Calcutta is not an ancient city like Delhi, with its impressive relics of the past. Actually, it is largely a British creation. It is just some 300 years and was the capital of British India until the beginning of this century.

In 1686 the British deserted their Hoogly trading post 38 km from the Hoogly river and moved to three tiny villages- Sutanati, Govindpur and Kalikata, from where it takes its name.

In 1686 the British abandoned Hooghly, their trading post 38 km up the Hooghly River from present-day Calcutta, and moved downriver to three small villages-Sutanati, Govindpur and Kalikata. Calcutta takes its name from the last of those three tiny settlements. Job Charnock, an English Merchant was the leader of the British merchants who made this move. The post was not a success in the beginning and was abandoned several times. However, in 1696, a fort was laid out near existing BBD Bagh, Dalhousie Square and in 1698, Aurangzeb's grandson permitted the British officials to occupy the villages.

Calcutta grew gradually until the town was attacked by Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Murshidabad in 1756. Most of the British inhabitants managed to flee, but those captured were packed into an underground vault where most of them suffocated during the night and it came to be known as 'the black hole of Calcutta'.

Tagore House
Birthplace of India's greatest modern poet, Rabindranath Tagore, Tagore House is a centre for Indian dance, drama, music and other arts. It is just off Rabindranath Sarani, north of BBD Bagh.