Ganga delta from above Kolkata

From the archive record

Just after taking off from Kolkata, West Bengal, one sees the dis-tributaries of the Ganga and the delta it forms at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal. One can see the rich farmlands from the air. These areas must be subject to inundation during heavy monsoon years. Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911, when its perceived geographical disadvantages and a growing nationalism in Bengal led officials to shift the capital to New Delhi. The city is noted for its vibrant political culture. It was a center of the Indian struggle for independence and remains a hotbed of contemporary politics. Once the center of modern education, science, culture, and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. Howeve