Kalikata

Kalikata is a historic locality in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was one of the three villages—Kalikata, Sutanuti, and Govindapur—that formed the core of the early European settlement which eventually grew into the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata). The area around Kalikata played a central role as the British established and expanded their trading presence in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, contributing to the urban development that led to modern Kolkata.

The name Kalikata is commonly linked to Kali, a Hindu goddess, and to local place-name origins. The exact etymology is not definitively established in historical records, and various local histories offer different explanations. Despite uncertainties about its origins, the area became an integral part of the evolving city as Calcutta expanded beyond its initial villages.

Today, Kalikata is part of central Kolkata, functioning as a densely populated urban neighborhood with both residential and commercial activity. Its streets and built environment reflect the city’s colonial-era urban pattern, characterized by mixed-use buildings and a dense, walkable fabric. As a historical reference, Kalikata highlights Calcutta/Kolkata’s origins from a cluster of villages into a major metropolitan center.