Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), the capital city of West Bengal, is a city of every traveller’s dream. With architectural splendour, rich art galleries, vibrant culture and historical significance, Kolkata is undeniably one of the most important cities of the country with a significant past and culture, religious importance, along with a rich art and literary history. Referred as the “City of Joy”, Kolkata is indeed a place of delight for travel lovers. Kolkata Tourism offers a wide range of engaging choices to visitors, ranging from sightseeing, events, activities, cuisine and culture.
History of Kolkata
There are many stories behind the name Calcutta/Kolkata. According to some, the city was named as Kalikata, which was created by combining the three village names. However, as per other researchers, the name was given owing to its geographical location. As the city is situated at the river side, it is named Kolikata with Kol referring to the depressions on the river banks. The most popularly believed reason behind the name Kolkata is after the name of Hindu Goddess Kali which later became Calcutta. However, in 2001, the city was renamed as Kolkata.
Three villages namely Kalikata, Gobindapur and Sutanuti together constitute the city of Kolkata, which is located at the banks of River Hooghly. During 13th century, trade started flourishing in the city; Saptagram is earliest town known to have established trade relations with foreign lands.
In 1686, British East India Company started a factory in Sutanuti. It was a part of expansion plans of British India. By 1535, Portuguese had settled here while in 1655 Dutch arrived in Chinsurah and in 1697 French arrived in Chandernagore and in 1755 Danes in Serampore. All these ports along with the villages of Kalikata, Gobindapur and Sutanuti served as the prime centre of trade till 18th Century.
