Former name of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, India. A major cultural and commercial center in eastern India.
From Bengali Kalikata, possibly derived from Kali (the Hindu goddess) and kata (steps/ghats). The English 'Calcutta' represents a colonial anglicization of the local pronunciation. The city was renamed Kolkata in 2001 to reflect the original Bengali pronunciation more accurately.
Calcutta was the capital of British India until 1911, making it one of the most important colonial administrative centers. The city's transformation from Calcutta to Kolkata represents part of India's post-independence effort to decolonize place names and restore indigenous linguistic heritage.
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