Calcutta renamed to Kolkata effective January 2001

   Discover Kolkata

This information about Kolkata (Calcutta)  has been obtained from various books and sites on the net. I have tried my level best to verify the information published on my site. However, if any information is found to be incorrect , please feel free to send me a mail. I shall make the necessary corrections accordingly.

Our concerted effort will definitely enable to me to make the information on my site more authentic. Your valued suggestion and modification will also help me in making this site better day by day.  

There are various opinion about the origin of the name of this famous city. 

According to legend, when Siva's wife's corpse was cut up, one of her fingers fell at the site of what is now the Kali Temple at Kalighat.  It is on the name of this temple that the Britishers gave the place name Calcutta which is nothing but the anglicized form of Kalikata. 

According to others, Kalikata may have been derived from the Bengali word Kalikshetra meaning of the 'Ground of Goddess Kali'. Some opines that the city's name has been derived from the location of its original settlement on the bank of a canal also called Khal in Bengali.    

Apart from all of the above, there still exists another opinion which says that the name is actually derived form the Bengali term Kilkita which means flat area. This term has also been found in ancient Bengali literature. 

Let us look back to the 17th. century to explore the history of Kolkata. 

In the year 1690 Job Charnock, an agent of East India Company came to the bank of the river Hooghly. Earlier he had various disputes with officials of  Mughal empire at the port of river Hooghly and was forced to abandon his plan of establishing his settlement. His repeated attempts to establish his plan at other places down the river also turned futile. However, Mughal empire finally did not want to lose the benefit they had gained from the British company's commerce and  at last decided to permit him to return once again. Job Charnock carefully choose a site which was being protected by the river Hooghly on the West, a creek to the north and by lakes (presently called Salt Lake) about few miles to the east. He also took lease of three villages Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kalikata  in pursuit of establishing a trading post of the British East India Company.  

In 1756 the city became famous in when Siraj-Ud-Dullah,  last independent nawab of Bengal captured the city. The British regained power of Bengal and the city was recaptured in 1757 by Robert Clive. 

Thereafter, General Warren Hastings was chosen as the first Governor General of India and Calcutta became the  capital of British India in 1772.

This city was the capital of the British empire in India till 1912 before it was shifted to Delhi. Thus one will find here  a medley of occidental and oriental architecture and style. 

This city has completed has completed its three hundred years of its establishment. 

The city now is a symbol of vibrance and creativity with all the modern amenities along with a leisurely life style and enduring charm.

The people of Kolkata commonly called Calcuttan (probably now will be called Koltatan), boasts to run the country's first Metro railway and also to retains some of the heritage buildings which are more than hundred year old.