Kolkata: Overview

Vast, ramshackle, often chaotic - but always engaging.

Called Calcutta in British times, Kolkata still conjures up images of squalor, poverty and urban disaster. Don't believe the hype. India's third-largest city is defined not by its poverty but by the energy, imagination and zest for life of its people.

Fast Facts

Population

14,000,000

Currency

Name: Indian Rupee
Code: INR
Symbol: Rs

Electrical Plugs

European plug with two circular metal pins South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin
230-240V 50Hz

Languages Spoken

Official: Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Bengali, Kashmiri, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu
Essential: English

Time Zones

GMT/UTC +5.5 

Country Dialing Code

+91

Weights & Measures

Metric

India - Free Guidebook Chapter

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