Kolkota

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal and one of India’s most populous cities. It is the biggest metropolis in both Eastern India and the ancient Bengal area (today’s West Bengal and Bangladesh). Kolkata is a “in your face” metropolis that both shocks and attracts the unwary visitor. Long known as India’s cultural capital and the birthplace of the so-called Bengal Renaissance, ‘The City of Joy’ (the moniker gained popularity after the publication of Dominique Lapiere’s novel of the same name about the city’s struggle against poverty and corruption, later adapted into a Roland Joffe film) continues to produce generations of poets, writers, film directors, and Nobel Prize winners. If your journey only permits for a visit to one or two of India’s major cities, you should absolutely include Kolkata on your itinerary. Kolkata is probably India’s most socially, culturally, and politically progressive metropolis; love it or loathe it, you’ll never forget the ‘City of Joy.’

Summer, Monsoon, and Winter are the three primary seasons of Kolkata. Summer, from March through May, is hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 38 to 42 degrees Celsius. The monsoon season begins in June and lasts until September or October. This is the time of year when heavy rains might cause water logging in a few spots. The winter season lasts from November through February. This is the greatest time to visit the city since the weather is mild, with temperatures ranging from 8 to 20°.

Kolkata is located in eastern India, near the banks of the Hooghly river.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has an area of 185 square kilometers. Today, the city proper is generally split into two halves along Mother Teresa Sarani (which was known during English rule as Park Street). North of Park Street is the busiest portion of town. South of Park Street, the city is significantly better developed. South Kolkata is more well-planned, with bigger roadways and a better-equipped police force to maintain peace and order. South Kolkata has superior planning since it was established much later. The North is the true, ancient Kolkata, and it is home to the majority of the city’s oldest families and structures. The city has grown to the south and east during the last several years.

The West Bengal Government’s seat, as well as many other government agencies, are situated in the historic Central Business District (CBD). Several banks have corporate or regional headquarters in the B. B. D. Bagh area (named after the revolutionaries Binoy, Badol, and Dinesh who forced their way into The Writer’s Building, the epicentre of English government in West Bengal, and killed the officers who were famous for their rude and cruel treatment of the people and their various oppressive techniques). Many of Kolkata’s oldest commercial organizations have their headquarters here. The neighborhood has a combination of multi-story office buildings and colonial structures.

The modern CBD is located around Park Street, Camac Street, and AJC Bose Road to the south. There are many high-rise office buildings here, including some of Kolkata’s highest commercial structures, such as the Chatterjee International Centre, Tata Centre, Everest House, Industry House, and CGO Building. A modern CBD is being built in the Rajarhat (Newtown) neighborhood, between Salt Lake and the airport.

The Maidan (open field) is located between the Ganges and J.L.Nehru Road (or Chowringhee). It is supposed to be Kolkata’s lungs. Victoria Memorial, Eden Gardens, and other athletic clubs are all located amid the lovely green meadow. Kolkatans like strolling in the Maidan.

Many government offices have relocated to high-rise office buildings around Bidhan Nagar’s (Salt Lake) Central Park in an attempt to reduce congestion in the main metropolis.

The residential buildings are mostly lowrise and include of historic colonial structures as well as several contemporary four-story apartment flats. South Kolkata has seen a surge in the construction of ten- to twelve-story residential buildings. The city has reduced its high-rise development regulations, and twenty-story structures are becoming increasingly popular. The highest residential structures in eastern India, the four 35-story South City towers, have risen on Prince Anwar Shah Road.

Heavy building activities along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass is altering the city’s appearance. Luxury hotels, a conference center, specialty hospitals, condominium complexes, malls, and multiplexes are all being built at breakneck speed.

The development of a massive new city dubbed New Town close to the well-planned Bidhan Nagar is driving the city’s eastern growth. It is one of India’s biggest planned urban complexes, located in Rajarhat.

The neglected western section of the metropolitan agglomeration has lately received a boost with the signing of a deal with Chiputra, an Indonesian business, to construct the Kolkata West International City (KWIC). Dankuni is proposing yet another massive new township.

Slums and decaying buildings may be found in various parts of the city and house more than a quarter of the population (Census 2001). Slum rehabilitation projects have helped to improve living circumstances to some degree, but there is still much need for improvement in this region. Efforts to relocate slum inhabitants to newer projects have often met with opposition and failure since many of the slums are in prime sections of the city and slum dwellers who are integrated into the social structure of the neighborhood do not want to go.

Kolkata is quickly becoming a contemporary information-technology hub, with several private-sector enterprises establishing themselves here. The city’s scenery is likewise rapidly changing, with flyovers, gardens, and a slew of new commercial facilities. The metropolis of Kolkata has extended into its suburbs, with Greater Kolkata extending from Kalyani (in Nadia District) in the north to Diamond Harbour in the south (in the South 24 Parganas District).

Since the early 1990s, when the Indian economy was liberalized, the city’s fortunes have improved. Its economy has been one of the country’s fastest expanding. Popular attractions in the New Metro city include multiplexes, theaters, clubs, taverns, coffee shops, and museums.

Many industrial operations of significant Indian firms are located in Kolkata, and their product lines include engineering items, electronics, electrical equipment, cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewelry, frigates, vehicles, railway coaches, and wagons.

Several industrial estates are scattered across the metropolitan agglomeration, including Taratala, Uluberia, Dankuni, Kasba, and Howrah. Bantola has seen the construction of a massive leather complex. Falta has established an export processing zone. There are also specialized setups such as the country’s first Toy Park and a Gem and Jewellery Park.

Kolkata is likewise on its way to become a major IT (Information Technology) centre. Kolkata is gradually becoming a pro-IT town, with the creation of New Town at Rajarhat and the enlargement of Salt Lake’s Sector-V. More and more enterprises are relocating to Kolkata to establish up shop.

Local, national, and international calls may be made from public call booths located around the city. Otherwise, a local sim card may be used to connect. Cell phone coverage is strong in the city, with all major mobile service carriers providing their services.

Kolkata’s area dialing code is 33. Dial +91 33 XXXX XXXX from outside India, or 033 XXXX XXXX from inside India. Dial +91 XXXXX XXXXX for mobile phones. There is just one area code in Kolkata (033).

Internet cafés are also plentiful, with prices ranging from $10 to $25 per hour. To use the internet at some cafes, you must present your identity card.