Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, is the commercial capital of East India, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. The city has 4.5 million residents, and the metropolitan area, including suburbs, has a population of approximately 15.7 million, making it the third most populous metropolitan area in India and the 13th most populous urban area in the world.
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| Fort William |
The city's history begins with the arrival of the English East India Company in 1690, when the Company was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock, an administrator with the company was credited as the founder of the city. Up to the 18th century, Kolkata comprised of three villages Kalikata, Gobindapur and Sutanuti.
Behind the construction of some of the famous sites in Kolkata lies the significant history of the British Raj. Amongst them is The Fort William, which was built by the British East India Company in 1702. The Fort is still in use as the headquarters of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.
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| Victoria Memorial |
Victoria Memorial, is a memorial building dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India. The foundation stone of the memorial was laid down in the year 1906. It currently serves as a museum and a tourist attraction.
St. Paul’s Cathedral, closely located to the Victoria Memorial is another monument that greatly adds to the beauty of the city. The building was initiated by Bishop Daniel Wilson in 1839 and was completed in 1847, in Gothic Revival style with stained glass windows and two frescos in Florentine Renaissance Style.
The architectural beauty is further accentuated by the secretariat building of the State Government of West Bengal, The Writers’ Building. It originally served as the office for writers of the British East India Company.
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
By far, Princep Ghat is one of Kolkata's oldest recreation spots even though it has lost much of its charm. Yet, it is still a marvelous place where tourists spend hours together sitting on the benches and watching the uncluttered Kolkata life pass by gently.
Finally, Kolkata is also well known for The Indian Museum, the largest museum in India, founded in 1814. It has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings.
