In this article, we provide detailed information about the geography, history, population, and top tourist attractions of Kolkata City. Kolkata is known for its colonial architecture, vibrant festivals, and rich literary and artistic heritage. Iconic landmarks like the Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, and Indian Museum tell the story of the city’s deep-rooted history. The city is also famous for its love of art, literature, and theater, with cultural festivals like Durga Puja bringing the streets alive with colors, music, and devotion.
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Some Important Facts About Kolkata City
| About: | Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary financial and commercial centre of eastern and northeastern India. Kolkata is the seventh most populous city in India with an estimated city proper population of 4.5 million (0.45 crore) while its metropolitan region Kolkata Metropolitan Area is third most populous metropolitan region of India with a metro population of over 15 million (1.5 crore). Kolkata is regarded by many sources as the cultural capital of India and a historically and culturally significant city in the historic region of Bengal. Kolkata is known for its grand celebrations of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, which is recognized by UNESCO for its importance to world heritage. Kolkata is also known as the ‘City of Joy’. |
| Geography: | Spread roughly meridionally along the east bank of the Hooghly River, Kolkata sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India approximately 75 km (47 mi) west of the international border with Bangladesh; the city’s elevation is 1.5–9 m (5–30 ft). Much of the city was originally a wetland that was reclaimed over the decades to accommodate a burgeoning population. The remaining undeveloped areas, known as the East Kolkata Wetlands, were designated a “wetland of international importance” by the Ramsar Convention (1975). As with most of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the soil and water are predominantly alluvial in origin. Kolkata is located over the “Bengal basin”, a pericratonic tertiary basin. Bengal basin comprises three structural units: shelf or platform in the west; central hinge or shelf/slope break; and deep basinal part in the east and southeast. Kolkata is located atop the western part of the hinge zone which is about 25 km (16 mi) wide at a depth of about 45,000 m (148,000 ft) below the surface. The shelf and hinge zones have many faults, among them some are active. Total thickness of sediment below Kolkata is nearly 7,500 m (24,600 ft) above the crystalline basement; of these the top 350–450 m (1,150–1,480 ft) is Quaternary, followed by 4,500–5,500 m (14,760–18,040 ft) of Tertiary sediments, 500–700 m (1,640–2,300 ft) trap wash of Cretaceous trap and 600–800 m (1,970–2,620 ft) Permian-Carboniferous Gondwana rocks. The quaternary sediments consist of clay, silt and several grades of sand and gravel. These sediments are sandwiched between two clay beds: the lower one at a depth of 250–650 m (820–2,130 ft); the upper one 10–40 m (30–130 ft) in thickness. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, on a scale ranging from I to V in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes, the city lies inside seismic zone III. |
| Economy: | Flexible production has been the norm in Kolkata, which has an informal sector that employs more than 40% of the labour force. One unorganised group, roadside hawkers, generated business worth ₹87.72 billion (equivalent to ₹300 billion or US$3.6 billion in 2023) in 2005. As of 2001, around 0.81% of the city’s workforce was employed in the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 15.49% worked in the secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing); and 83.69% worked in the tertiary sector (service industries). As of 2003, the majority of households in slums were engaged in occupations belonging to the informal sector; 36.5% were involved in servicing the urban middle class (as maids, drivers, etc.) and 22.2% were casual labourers. About 34% of the available labour force in Kolkata slums were unemployed. According to one estimate, almost a quarter of the population live on less than ₹27 (32¢ US) per day. |
| Country : | India |
| State: | West Bengal |
| District: | Kolkata |
| Language: | Bengali, English |
| Population: | The current estimate population of Kolkata city in 2024 is 6,386,000 , while Kolkata metro population is estimated at 19,936,000 |
| Literacy rate: | Average literacy rate of Kolkata city is 86.31% |
| Major Attractions to Visit: | 1. Victoria Memorial 2. Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) 3. Dakshineswar Kali Temple 4. Belur Math 5. Indian Museum 6. Marble Palace 7. Science City 8. St. Paul’s Cathedral 9. Kalighat Kali Temple 10. Princep Ghat 11. Park Street 12. Eden Gardens A must-visit for cricket enthusiasts. 13. Mother House 14. Birla Planetarium 15. Jorasanko Thakur Bari (Tagore House) 16. Botanical Garden (Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanical Garden) 17. New Town Eco Park 18. South Park Cemetery 19. College Street (Boi Para) 20. Alipore Zoological Gardens 21. Rabindra Sarobar 22. Nicco Park 23. Salt Lake Stadium |
