Destination India: Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal

Victoria Memorial
Originally uploaded by HappyHorizons.

Job Charnock, an administrator of the East India Company is credited as the founder of the city in 1690. The British completed the construction of the Old Fort William in 1699, which was used to station its troops as a regional base. Faced with frequent skirmishes with French forces, in 1756 the British began to upgrade their fortifications. The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-Ud-Daulh protested and then captured Fort William. A force of the Company sepoys and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the following year. Calcutta was named the capital of British India in 1772. The city served as the capital in India during the British Raj until 1911.

Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, Kolkata is the capital of the Indian State of West Bengal. The city has a population of almost 5 million, with an extended metropolitan population of over 14 million, making it the third-largest urban agglomeration and the fourth-largest city in India.

About Me

India has always fascinated me for different reasons. The vastness of its culture, the diversity of people’s opinions and the limitations of its vision. Despite our diversity, we need to have a collective vision. India is not a country of four metropolis or a couple of high-tech cities. This nation of a billion people has 29 states and 6 union territories. We have 35 state and territorial capitals. How much do we know about each of these important cities?

Professionally I am a graphic designer from Bombay, India. In 1987, I co-authored a book on Corporate India, but my desire to throw a wider net and pick up much more information remains intact. I want my people from every city and every state to write and photograph details and information that would be interesting to the viewers around the world. We have so much to talk about and so much to share - this medium and this technology can help fulfill our collective dreams.