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Introduction : |
| Often called the cultural capital of India, Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) is a relatively new city with a 300 year old history. Associated with the picture of the Howrah bridge against the setting sun, Kolkata is the birthplace of great people such as Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose, spiritual leaders Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and Swami Vivekananda, novelist William Thackrey and famous actress Merle Oberon |
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of the film" The Scarlet Pimpernel” fame.…the list is endless!
There is an interesting mythological story behind the city’s name. It is said that when Sati, the consort of Lord Shiva (the God of Destruction, according to the
Hindu trinity) immolated herself as a result of an insult from her father, Lord Shiva reached the site only after her body had burnt. Devastated, Shiva started His dance of cosmic destruction, carrying her all over the world. Vishnu, the Protector, had to cut her body into 51 pieces to make Shiva stop the dance that would have destroyed the world. It is said that Sati’s toe fell at Kali Ghat. Since then, it came to be known as Kalikata, later called Kolkata.
The capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, Kolkata is the largest metropolis in the country. Incidentally, it was the capital of the British until they shifted to Delhi in 1911. Although overcrowded today, Kolkata retains its charm and vitality.
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