The capital of India during much of the British Raj, Calcutta adopted the Bengali name Kolkata in 2001. Located in the Ganges Delta, Kolkata was a center of India’s independence movement. Although the area has experienced a recent economic upturn, poverty is still conspicuous and severe. Amid the squalor stand neoclassical palaces, moss-covered mansions, an imposing Gothic cathedral, chaotic markets and hibiscus-adorned Hindu temples. Kolkata has long considered itself the country’s intellectual hub and has acted as a crucible of Indian art, music, film and literature.