Calcutta to Kolkata

In early 2001, Calcutta's name was officially changed to Kolkata. This transformation, like similar ones in India, was supposed to contribute to ridding the city of its colonial past. But the two names are used interchangeably. Streets, too, have been renamed. Although some maps and street signs have only the new names, you're more likely to see just the old or both. Taxis and rickshaws use the names interchangeably, but old names are still favored, as most of the new names are ridiculously long and obscure. Here are a few of the most important name changes:

Chowringhee Road/Jawaharlal Nehru (J. L. Nehru) Road

Ballygunge Circular/Pramathesh Barua Sarani

Bowbazar/B. B. Ganguly Street

Harington Street/Ho Chi Minh Sarani

Lansdowne Road/Sarat Bose Road

Lower Circular Road/A. J. C. Bose Road

Rippon Street/Muzaffar Ahmed Street

Theatre Road/Shakespeare Sarani