ABSTRACT
Calcutta-or Kolkata as it was officially renamed in 2001 as a nod toits precolonial heritage-has long been a point of intersection and encounter,even before it became the “metropolis” of the British Empire in India, thehub of the Bengal Renaissance, or the bustling city it is today. Situated along the Hooghly River in the delta country of eastern India, fifty miles upriver from the Bay of Bengal, Calcutta served to funnel goods, people, and ideas in and out of the subcontinent. Its particular location, origins, and character have all contributed to create a cosmopolitan city with a rich and storied background.
