At a glance

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of West Bengal, and the second largest city in India after Mumbai. Home to more than 10 million people, Kolkata was once the greatest colonial city in the Orient. Kolkata has emerged from what was a cauldron of poverty and transformed into the modern city it is today. It ranks among the four major metropolis of India along with Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai.

Being such a large city, Kolkatta has been divided into different topographical regions, for the sake of clear understanding of its various resources. The city as such can be thought of comprising of five geographical units, that is east, west, north, south and central Kolkata, plus the adjoining regions.