(CNN) — Founded in 1690 on the banks of the river Hooghly, Kolkata — or as it was known until 2001, Calcutta — quickly grew from a fishing village into a flourishing colonial metropolis and served as the British imperial capital until 1911.
Unlike other large cities in India, the capital of West Bengal has retained a great deal of charm, not least because hundreds of magnificent decaying buildings dating back to the British occupation have survived more or less intact — giant government edifices, local mansions and historic hotels among them.
