About Calcutta
In
the fall of 1687, Job Charnock, an agent of the East India Company secured
permission from the Mughals to found a base at Sutanati. In 1696, Old Fort
William was established and this was the origin of the city of Calcutta. The
name Calcutta is derived from Kalikata, one of the three villages whose lands
became a part of the new settlement. In the three centuries of its history,
Calcutta has grown from a mere fishing village into the largest city in India
with a population of 10.5 million, and indeed, one of the largest cities in the
world. Calcutta served as the capital of British India until 1912 and it is not
surprising that one sees predominantly Western architectural styles in its many
buildings and monuments. Two of the finest examples are Writers Building and the
Victoria Memorial, where the architecture is a medley of the best of Occidental
and Oriental styles. It is proud to have one of the best libraries and museums
in Asia. Calcutta is a city with strong cultural, literary and scientific
flavors. This is reflected in the ever increasing flow of activities in such
diverse fields as science, fine arts, writing, music, dance and theatre. The
first Nobel laureate in literature from Asia was from Calcutta and it was the
main place of work of several other Nobel laureates.
Website: http://www.virtualcalcutta.com/calcutta/front.htm ;