Following independence in 1947, Kolkata,
Kolkata (Calcutta) was a colonial city. The British East India Company developed Calcutta as a city by establishing an artificial riverine port in the 18th century CE. Kolkata was the capital of the British India until 1911, when the capital was relocated to Delhi. Kolkata grew rapidly in the 19th century to become the second most important city of the British Empire after London and was declared as the financial (commercial) capital of the British India. This was accompanied by the development of a culture that fused Indian philosophies with European tradition.
Kolkata (UK: /kɒlˈkɑːtə/ or /kɒlˈkʌtə/, US: /koʊlˈkɑːtɑː/, Bengali: [kolˈkata] (listen); also known as Calcutta which was the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commercial, and financial hub of Eastern India and the main port of communication for North-East India.