| Kolkata |
| The name Kolkata and the anglicised name Calcutta have their roots in Kalikata, the name of one of the three villages Kalikata, Sutanuti and Govindapur in the area before the arrival of the British. Kalikata, in turn, is believed to be a version of Kalikshetra Land of the goddess Kālī. Alternatively, the name may have been derived from the Bengali term kilkila flat area. Again, the name may have its origin in the indigenous term for a natural canal, Khal, followed by Katta which may mean dug. While the city's name was always pronounced "Kolkata" in the local Bengali language, its official English name was changed from "Calcutta" to "Kolkata" in 2001, reflecting the Bengali pronunciation. Some view this as a move to erase the legacy of British rule. This change has not always been reflected by overseas media. While news sources like the BBC have opted to call Bombay Mumbai, Kolkata remains Calcutta. Many Indians also refer to the city by its British name. |