Known for being both devastatingly beautiful and devastatingly squalid Kolkata is the home of extremities.

No space is wasted here in Kolkata.  The streets teem with life in India’s second biggest city. Locally Kolkata is regarded as an intellectual and cultural capital, and you would be hard pressed to find someone from West Bengal who is not infuriated by the one sided depiction of the poverty and disparity of the Kolkata slums.

As the former capital of British India, Kolkata is still a veritable feast of colonial architecture. Along with the heart wrenching slums you will also find, during your holiday in Calcutta, some of India’s best restaurants, new suburbs and some of the best sweets around.  Definitely friendlier than many of India’s other Mega-cities there is a feeling here that cannot be ignored.  Travel with your heart instead of your mind here and you will certainly come away rewarded.

History of Kolkata

The history of the capital of west Bengal is totally enmeshed with that of the British East India Company.  First arriving in 1690 they later made Calcutta their capital in 1772.  It blossomed as the capital of British India and the first modern Indian university was founded here in 1857.

Calcutta soon became the center for India arts and literature.  The national movement for independence got its start here but once the capital was moved to Delhi in 1911. and the partition began for Bengal in 1947. it was not long before the city began to fall into urban decay, an image the city has never recovered from.

Culture and tourism in Kolkata

Kolkata is known for having a brilliant cultural heritage, and is significant not only for west Bengal but for the entire country.  Kolkata these days is still home to many artists and literary minds and this comes through in the latest offerings that can be found in the state.

Religious antiquity is a significant part of the heritage that can be found in Kolkata. Stunningly majestic buildings line the cityscape right across the city and you can find gothic, roman, oriental and indo-Islamic motifs.  Kolkata still shares this multi-ethnic multi-religious status to this day.

Economy in Kolkata

Kolkata is the main business centre for eastern India, providing the business, commercial and financial hubs for the all north-eastern states.  The Calcutta stock exchange is found here. Despite all this Kolkata has previously been ranked the hardest Indian city in which to do business.

The People of Kolkata

The people of Kolkata are made up of varying ethnicities the main groups are Ghotia, Bangals, Biharis, Marwaris, Oriyas, Anglo-Indians, Chinese, Tamils, Telugu, Malayalee, Gujarati, Assamese, Marathi, Parsee, Nepalese and Caucasian. Punjabis form a major part of Kolkata’s population and have made great contributions in the fields of irrigation, warfare, technology, arts, crafts, commerce and business. Much of the time all these groups live peacefully however at times it can become tense between different religious factions.