Kolkata

  Till the 17th century, Calcutta was nothing more than a village. But, today it is one of the major metropolitan cities of India along with Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The credit for its present status goes to the expansion plans of the European powers, especially the British Raj. Kolkata was once the capital city of British India and also the Gateway to India till 1912. It is a major commercial city consisting of big industrial plants and corporate houses. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly and has a subtropical climate. The city has many names: "Cultural Capital of India", "The city of Processions, "City of Joy" and so on. It has also been a home to many luminaries such as Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose, Mother Teresa and Satyajit Ray.

Public Transport in Kolkata is provided by Trams, Kolkata Metro and buses. Auto Rickshaws, Cycle Rickshaws and taxis are some other common modes of transport. For long distance travel, Kolkata has two railway stations, Howrah Station and Sealdah and one airport, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport at Dum Dum.

Kolkata is a major hub for the Information Technology. Real estate, financial consultancies, travel and tourism and hotel industry are some other services that contribute to its economy. It houses Calcutta Stock Exchange, which is second largest stock exchange in India. Kolkata is home to many industrial units operated by large Indian corporations with products ranging from electronics to jute. Some notable companies headquartered in Kolkata include ITC Limited, Bata India, Birla Corporation, Coal India Limited, United Bank of India, UCO Bank, Tata Tea, and Allahabad Bank.

Kolkata has beautiful colonial buildings and heritage structures. Established in 1814, the Indian Museum is the oldest museum in Asia and houses vast collection of Indian natural history and Indian art. The Victoria Memorial, one of the major tourist attractions in Kolkata, has a museum documenting the city's history. Other important buildings in Kolkata are Belvedere Estate, Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Marble Palace, National Library of India, Raj Bhavan, Shaheed Minar and Writers' building.



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