The human city

The largest metropolis in India, Calcutta is a vibrant city on the move, volatile and unpredictable. The Gateway to India, till 1912, and the capital of the Raj in India, it still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets and structures. A city just about ready to burst at the seams, Calcutta is home to more than 10 million people. It is the commercial nerve-centre of the East, with major industrial plants, textile mills and corporate units. Regal edifices, grubby alleys, bustling bazaars, elegant hotels, people from all walks of life - Calcutta has it all. The city is a hub of fervent activity in the realms of music, theater, arts, and sports. Calcutta has always prided itself on the many luminaries it has sent forth, be it Tagore, Satyajit Ray, or Mrinal Sen. The intense dedication to the arts manifests itself in a plethora of festivals, dance, music performances and other cultural events. The Calcutta's are also famous for their all-consuming passion for sports, especially, football and cricket. Calcutta is a city of baffling paradoxes, a city that leaves its stamp on one's mind ... forever.

General Information

Area : 187 sq. kms.
Altitude : 5.8 metres
Rainfall : 158 cms June to Mid September
Clothing : Tropical
Languages Spoken : Bengali, English, Hindi etc.
Season : Throughout the year.
STD Code : 033.
Culture : Cosmopolitan

History

Although the name Kalikata had been mentioned in the rent-roll of the Great Mughal emperor Akbar and also in Manasa-Mangal, to explore the history of Calcutta, we have to go back to the 17 th. century. It was in 1690....Job Charnock came to the bank of the river Hooghly (it's the part of the Ganges) and took the lease of the three villages- Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kolikata(Calcutta) as a trading post of British East India Company. The city became famous in 1756, when Siraj-Ud-Dawlah, the last independent nawab of Bengal, captured the city . But the British regained their power in 1757 and the city was recaptured under Robert Clive. Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, made it the seat of the supreme courts of justice and the supreme revenue administration, and Calcutta became the capital of British India in 1772. By 1800 Calcutta had become a busy and flourishing town, the center of the cultural as well as the political and economic life of Bengal.

Access

By Air : The city is serviced by 11 international airlines from both the east and the west, apart from Air India and the country's domestic airlines.

By Rail : Calcutta is a major railhead and is linked to all parts of the country by an extensive network of trains. The two important stations are Howrah and Sealdah. Local trains are bes for connecting to nearby places.

By Road : Good motorable roads connect Calcutta to all the major cities in India. Some of these are:

Local Transport : Metered Taxis, Cycle & Man-pulling rickshaws, city buses, Trams, Electric Trains & Metro rail services are available.

Climate

Summer (Degree C): Max 35.2 - Min 32.1 (Average)

Winter (Degree C): Max 27.3 - Min 9.6 (Average)

Rainfall : Max 158 cm(June to early September)

Sports

Calcutta is a city of sports lovers. Soccer has the most passionate following. Cricket, golf, tennis, swimming and rowing are also among the favourites. The main stadiums in Calcutta are:

Name of the famous Stadiums in Calcutta:

• Netaji Indoor Stadium
• Eden Garden
• Yuba Bharati Kriraangan
• Rabindra Sarovar Stadium
• Ranji Stadium
• Golf Course
• Polo Grounds
• Race Course

People

Calcutta is home of the Bengali - Volatile in politics, sports lover, intellectual, romantic with a unique sensibility. To whom every activity is a commitment of passionate intensity - be it a religious festival, soccer matches, political demonstrations, music, art, poetry reading, eating or adda (chat sessions).

Calcutta breeds culture. Rabindranath Tagore gave Bengal new composite music, dance drama and literature. Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar internationalized Indian Classical music. Jamini Roy revived folk painting. Uday Shankar created a new dance form. Indian People's Theater Association (IPTA) introduced a new genre of performing arts. Ustad Allauddin Khan created a new orchestra and famous film maker Satyajit Ray's home and canvas was Calcutta.

Metro Railway

The underground railway is worth visiting, if only to see how clean and orderly Calcutta can be! As the gleaming trains whizz past clean platforms, one feels far removed from the chaos that reigns overhead. The terminal station at Dum-Dum, situated close to the Calcutta Airport connects commuters to Tollygunge (situated on the southern fringes of Calcutta) stopping at all major junction across the length of the city.

Shopping

The best place for bargain shopping is New Market (formerly known as Hogg Market). Others include Gariahat, Dakshinapan, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, brassware shops along Kalighat Road, near the Kali temple, shops and auction houses on Park Street, Russel Street, Little Russel Street and Free School Street, and the Bengal Home Industries showroom.

There is plenty to shop. A variety of local handicrafts are made from shola, pith and conch-shell. Terra-cotta figurines and horses (symbol of the Central Cottage Industries Emporium) are typical of Bankura. Painted clay plaques of Kalighat, silk sarees, stoles and scarves of Murshidabad and Vishnupur. Leather bags of Sriniketan, wood carvings and woollen garments of Darjeeling and handloom sarees of Dhanikhali and Tangail are the most famous and found in various markets and shops spread around Calcutta.

Calcutta also caters to the bold and beautiful. A bewitching range of gold, silver and diamond jewellery, intricately handcrafted, is available. Also, check out the latest fashion in leather - shoes, garments and accessories.

Government Emporium

Wild Life Sanctuary

Zoological Garden
Laid in 1876, extending over an area of 16 hectares, it has considerably large collection of animals. White tiger, tigon ( a hybrid between tiger and lion), the reptiles (huge collection), the Royal Bengal tigers are the special exhibits. During winter, the migratory birds from all over the world are the special attractions. More Wild life in West Bengal

More Wild life in India