KOLKATA

Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), one of the metro cities of India, is the capital of West Bengal, and is situated at the East Bank of river Hooghly. The City has population of more than 4.6 million, with an extended metropolitan population of over fourteen million, making it the third largest urban agglomeration and the fourth largest city in India.  The city is noted for its revolutionary history ever since the Indian Struggle of Independence.  Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj till 1911.  In course of its life of more than three hundred years the city has seen many great personalities, to name a few, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, Raja Rammohan Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, Sir J. C. Bose, Achaya Prafulla Chandra Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Mother Teressa, Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen. 

Geography Kolkata is located in eastern India at 22°33′N, 88°20′E in the Ganges Delta at an elevation ranging between 1.5m (5ft) to 9m (30ft). It is spread linearly along the banks of the River Hooghly in a north-south direction.  Like the most of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the predominant soil type is alluvial. The city has a total geographical area of 1480 sq. km.  The Sundarbans delta, which is located at a distance of 154 km to the south of Kolkata, separates the city from the Bay of Bengal.  The city has been divided into different topographical regions.  There are mainly five geographical units including east, west, north, south and central Kolkata.  The adjoining regions include Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia.

Climate

Kolkata has a tropical wet-and-dry climate. The annual mean temperature is 26.8°C (80.2 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 19°C (66.2°F) to 30°C (86.0°F). Summers are hot and humid with temperatures in the low 30's and during dry spells the maximum temperatures often exceed 40°C (104°F) during May and June. Winter tends to last for only about two and a half months, with seasonal lows dipping to   9°C to 11°C (54°F – 57°F) between December and January. 

Transport

The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose(NSCB) International Airport in Kolkata is situated at Dum Dum, about 17 km northeast of the city centre.  Most of the domestic airlines have to and fro flights at Kolkata.  It is well connected to all other important cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, etc.  There are direct flights between Kolkata and most of the countries in the Southeast Asia, some of the major cities in Europe, Middle East and neighbouring countries.

The city has three major railway stations, Howrah, Sealdah and  Kolkata.  It is well connected to the rest of the country by trains through these stations.  Super-fast trains such as Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express connect the city to Delhi and nearby cities such as Bokaro and Rourkela.  Coromandel Express and Gitanjali Express connect Kolkata to Chennai and Mumbai respectively. Besides, the city is well connected to other cities of neighbouring states by road through various inter-state Bus services.

Travel in Kolkata is fairly convenient as it has virtually all types of transportations. Especially, Kolkata Metro (India's first underground railway) is a clean, efficient mode of getting around the city.  Other options to explore the city are by metered taxis, trams, and city buses.  The services are basic and cheap.

Foreign Exchange

Foreign exchange counters are available at the international terminal of the NSCB International Airport/ all leading hotels and at selected branches of various banks around the city.  Master Card and VISA card are widely accepted at most of the hotels, restaurants, airport ticket counters and shops.  American Express card is generally accepted by major hotels and restaurants and a few retail outlets for shopping.  Diners Card is sparsely accepted.

Electricity

220 to 240 volts 50Hz  AC