Kolkata: Relevance of Name

Relevance of Name • Kalikata is derived from the Bengali word Kalikshetra, meaning " Ground of the Goddess Kali." • Some say the city's name is derived from the location of its original

settlement on the bank of a canal (khal).

• Some match it to the Bengali words for lime (kali) and burnt shell (kata), since the area was noted for the manufacture of shell-lime.

• Another opinion is that the name is derived from the Bengali term kilkila (meaning, "flat area"), which is mentioned in the old literature.