Kolkata

Geography

Kolkata is located in the eastern part of India at 22°82'N 88°20'E. It has spread linearly along the banks of the river Hooghly. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has an area of 185 square kilometres. The city is at sea level, the average elevation being 17 feet[1]. The whole area is in the Ganges Delta and is monotonously plain. The Bay of Bengal coastline is about 60 miles to the south. The Sundarbans National Park starts within 100 kms south to the city.

History

Unlike Delhi which is a historic city dating back to many centuries, Kolkata or Calcutta is a relatively new city just some three hundred years old. It is largely a British creation and was the capital of British India till the beginning of the 20th century. In 1686, the British abandoned their trading post in Hooghly as the Mughals permitted the East India company to set up a base downriver at Sutanati, Govindpur and Kalikata, all small villages. Old Fort William was built there in 1696. The city slowly gained ground and importance till 1756 when Siraj-ud-daulah Nawab of Murshidabad attacked the town. Most of the British fled the city but the unfortunate ones became prey to what came to be later known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. Clive made peace next year, but the Nawab had other plans and sided with the French against the British. This led to his crushing defeat at the Battle of Plassey. The British made most of the lasting developments between 1780 and 1820. After that Kolkata became the hotbed of Indian nationalism. 1905 saw lot of unrest due to Lord Curzon’s division of Bengal, this was the reason why the capital had to be shifted to Delhi in 1911.
The independence of India and the end of the 20th century saw a positive change in Kolkata - from power to transport to telephones, a lot of the once crumbling infrastructure has now improved. There is a buoyancy in the air and this augers well for new industrial investment. However this city is a living urban horror with its teeming millions incremented by the influx of refugees during partition, during Bangladesh liberation and India’s own post independence population explosion.

Kolkata Attraction

Eden Gardens : In the north-west corner of the Maidan are the small and pleasantly laid out Eden Gardens. A tiny Burmese pagoda was brought here from Prome in Burma in 1456, it's set in a small lake and is extraordinarily picturesque. The gardens were named after Lord Auckland, the former Governor General's, sisters. The Calcutta cricket grounds are also within the gardens.Across from the gardens there is a pleasant walk along the banks of the Hooghly..

Botanical Garden : On the west bank of the Hooghly, south; of Howrah, are the extensive Botanical-Gardens. They stretch for over a km along the river front and occupy 109 hectares. The gardens were originally founded in 1786 and initially administered by Colonel Kyd. It was from these: • gardens that the tea now grown in Assam and Darjeeling was first developed. Prime attraction in the gardens is the 200 year old Banyan, claimed to be the largest in the world.


Howrah Bridge : Until 1943 the Hooghly was crossed by a pontoon bridge which had to be opened to let river traffic through. There had been considerable opposition to construction of a bridge due to fears that it would effect the river currents and cause silting problems.This problem was eventually avoided by building a bridge that crosses the river in a single 450 metre span with no piers at all within the river


Victoria Memorial : The symbol of British seat and the most exquisite Victorian building to be found in India is the Victoria Memorial, a huge white marble museum built to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria of England.

Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary : Towards the South of Calcutta, rivers Ganga and Hooghly divide themselves into many distributaries and they form the famous Gangetic deltas. They provide the ideal environment for the Sundari trees to grow. Spread over an area of almost 10,000 sq kms, now shared between Bangladesh and India, the Sunderbans are home to many exquisite animals and birds.

Kolkata Climate

Calcutta is located at a point where the river Hooghly merges into the sea. In fact, the whole region is part the great Gangetic delta. The climate of Calcutta is largely influenced by the sea. The daily tidal waves and frequent rains accompanied by high velocity winds, has now become a part of life in the city. Calcutta has a very tropical climate with the summers being hot and humid. The temperature seldom crosses the 43-degree barrier and in winter, rarely goes below 8 degrees. Monsoons are timely and heavy. Winters are the best time to visit.

How To Reach Kolkata

Flight : Calcutta is well connected by major National Highways to almost all parts of the country.

Train : Calcutta is one of India's busiest International Airports and is served by a few International Airlines, namely British Airways, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, KLM and a few others. On the domestic network, Calcutta is connected by Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines, to most major cities in India by frequent daily flights..

Road : Regular train services connect Howrah and Sealdah stations to different parts of India. Calcutta also serves as a train gateway to most parts of North Eastern India.