Kolkata (Calcutta) is the capital city of the Indian state of
West Bengal. The city, a former capital of India under British rule, is the main commercial and industrial center of eastern India. The
Kolkata port, situated on the right bank of the
river Hooghly, is one of the major ports in India. The
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International airport at Kolkata provides connections to Europe and South East Asia. The famous
Sunderbans National Park
is located on the southern part of the city.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation covers an area of 187.33 sq km with a population of 4.6 million (2001 census). Most of the important landmarks in the city, including the
Victoria Memorial Hall and
Royal Calcutta Turf Club, are located around a huge open area known as the
Maidan. The important roads here are the Chowringhee Road, Park Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Camac Street and the AJC Bose Road.
The city is one of the intellectual centers in India, where several contemporary movements began in art, cinema and theatre, science and industry. Kolkata is home to four Nobel laureates from India - Ronald Ross,
Rabindranath Tagore,
Mother Teresa and
Amartya Sen. The city houses a number of leading educational institutions in India such as the Presidency College, St Xaviers' College, Loreto College, and the Indian Institute of Management. People of Kolkata is well known for their passion in football and cricket. The city hosts many major football clubs in India. The
Eden Garden Stadium in the city is one of the largest stadiums in the world.
Kolkata is one of important industrial and commercial hub in India. Among the major industries are jute manufacturing, light and heavy engineering, leather products, textiles, paper, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, tobacco, food products, glass products, and electrical and electronic products. A variety of engineering related units, manufacturing railway wagons, coaches, autos, heavy machinery, frigates and small ships, are found in the region.
Kolkata's famous
Durga
Puja festival is held in September or October (depending on the Hindu religious calendar). Major attractions in the city include: the Indian Botanical Gardens in south
Howrah, the 1837 built St Paul's Cathedral, Nehru Children's Museum, the
Indian Museum, Shaheed Minar, the mausoleum of Job Charnock, Calcutta Town Hall, Vidyasagar Setu Bridge, Writer's Building, and the
Howrah Bridge.
