Life in Kolkata: A pictorial tribute to the City of Joy on its birthday
Updated: August 25, 2019 10:49 IST
Updated : August 25, 2019 10:49 IST
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Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, celebrates its birthday on August 24 every year. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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According to a popular belief, British merchant Job Charnock founded the city on August 24, 1690, merging three villages — Gobindapur, Sutanuti and Kolikata. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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When Charnock founded the city, it was named Calcutta, an Anglicized version of the Bengali name Kolikata. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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On January 1, 2001, Calcutta was officially renamed as Kolkata. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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Once the capital of colonial India, the heritage city is situated on the banks of river Hooghly and still attracts thousands of tourists with its landmarks like Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge and Kumartuli. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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However, yellow taxis, trams, and hand-pulled rickshaws are still some of the identifying features through which the city still draws a connection with its roots. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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Kolkata is famous for its festivals — the most significant of which is Durga Puja. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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The artisans, mostly based in Kumartuli, toil year long making idols of Goddess Durga for the five-day festival the city celebrates every autumn. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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The first Metro Railway services in the country also found its home in Kolkata, then Calcutta, in 1984. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)
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Kolkata is also one of those cities in the world where the real and imaginary often co-exist in a beautiful amalgamation. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)