Kolkata (কলকাতা, Calcutta)

The famous Flower Market in Kolkata.


Kolkata (Bengali: কলকাতা, formerly Calcutta) is the third biggest metropolitan area in India. It is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. The city is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It served as the capital of India during the era of the British Raj from 1702, when the British completed Fort William, until 1912, when the capital was relocated to New Delhi.

Nivedita Setu Bridge, as seen from Bally Bridge, Kolkata


Today the Kolkata metropolitan area has a population of over 15 million people, making it the third biggest metropolitan in India behind the National Capital Region and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. It is also 8th biggest metropolitan area in population in the world. The Kolkata proper is the 7th largest city in India behind Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai.

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata


Many of the palatial public buildings that are standing in Kolkata today were the work of Richard Wellesley, the Governor General of Calcutta from 1797 to 1805. Calcutta was the centre for opium trading of the British East India Company in the 18th and 19th centuries. The local company that traded in opium, J. Thomas & Company, is still in Kolkata today, albeit having evolved into the largest auctioneer of tea in the world.

The name of Kolkata has always been Kolkata or Kolikata in the Bengali language, although the British anglicized it to Calcutta. The official English name Calcutta survived until 2001 when the name Kolkata was officially adopted.

Kolkata street scene
Kolkata enjoys a tropical climate with wet and dry months. The hottest months are May and June, when the maximum temperature can rise to above 40°C. The coolest months are December and January, with temperature around 9° to 11°C. Kolkata gets heavy rainfall from the Southwest Monsoon, which lashes the Bay of Bengal from June to September, with heaviest rains expected in August.

Planning your trip to Kolkata

Kolkata is served by the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport which receives domestic as well as international flights. The airport is located some 20 km from downtown Kolkata. You reach the city, you would take a prepaid taxi which costs around Rs. 150-250 depending on your destination.

One of the galleries of the Indian Museum in Kolkata

Planning your travel within Kolkata

By Taxi
There is an army of yellow Ambassador taxis plying the streets. They would be your first choice of transport. The fare starts at Rs. 22. To reach the taxi meter, multiply what you see with 10 and then add 2. So if the meter shows 10, the fare is 10x2+2= Rs22. You can call a taxi at the following numbers:

Orix: (033) 4422 2222
Megacabs: (033) 4141 4141

By Trams
Kolkata is the only city in India that still has a running tram system. It is in fact the oldest electric tram in Asia. You would take it today more for its novelty than for practical purposes.

Kolkata Metro


By Metro
Kolkata is the first city in India with a subway system, albeit there's only one line that runs north to south through the city. The fare is between Rs4 to RS8 depending on distance. Work in progress to extend the line further south, and to build a new east-west line.

Places of Interest in Kolkata

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Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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