Both Citibank and American Express have offices in Calcutta. Calcutta is known for its poverty, a reputation it only half deserves. It's a compelling city, a city with a soul, and a visit there is one of the richest experiences on Earth. At the same time the context is so foreign. The effect is very odd, sometimes even frightening to the Western visitor.
Bengali culture is magnificent.
Bengali is spoken by more people than is French or Japanese. The World of Apu . Bengalis.are very fond of their capital city. For them and, indeed, for visitors from other countries, it's the cultural center of India. College Street has hundreds of bookshops, and there's a large university.