in Calcutta, West Bengal, Indiacompetitions in swimming and boating. Beside the lake is a sports complex which is meant for training sportsmen in various discipline. In the idyllic surroundings is set a Yoga centre for meditation and beautiful parks are meant for walks.

Victoria Memorial

An splendid example of British architecture, this building was built in memory of Queen Victoria and was inaugurated by Prince of Wales in 1921. The Memorial is based on architecture of the Taj and is built in marble.

Birla Planetarium

One the earliest planetariums in India, the Birla Planetarium in Calcutta is a major tourist attraction. The planetarium was opened in 1961 and the cost of completion came to about 2 crores. The capacity of the auditorium is 500 and there are daily film shows. These shows are in different languages. Inside the planetarium you can relax and gaze at the stars which are better seen here than in the polluted atmosphere out side. The planetarium gives complete information about the Universe and our solar systems. The models kept here are special attraction for the children.

Indian Museum

This museum in Calcutta was established in 1878. The museum is built in Italian architectural style and is considered as the largest museum in the country and one of the best in Asia.

Shahid Minar in Calcutta

A combination of Turkish, Egyptian and Syrian architectural elements, this monument was built in 1828 and was named after Sir David Ochterlony who won the Nepal war of 1814. It was renamed as Sahid Minar and is located on Northern part of the Maidan. Height of the column is 48m. From the top of the Minar a good view of the city can be obtained but permission to ascend the tower has to be taken from the police headquarters in Lal Bazaar.

Kali Temple

The present temple was built in 1809 on the site of an ancient temple. It is also known as the Kalighat temple. It is on the name of this temple that English gave the place name Calcutta (Kolkata) which is anglicized form of Kalikata.

Ravindra Gallery

The Lalit Kala Academy is located here. This gallery has some of the rare and fine pictures and manuscripts of Rabindra Nath Tagore. The paintings done are in Rabindra style and attracts many curious visitors. This place is also the venue for many cultural programs and events.

Rabindra Setu ( Howrah Bridge)

It one of three bridges on the river Hooghly and is the most famous symbol of not only Calcutta (Kolkata) but also West Bengal. This bridge is marvel of British engineering. Howrah Bridge is a suspended bridge on pillars. The bridge though very old is still holding good to reduce the traffic across the river. The newly constructed Vidya Sagar Setu is also a cable suspended bridge. This bridge is supposed to reduce the traffic on the old Howrah Bridge. The design of the new bridge very much similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Marble Palace

The marble palace was the private mansion of a Zamindar (Land owner) who had built this palace in 1835. Today this place has an incongruous collection of statues and paintings. There is also a private zoo.

St. John's Church

The church which dates back to 1787 has a number of monuments like the octagonal mausoleum of the founder of Calcutta (Kolkata), Job Char nock. Admiral Watson, who helped Lord Clive in retaking Calcutta (Kolkata) from Siraj Ud Daulla, is also buried here. Belurmath Calcutta, Travel Guide to CalcuttaThe obelisk commemorating the Black Hole was moved from the GPO to a corner of the graveyard.

Belur Math

The Ramkrishna mission established by Swami Vivekanand has its head Quarters here. The Indian Philosopher Ramkrishna who preached unity among all the religions died in 1897 and his follower Vivekanand established the mission to preach the teachings of his Guru.

Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary

Towards the South of Calcutta river Ganga and Hooghly divide itself into many distibutaries and they form the famous Gangetic deltas. They provide an ideal atmosphere and environment for the Sundari trees to grow. Spread over an area of almost 10,000 sq kms which is now shared between Bangladesh and India, the Sunderbans are home to many exquisite animals and birds.

By Air

Kolkata is well connected by air to all major countries in the world, as well as to Indian cities. The air carriers that have flights to and from the city include Aeroflot, Air France, Air India, Biman Bangladesh, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Royal Nepal Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International.

By Rail

Trains are available from all parts of the country to Calcutta.Taking the rail route to Kolkata Most inward bound trains stop at Howrah, which is also the station from which major trains to other cities depart. Most trains heading to areas such as New Jalpaiguri and other provinces in the north-east stop at the other station, Sealdah. Local trains to nearby towns are available from both stations, depending on which part of West Bengal you want to go to.

By Road

A few buses ply from Orissa and Bihar to Calcutta. However, these are highly uncomfortable and best avoided. Buses are also available to nearby towns, especially if you wish to visit Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri on your trip to Calcutta. Depending on which direction you're heading in, buses could depart from the end of the Maidan near Chowringhee Road, or the bus stand at Babu Ghat near Fort William. A few tour operators have their own private bus stands, so do make inquiries!