"What's in a name?"
This wider trend of renaming Indian cities has been an attempt to emphasize our independence from the British.
There are a multitude of theories on why Calcutta came to be known as Kolkata, the most amusing one being when an Englishman asked a Bengali villager for the name of his village, he answered 'kal-kata'('I cut it yesterday') thinking that the question referred to his grass.
In Calcutta, as the population grew, there was a need for better transport as everyone could not afford horse run chariots. The country's first tramlines were laid.
There is something so wonderful about the way, trams and hand-drawn rickshaws sail past the maddening crowds with gentle ease.
Burdened by civic realities and poor service integration, this old school charm is getting marginalized in Kolkata with an increase in the swanky cars, motorbikes, AC buses, vibrant yellow taxis and metros.
Coming in contact with modern ideas of the West, the educated class in Calcutta ushered in the Bengal Renaissance which ultimately paved the way for the Independence struggle in the whole of India. Some of Bengal's greatest writers, poets and educationists were nurtured during this period, including Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Bengalis have grown to embrace poetry, music, theatre, film and art.
Literary fever peaks with the arrival of the year's most awaited event - the Boi Mela (Kolkata Book Fair). In addition, there are countless book havens in the city for bibliophiles - the National Library and the iconic College Street that smells of nostalgia.
Even presently, the protest culture is well alive, making marches and rallies by enthusiastic students a frequent sight.
Today, Kolkata is a bustling metropolis with high rise buildings, a vibrant nightlife and large corporate offices.
The newest addition to the scenery is a one third size,replica of Big Ben,the Chief Minister's vision of what the city needs to become the London of the East when ironically Calcutta has been home to several heritage buildings and structures like the white marbled Victoria Memorial, the Howrah Bridge and Indian Museum which remain as unique showcases of the British Raj architectural brilliance.
As they 'It isn't what they call you, it is what you respond to' and even after 18 years of this name change, we the Bengalis respond as fluently to Calcutta as we do to Kolkata.
This famous Shakespearean quote suggests that a name means very little in the grand scheme of all things. It is the soul of an individual, object or place that matters the most but events both in the past and present tell otherwise.
Before 2001, Kolkata was officially called Calcutta, the erstwhile capital of India and the second city in the British Empire during colonial times.
Its birth is a fascinating account of how unremarkable villages can be turned into jewels of urban living.
Before 2001, Kolkata was officially called Calcutta, the erstwhile capital of India and the second city in the British Empire during colonial times.
Its birth is a fascinating account of how unremarkable villages can be turned into jewels of urban living.
This wider trend of renaming Indian cities has been an attempt to emphasize our independence from the British.
There are a multitude of theories on why Calcutta came to be known as Kolkata, the most amusing one being when an Englishman asked a Bengali villager for the name of his village, he answered 'kal-kata'('I cut it yesterday') thinking that the question referred to his grass.
In Calcutta, as the population grew, there was a need for better transport as everyone could not afford horse run chariots. The country's first tramlines were laid.
There is something so wonderful about the way, trams and hand-drawn rickshaws sail past the maddening crowds with gentle ease.
Burdened by civic realities and poor service integration, this old school charm is getting marginalized in Kolkata with an increase in the swanky cars, motorbikes, AC buses, vibrant yellow taxis and metros.
Coming in contact with modern ideas of the West, the educated class in Calcutta ushered in the Bengal Renaissance which ultimately paved the way for the Independence struggle in the whole of India. Some of Bengal's greatest writers, poets and educationists were nurtured during this period, including Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Bengalis have grown to embrace poetry, music, theatre, film and art.
Literary fever peaks with the arrival of the year's most awaited event - the Boi Mela (Kolkata Book Fair). In addition, there are countless book havens in the city for bibliophiles - the National Library and the iconic College Street that smells of nostalgia.
Even presently, the protest culture is well alive, making marches and rallies by enthusiastic students a frequent sight.
Today, Kolkata is a bustling metropolis with high rise buildings, a vibrant nightlife and large corporate offices.
The newest addition to the scenery is a one third size,replica of Big Ben,the Chief Minister's vision of what the city needs to become the London of the East when ironically Calcutta has been home to several heritage buildings and structures like the white marbled Victoria Memorial, the Howrah Bridge and Indian Museum which remain as unique showcases of the British Raj architectural brilliance.
The extravagant celebrations of Durga Puja are traced back to the early 1700s in Calcutta when the zamindars outdid each other in displaying their influence and wealth by spending large sums of money in festivities.
In Kolkata, Durga Puja is a time for socializing with friends, family and relatives. People dressed up in their new clothes, visit pandals, and dance to the beats of dhaak.
In Kolkata, while the St Paul's Cathedral holds the midnight mass. Decked up in lights, Park Street comes to life with the street food stalls, live music and entertainment; showing that Kolkata can colour itself up according to any festival they face.
In a world of change, some things never change. Calcutta and Kolkata both have taken immense pride in their large selection of delectable mishti.
In Kolkata, Durga Puja is a time for socializing with friends, family and relatives. People dressed up in their new clothes, visit pandals, and dance to the beats of dhaak.
Calcutta was where European tea planters of Darjeeling, owners of coal mines from Bihar and rich Indian rajas gathered to enjoy 'a slice of Christmas' as celebrated abroad.
In Kolkata, while the St Paul's Cathedral holds the midnight mass. Decked up in lights, Park Street comes to life with the street food stalls, live music and entertainment; showing that Kolkata can colour itself up according to any festival they face.
In a world of change, some things never change. Calcutta and Kolkata both have taken immense pride in their large selection of delectable mishti.
As they 'It isn't what they call you, it is what you respond to' and even after 18 years of this name change, we the Bengalis respond as fluently to Calcutta as we do to Kolkata.
Asmita Biswas
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