Calcutta sprawls north-south along the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, which divides it from Howrah on the western bank. If you arrive from anywhere west of Calcutta by rail, you'll come into the immense Howrah Station and have to cross the Howrah Bridge into Calcutta proper. The more relevant parts of Calcutta are south of the bridge in the areas around BBD Bagh and ChowringheeIn 1686, the British abandoned Hooghly, their trading post 38km up the Hooghly River from present-day Calcutta , and moved downriver to there small villages - Sutanati, Govindpur and Calcutta . Calcutta takes its name from the last of those three tiny settlements. Much of the Calcutta 's most enduring development took place between 1780 and 1820. Latter in the 19th century, Bengal became an important centre in the struggle for Indian independence, and this was a major reason for the decision to transfer the capital to Delhi in 1911. Loss of political power did not alter Calcutta 's economic control, and the city continued to prosper until after WW11.