Wikijunior:Big Book Of Cities And Towns/India/Kolkata

View of Kolkata

Kolkata is one of the largest cities of eastern India. Nicknamed the "City of Joy", Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is an important hub of culture, education, and transport of the eastern parts of the country.

Kolkata was known as Calcutta in old days. It was the capital of British India until 1911, when it was moved to New Delhi. Kolkata has been the centre of the Bengali culture since the 19th century. Many of the buildings in central Kolkata are built in the British colonial architecture. But buildings at the north use Bengali architecture, while buildings at the south and the east use modern architecture. Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) and New Town, east of Kolkata, have several offices of information technology (IT) companies.

Symbols of Kolkata

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  The Howrah Bridge
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  Vidyasagar Setu
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  The Victoria Memorial
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  The Metropolitan Building, Esplanade
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  Shaheed Minar, Esplanade
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  The Writers' Building
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  The Eden Gardens, a cricket ground
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  Salt Lake Stadium, a football (soccer) stadium
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  Shyambazar five-point crossing, where five roads meet
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  The 42, the tallest building in eastern India
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  Biswa Bangla Gate, New Town