Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal. Kolkata is the India's largest, friendliest and metropolitan city. The city abandoned its British imposed name of Calcutta in December 2000 and restored its traditional identity as Kolkata. The name Kolkata is said to be derived from the name Kalikshetra or the seat of goddess Kali. Kolkata is located at the tip of sprawling Ganges delta, which flows into the Bay of Bengal. Kolkata covers an area of 1380 square km. Kolkata, the city of palaces was founded by the English merchant trader Job Charnock in 1690. Kolkata is certainly a new city, only 300 years old. It is a European city, planted on the soil of Asia, though the inhabitants are brown and clad in white dhoti and kurta. It was at one time, the industrial, cultural and intellectual hub of the country. It is also regarded as cultural capital of India. The Ronald Ross, Rabindranath Tagore, CV Raman, Gunter Grass, Mother Teresa and Amartya Sen are the various famous personalities that belongs to Kolkata. The Howrah bridge which connects the city to an industrial township is the main land mark of Kolkata. Bengali, Hindi, English, Oriya and several other minor and tribal languages such as Santali are spoken in Kolkata. The best time to visit Kolkata is between October and February when the weather is the most pleasant. Various places of historical, ethnic and cultural interest and wildlife sanctuaries can be easily reached from Kolkata.

The first recorded information on Calcutta was found in the Ain–I–Akbari in 1596. The Bysacks, traditional weavers of Bengal, and Seths, the merchant bankers had established Sutanati, which was the ‘Cottonopolis’ of Bengal. Calcutta grew around the villages of Kalikata, Sutanati, Govindapur and Chitpore on the east bank of the Hooghly river and Salika and Betor on its west bank. Calcutta was founded by the English merchant trader Job Charnock in 1690. Job Charnock was the first Governor of Calcutta. It is also said that Calcutta’s existence hangs on a doctor’s prescription. In 1640, Gabriel Boughton, an English surgeon, effected a royal cure for which the fee asked for and granted was the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s concession of free trade in Bengal. The permission was granted to the East India Company to purchase the three villages of Sutanati, Kalikata and Govindpur in the immediate neighbourhood of the Fort. The negotiation price was Rs.16,000 and the purchase price in 1690 was Rs.1300. The company became landowners with a landlord’s prerogatives and built the Fort William. This first fort was named after King William III and completed in 1707. The Union Jack was hoisted for the first time in 1707 on Fort William. In 1742, the chief threat to Calcutta's safety was posed by the Marathas and this led to the digging of the five km Maratha Ditch, from when the Ditcher came to be coined and applied to the Anglo – Indian. This city was later taken over by the Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal for a short time. But in 1756, the Siraj-ud-daula was defeated in the battle with the British and the city was later taken over by the Robert Clive and Admiral Waston from Madras, and the Battle of Plassey in 1757 was a victory of British diplomacy and intrigues. In 1773, the capital was transferred from Madras to Calcutta and it grew into the second city of the Empire. In 1803, Lord Wellesley constituted an improvement Committee for the city that a decade later became the Lottery Commission, which by running lotteries raised funds for buildings such as the Town Hall, which still stands today, and a number of new roads. It was James Atkinson who in 1824 first gave Calcutta the title of “City of Palaces”. From the mid 19th century, the individual free traders were brought to Calcutta. Tramways and street lighting appeared. The town of Howrah was linked to Calcutta by a pontoon bridge in 1874. When the British strengthened Fort Williams in 1780, they cleared the vast jungles for target practice from the Fort and to prevent any sneak invasion. It was around and near the Maidan that the city started coming up. It was also here that they decided to build the Victoria memorial to the British Empire. Gradually, the whole of India came under the British rule and Calcutta continued to be the capital of India, even when the Company forfeited the empire to the British throne. In order to weaken Bengali solidarity, Lord Curzon partitioned the state into two parts, East and West Bengal, in 1905. But the resultant agitation forced him to withdraw the order 5 years later. However, the British divided Bengal at the time of their daparture, with the consent of the Congress and Muslim League parties. In 1947, due to partition, only 88000 square kms was left with Calcutta as its capital, and Bangladesh, got an area of 1,44,000 square kms and Dhaka became the capital of Bangladesh. In 1960, the serious problems arose in Calcutta. The problems were worsened by the outbreaks of the violence organised by a revolutionary political movement known as Naxalites. The election of the Communist Party of the India Marxist to power in 1977 has been followed by a period of stability for the city and there were some signs of growth in the city. 

Kolkata is still a major centre for business, industry, trade and exports. It accounts for over 80 per cent of the total production of jute goods in the country. The majority of 70 jute Mills of India lie on the two banks of the Hoogly, about 48 km. north and south of Kolkata.The trade in jute, tea and the industries that flourished in the city's hinterland due to the rich mineral deposits of iron ore, manganese and limestone continued to play an important role in the economy of West Bengal. Kolkata’s role in the national economy is as crucial as the gateway to Eastern India. The discovery of coal at Raniganj in the second decade of the 19th century was one of the most significant contributory factors behind the process of industrialization in eastern India. Kolkata naturally developed into a focal point of the engineering industry in the country. Some heavy engineering, car manufacturing and ship buildling industries continued, but main emphasis was on the electronics and lighter consumer industries. India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of tea and the bulk of the country’s exports of tea are shipped from Kolkata. The major quantity of high quality Darjeeling tea is sold through Kolkata. During the 1950, the industrial importance of Kolkata grew with the rapid development of the Durgapur–Asansot belt. In quick succession came the integrated steel plant at Durgapur, the Alloy Steels Plant, the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, the Mining and Allied Machinery corporation, the first telecommunication cables manufacturing plant in India at Rupnarainpur and other large units to exploit the high mineral resources of this region. As high as 70 per cent of the railway wagons produced in the country come from units located in and around Kolkata. One of the biggest suppliers of textile machinery is located near Kolkata. Leather tanneries located in the city account for over 25 per cent of the country’s leather exports.

Shopping is not easy in Kolkata but it can be very rewarding. Bengali silver and gold smith is the best in the whole of India. Kolkata is also known for its silk and cotton saris and fabrics. There is a huge variety of gaily striped cottons, embroidered bedspreads and woolen blankets. The Baluchari brocade saris are now collector’s items. These saris were made in Murshidabad and takes about six months to one year. The designs on the saris are beautiful and typically Bengali. It is also a centre for the manufacture of musical instruments. All kinds of musical instruments can be bought here. Among Bengali crafts, traditional terracotta figures are made in village throughout the state. New Market, the Kolkata’s oldest municipal market, offers leather goods, plastic toys, fancy silverware, jewellery, garments, fabric, confectionery, clothes, dry fruits, poultry products, fish, meat, flowers etc. Gariahat, Bou Bazaar, Bara Bazaar, Haati Bagan are the best places to hunt for sarees, especially the famous Bengali “Baluchoris”. Dakshinapan Market is well known for its hand looms, textiles, handicrafts, cosmetic jewellery, fancy goods, objets d’art, etc.

Durga Puja is the most important and famous festival which is celebrated in Kolkata. Besides this, Ganga Sagar Mela, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti, Basanta Panchami, Bengali New Year, Rabindra Jayanti and Christmas are the famous festivals which are celebrated in Kolkata.

A vast network of airways, railways and highways originate form Kolkata, the gateway of eastern India.

By Air:
Kolkata is an international airport connected with all parts of the world. Indian Airlines connects Kolkata with various important airports in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur. Major private airlines are also operated to Kolkata. Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chander Bose International Airport is about 20 kms from the city centre.

By Rail:
Kolkata is connected by rail with all the major cities and towns of India. The mtero rail is the famous train which was started in 1984 and operates only in Kolkata. These trains are very clean, punctual and efficient and the stations are also air-conditioned. 

By Road:
Kolkata is connected by road to Santiniketan, Siliguri, Sunderbans, Digha, Darjeeling, Puri, Bhubaneshwar and Konark. Trams are the most favourite means of transport for the people of Kolkata. Kolkata is the only city where trams are run on the roads. Kolkata is also the only city where the hand pulled rickshaws are drawn. Many of these rickshaws are hired for the day by the pullers.

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