Kolkata had been formerly known as Calcutta under the British rule and the city had various organizations and communities operating from that period. There are various kinds of religious, educational, historic, architectural, lingual and other similar kinds of communities located in Kolkata. One of the main attractions of these communities is that they exist at both national and international levels along with localized forms. It may seem strange but many of these local communities have members from countries like U.S.A and U.K, who are NRI's but don't want to lose their touch with the city and its beautiful culture. These communities operate at various levels and conduct regular programs and events to enhance their organizations capabilities and voicing their opinions for social and economical causes. There are so many different kinds of communities based here that keeping a track or listing them together would be a huge task. There are some communities and groups, which are listed or registered but there are various others who are not registered and operate at very small scales. One of the finest examples of these small communities is organizations which hold the biggest festival in Kolkata, Durga Puja. During this period there are thousands of tents like structures called pandals made which are made from various kinds of products and this event reflects the most important religious festival of the city.
There are various other kinds of communities here also that host cultural events including theatre and drama and presentations in the local language. These small and big scale communities are the pride of the city and most of the locals are active participants of some group or the other. With the multi-religious groups settling here since ancient times there have also emerged a series of religious communities that host their own cultural and religious events and the city comes alive in the multi religious splendor of these festivals. The city also boasts of some of the finest authors, theatre artists and writers and there are various communities based on literature. The idea of having so many communities here is not diversify but integrate and unite the various kinds of groups living in the city. These communities are a vital part of the cities authentic and ethnic groups and contribute to the essence and spirit of the city. Together these communities help in establishing the morale and thought processes of the people living here.
