Formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Kolkata is the cultural capital of India and the commercial capital of Eastern India, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought.
Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Indo-Islamic (including Mughal) motifs. Durga Puja is the most important and the most glamorous event in Kolkata. It usually takes place in the month of October, although it can also fall in September or November, depending on the traditional calendar.
Calcutta Indian museum, founded in 1814, is one of the oldest museums of Asia. It is located in Chowringhee on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The museum it has a 4,000-year-old mummy and the urn that is said to contain the ashes of Buddha.
