Kolkata once the proud
capital of the British Raj, is deeply evocative of an
era and sensibility lost in time. Established as the
trading post for the East India Company on the banks
of the Hooghly
River by Job
Charnock in 1690, it grew to be the biggest colonial
trade center in Asia, earning it the name "Jewel of
the East." With its splendid Victorian buildings,
ornamental pools, stone-paved footpaths, figured
lampposts and sweeping esplanade, it was entirely
European in its architecture and sensibility. Kolkata
is the self-proclaimed capital of India's
intellectuals, home to three Nobel Prize laureates
(including the revered
Rabindranath Tagore, who became Asia's
first Nobel laureate in 1913) and an Oscar-winning
film director (Satyajit Ray). This city is famous for
the art, traditional Bengali dance, Durga Pooja,
Rabindra music performances and other cultural
events. The Kolkatans are also famous for their
all-consuming passion for sports, especially,
football and cricket.
