Kolkata Facts For Kids

Kolkata (also called Calcutta) is a large, busy city in eastern India. It is the capital of West Bengal and sits on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River. Because of its riverside location, the city grew as a place for trade and travel. Today, about 4.5 million people live inside the city itself, and more than 15 million live in the wider area that depends on the city.

Many people call Kolkata the cultural capital of India because of its art, books, music, and festivals. It is also an important center for business, money, and the gateway to the northeastern parts of the country.

The area around Kolkata has been important for many centuries. Three old villages named Kalikata, Gobindapur, and Sutanuti grew together to become the city. A famous holy place, the Kalighat Temple, has been a center for visitors for a long time.

In 1690 the English East India Company arrived to trade, and the name Job Charnock is often linked to the city’s early development. A big fort called Fort William was finished in 1712. The city later became the main base for British rule in eastern India and grew quickly as a port and town.

Kolkata began as a riverside place where people caught fish and traded along the waterways. The river and flat land around it help shape the city’s streets and markets.

The weather is warm most of the year. The average yearly temperature is about 27°C, with winter months around 9–11°C and hot months sometimes over 40°C. Heavy rain falls in the summer months from the Bay of Bengal. Local storms called Kalbôishakhi (Nor'westers) often arrive in spring and give sharp, short bursts of rain and wind that cool the air.

Kolkata’s city area blends old and new. Near the river you can find old buildings, wide colonial-era streets, and busy docks. Moving inland, neighborhoods become dense with markets, shops, houses, and small parks. Modern business districts and shopping areas sit alongside these older parts, so the city feels very mixed.

The region gets most of its rain from the monsoon, about 1,850 mm each year, mostly between June and September. The city also enjoys around 2,100 hours of sunshine a year, with April often the brightest month. This mix of river, old roads, and crowded neighborhoods shapes how people move and live in Kolkata.

The most spoken language in Kolkata is Bengali, and many people also use English at work. There are large groups who speak Hindi and Urdu, too. Because Kolkata is the main business city of eastern India, many people have jobs in banks, offices, markets, small factories, and shops. The city also acts as a gateway to northeastern India, so goods and ideas travel through Kolkata.

Kolkata is home to many different religions and communities. This mix of people means there are many types of food, festivals, and ways of working together. Families, neighbors, and local groups help each other in daily life.

Kolkata has the Kolkata Metro, the oldest underground train system in India, running since 1984. The main blue line goes north–south through the city center. A newer east–west green line links Salt Lake to Howrah, and part of a second line opened in 2020. There are also plans and sections called the Purple and Orange lines that add more routes.

Kolkata is the only Indian city with working trams, which ride on tracks in the street. The trams are run by the old Calcutta Tramways Company, now part of the state transport group. Three tram routes still run across important parts of the city. Trams are gentle on the air but move more slowly, so fewer people use them when roads are very busy.

Kolkata is famous for books, art, and big ideas. It used to be the capital of British India, and many writers and artists from the city helped shape modern Indian thought. People sometimes call Kolkata the "cultural capital" because it has so many libraries, theaters, and festivals.

Neighborhoods called paras feel like small villages inside the city; they often have a community club or a field where people meet. Residents enjoy long, friendly talks called addas, which can be about stories, ideas, or jokes. You will also see lots of wall art and posters that share strong opinions—this shows how people use art to speak about what they care about.