11 Interesting Facts About Kolkata

In all of history there have been cities peoples and cultures with notable past and stories but today on FTD facts We are diving into a city that has a lot of beauty history and even changes and today We are talking about the city and people of Calcutta a city filled with a vast architecture Located in West Bengal, India. Welcome to FTD facts everybody where we teach the world about cultures people and places from all around the world What's up, guys? My name is Dave Waffle the man that's joining you on this journey to understanding more about Calcutta But I can't really take all the credit alone because here on FTD facts We take a lot of recommendations from you guys And it's because of users like Sareh Sen, Kazi Kamal Nasir, Sushmita Paul, and man people like Saryabada Malik wouldn't even stop asking us to talk about this city. As for usual always got a question of the day And I want to know from all of you guys out there in the real world I want to know what is your favorite South Asian animal me the elephant come on. He's cute. He's big He's still cute. You could be cute and big at the same time, but I want to know your favorite put it down there Let's get started with the video. So Kolkata well firstly let's talk about its population because well the people of Kolkata have helped to make it become a mega city as a Matter of fact, it's listed as the seventh mega city in the entire world. And as of 2011 it has four million four hundred ninety-six thousand 694 people with a mega city comprising of 185,000 square kilometers and that means there's about 24,000 people per square kilometer That's a packed city and because that it makes it the second largest city in India next to New Delhi Which I have a feeling we'll do a video on that shortly too and speaking of population with everyone They are being a huge fan of football and cricket the Salt Lake Stadium, which seats about 67,000 people it was downsized in 2015 but at one point it fit 120,000 people making it the second largest stadium on the planet God I don't want to know how much a hot dog cost there football being huge there And yes I'm talking about soccer if you're across the pond the Kolkata football league is one of the oldest leagues on the planet and it is Still even going today. It all started back in 1898 but what most people don't know it wasn't the first league that was started in Kolkata It was actually the IFA shield which began in 1893 which was started by the Royal Irish Rifles now, of course back then places like Kolkata and India They were all under the British rule. We've talked about that so much in these videos But because of that at one point it was the capital of India until about 1911 and at that point the capital powers got Shifted all the way over to New Delhi and at that time it was not only named Kolkata being see you l-c-a-t-t-a But it was also an extremely important area of trade and the name of the city didn't change until 2001 but during that time it was one of the most beloved cities by the English Empire and for that reason alone the city had A lot of attention when it came to building its surfaces and infrastructure For example the port in Kolkata the Kidapur port is the oldest port in all of India And in the early 19th century, it was one of the most important trade routes in all of India But because of the partition of West Bengal it decreased in its use But as of the beginning of the millennium the traffic has consistently grown creating a lot of new opportunities for people now The one thing I like about Kolkata is the people there are really down for knowledge and literature and how do I know this? It's because the Kolkata Book Fair is the largest book fair in all of India and by attendance It is the most popular book fair in the entire world because every year they get over 2 million people attending But the great thing about the book fair is it's aimed more for the general public instead of distributors now This might be due to the fact that the National Library of India is located in Kolkata This library is so beautiful sitting on its 30 acre land And it is also the oldest library in the country now the Kolkata Public Library was established in 1836 But it didn't take long for the Imperial Library itself to be built which was in 1891 Now one of the most fascinating things about Kolkata is although it has a great metro system and a taxi service People still use rickshaws to get around As a matter of fact it is the only city in India that still uses them and I guess it's just because it's traditional Now one thing that the people of Kolkata are really proud about is the botanical gardens Because not only is it an amazing beautiful place to see but it holds the world's largest Bayan tree This thing is big having a circumference of over 330 meters And it is also the oldest Bayan tree being over 250 years old But let's be real although Kolkata is a very beautiful place with amazing architecture and people It's also had its dark times And this was especially during the second world war where the Japanese conducted several bombing missions And by 1943 not only did millions of people die from the attacks but starvation from the Bengal famine And only a few years later in 1946 there was even demands to create a muslim state within the city Which led to domestic violence killings of over 4,000 people But although Kolkata has had its dark times it's remained a very proud city With people still being attached to the old name and its given history And with that history comes knowledge and hope for future generations to learn about its city and the rest of the world And with that knowledge comes a city that is very pro-education Kolkata has over 130 universities and colleges And for example the University of Kolkata was established in 1857 Being the first institution in Asia to be a western styled multi-disciplined university And not only that but in India today it was rated the second best university in 2012, 2013, and 2014 So what can be said about Kolkata besides the fact that it is a great city And here on FTD Facts we are proud to be learning more about great cities such as Kolkata My name is Dave Walpole guys and it has been fun giving you guys all these facts and learning about Kolkata Kind of lost my words there but whatever Don't forget to let us know what videos you guys want to see in the near future And to let you guys know at the end of this video there's going to be a link for our new video called the Speakeasy Which is a new series which we are trying to bring to FTD Facts so we want your opinion on it go check it out But as for Kolkata it's a city that's had its ups and downs A city that is filled with great people, proud people who want the best for themselves and the close ones around them From opportunities to peace and prosperity and entertainment This is the city and story of Kolkata which may no longer be the capital of the country But is the capital to many people's hearts