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Location of Kolkata

Kolkata

Location	22.82° N 88.20° E
State	West Bengal
District	• Kolkata • 24 Parganas (South) • 24 Parganas (North) • Howrah • Hooghly • Nadia
Mayor	Bikash Bhattacharya
Altitude	6 metres
Area	1,036 km²
Population (2001)	46 lakh (city), 132 lakh (urban agglomeration)
Density	11,680/km²
Codes • Postal • Telephone • Vehicle • UN/LOCODE	700 0xx +033 WB-? `INCCU`
Time zone	IST (UTC +5:30)

Kolkata (Bangla: কলকাতা, Hindi: कोलकाता, alternate English Calcutta), is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and was capital of British India until 1912. The city's name was officially changed from Calcutta to Kolkata in January 2001. Despite the new name being phonetically closer to the Bengali version, many people and organisations still refer to it as Calcutta in the English language. Kolkata also refers to the name of the Kolkata administrative district of West Bengal that part of the city lies in. The urban agglomeration of Kolkata covers several municipal corporations, municipalities, city boards and villages and is the third largest urban agglomeration in India after Mumbai and Delhi. According to the census of 2001, the urban agglomeration's population was 13,216,546 while that of the city (Municipal Corporation of Kolkata) was 4,580,544.

Situated on the banks of the Hoogli River (a distributary of the Ganges), Kolkata was arguably second only to London in administrative importance in the British empire. The city lost its past glory and economic importance in the years following Indian independence. The city is also noted for its revolutionary tradition, from the pre-indepence era to the naxal movements. Home of luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore, Amartya Sen, Mother Teresa, and Satyajit Ray, the city is often referred to as the "cultural capital of India", while other sobriquets like "the city of processions" and "the city of joy" also adorn Kolkata. Once called a "dying city"^[1], Kolkata is now undergoing a process of economic upliftment and revival.

History

Main article: History of Kolkata

An old colonial map of Kolkota. Circa 1907 CE.

Prior to the establishment of British Calcutta, there were three pre-existing Bengali villages in the area: Suttanutte (or Sutanati), Gobindpore (or Govindapur, which consisted of residencial areas) and Kalikata.^[2] It seems likely that both 'Calcutta' (English) and 'Kolkata' (Bengali) were derived from 'Kalikata'. Kolkata's history is intimately related to the British East India Company, which first arrived in 1690, and to British India, of which Calcutta became the capital in 1772 and remained so until 1912. The Englishman, Job Charnock, is traditionally credited with founding the city,^[3] although this notion has been challenged in recent years.

The Battle of Plassey, fought between Bengal's then ruler, Siraj Ud Daulah and British East India Company is an important part of Kolkata's history and also, British rule in India. The battle was started by an attack on Fort William at Kolkata by Daulah due to various provocations by the British. The armies of Daulah occupied the fort, immediately after which the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta ^[4] incident occurred (20 June 1756). On 2 January 1757, Calcutta, briefly renamed Alinagur following Daulah's siege, was retaken by a British force under Sir Robert Clive who encountered minimal resistance during the assault. This marked the transition from trading to military conquest for the British presence in India.

In the early 19th century, Kolkata was often described as a "city of palaces" and many travelogues of this period praise the city for its beauty. It was a vibrant commercial and administrative centre in British India. In 1870, Wilhelm Siemens successfully demonstrated the exchange of telegrams from London to Calcutta that took only an hour ^[5]. India's first newspaper was also established here.

Kolkata became the centre of activity in the early stages of the Indian independence movement and revolutionary terrorist activities, which partly prompted the British to move the nation's capital to New Delhi. The Indian National Association, the first political organization founded in British India was founded in Kolkata on July 26th 1876.In 1883 (two years before the Indian National Congress was established) the first National Conference to demand specific political concessions for Indians was held at Calcutta's Albert Hall, presided over by Ramtanu Lahiri, a pioneer nationalist and a distinguished educationist.

Howrah Bridge c. 1945 CE, shortly before the urban population esplosion

In December 1942 and January 1943 the city's port was bombed by the Japanese. Also in 1943 the city fell victim to a severe famine. In 1946, it suffered an outbreak of violence between Hindus and Muslims, initiated by the Direct Action Day, which claimed over 2,000 lives.^[6] Despite such challenges, Kolkata remained in the forefront of Indian prosperity up to independence and for some more years afterwards before the population pressure on infrastructure and political disturbances led to a gradual decline. Following India's independence, it became the capital of the state of West Bengal

In 1971, following West Pakistan's government crackdown, most of Awamie League members fled East Pakistan and set up a government-in-exile from Kolkata.^[7] Right before the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, Kolkata saw a massive migration from East Pakistan leading to a deterioration of civic services. A violent Marxist-Maoist movement known as the Naxal movement (after Naxalbari, the place where it first started) in the 1970s left the city badly bruised. The city's recovery process gathered steam after India's liberalisation in the early nineties. On January 1, 2001, the municipal government decided to change Calcutta to Kolkata and passed the law legalising the name on July 30, 2001. ^[8]

Geography

Wetlands in the eastern Kolkata

Main article: Geography of Kolkata

Kolkata is located in the eastern part of India at 22°82′N 88°20′E. It has spread linearly along the banks of the river Hooghly. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has an area of 185 km². The city is at sea level, the average elevation being 9 metres ^[9]. The whole area is in the Ganges Delta and is monotonously plain. The Bay of Bengal coastline is about 154 km to the south. The Sundarbans National Park starts within 100 km south to the city. Most of the city was originally marshy wetlands, remnants of which can still be found especially towards the eastern parts of the city where the remaining wetlands have been converted to fish farming centres. Human habitation has led to the establishment of mature trees and shrubs. The original marshland has been changed to a primarily moist deciduous habitat that gets flourished under the high rainfall and sunny humid climate.^[10] Like the most of the Indo-Gangetic plain, the predominant soil type is alluvial soils.

Climate

Cloud covered sky over the city in a monsoon day

Calcutta has a subtropical climate, with summer monsoons. The annual mean temperature is 26.8 °C, and monthly mean temperatures range from 20°C to 31°C and maximum temperatures in Calcutta often exceed 40°C during May-June.The lowest temperature hovers around 12°C - 14°C in the winter months of December and January.Winter is short- lasting - about 2 and a half months.

The main seasonal influence upon the climate is the monsoon. Maximum rainfall occurs during the monsoon in August (306 mm) and the average annual total is 1,582mm. Early morning mists are common. Evening smog often occurs due to nighttime temperature inversions and mixing heights are generally restricted to below 500 m during the night. Summer is dominated by strong south-westerly monsoon winds. Mean ventilation coefficients are greatest in the pre-monsoon (8,118 m2s-1) and monsoon (7,410 m2s-1) periods. Total duration of sunshine is 2,528 hours per annum with maximum insolation occurring in March.

Urban Structure

The Victoria Memorial is an example of Indo-British architecture

A Radar image of Kolkata illustrating different urban land use patterns

As the capital of British India, Kolkata witnessed a spate of frenzied construction activity of buildings largely influenced by the conscious intermingling of Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Indo-Islamic schools of design. Unlike many north Indian cities, whose construction stresses minimalism, the layout of much of the architectural variety in Kolkata owes its origins to European styles and tastes imported by the British and, to a much lesser extent, the Portuguese and French. Kolkata has been nicknamed the City of Palaces due to the numerous palatial mansions built all over the city during this era by the British Raj and also, Maharajas who wanted to have residence close to the capital. Even today, it is peppered with colonial buildings; many of these buildings serve as temples, post office, government offices, schools, etc. St John's Church, just along the road from Government House, was built in the mid-18th entury and still has its original teak pews.

Some of the major buildings of this period are well maintained and several buildings have been declared as heritage structures. However, many of these structures are in various stages of decay. Quite a few of them have been destroyed in the name of redevelopment. Conservation efforts are patchy and are often affected by problems of litigation, tenant troubles, ownership disputes, old tenancy laws and a lack of funds.

Development in the city over the decades can be roughly divided into two sections along (Park Street). North of Park Street is the more congested part of the city while south of Park Street is the slightly better planned section of the city. The old Kolkata Business District (CBD), in and around the B. B. D. Bagh area is the seat of the West Bengal Government and houses other state government offices as well. The newer CBD is around the south of Park Street, Camac Street (Abanindranath Tagore Sarani) and AJC Bose Road. Several high-rise office blocks like the Chatterjee International Centre, Tata Centre, Everest House, Industry House, CGO Building - are located here.

In recent times, the city has relaxed its rules on highrise construction and twenty storey buildings are becoming more common. The tallest residential towers of eastern India - the four thirty-five-storey towers of South City are under construction on Prince Anwar Shah Road. Huge construction activity along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass is changing the face of the city; luxury hotels, convention centres, speciality hospitals, condominium complexes, malls and multiplexes are coming up at a rapid pace. In an effort to relieve congestion in the main city, many government offices have shifted to high-rise office buildings lining Bidhan Nagar's Central Park area.The city's expansion in the eastern side is spearheaded by the construction of a huge city called 'New Town', adjacent to the well-planned Bidhan Nagar. Located in Rajarhat, it is one of the largest planned urban developments in India. The neglected western side of the urban agglomeration has got a boost recently with the signing of an agreement with an Indonesian company to build the West Kolkata International Township.

Civic Administration

Main article: Kolkata municipal corporation

Writers' building, circa 1915 CE

Kolkata Municipal Corporation is the governing body of the city proper. The corporation council is composed of one elected representative from each of the 141 wards of the city. The council members annually elect a mayor (at present Bikash Bhattacharya), a deputy mayor, and a number of committees to conduct the activities of the corporation. A commissioner, the executive head of the corporation, is responsible to its elected membership. A largely ornamental Sheriff of the city position exists and usually a famous citizen is chosen for the post.

The city is also a part of the Kolkata Metropolitan District, which includes a large rural hinterland around the urban centres. The governor of West Bengal resides in the historic Raj Bhavan. The state Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat (Writers' Building) is located in the city . The Calcutta High Court, exercising original jurisdiction over the city and appellate jurisdiction over West Bengal, is also located there.

Demographics

Sadhus and common men in a bathing ghat on Hooghly

A Kolkata slum

Residents of Kolkata are called Calcuttans. As of 2001, Kolkata city had a population of 46 lakh with the total urban agglomeration population was 132 lakh. By 2015, this number is expected to rise to 167 lakh making it the world's third largest non-capital city and the ninth largest city overall.^[11] The sex ratio is 828 females per 1000 males. The literacy rate is 80.9 % which is higher than the national average of 59.5% but not unusual for urban areas.

Besides Bengalis, there are considerable number of Marwaris and Biharis in the city as well as people from other parts of India. Other ethnic minorities in Kolkota are Europeans (Including Germans, Armenians, and others), and other Asians (Including Chinese, Sinhalese, and Tibetans).The major languages spoken are Bengali, Hindi, English, Bhojpuri. Some of the expatriate communities include Chinese, Tamil, Marwari, Anglo-Indian, Jewish, Armenian, Tibetan, Greek and Parsi.

At 77% of the city population, Hindus form the largest religious community in Kolkota. Muslims form the largest minority religious community with 20%, considerably more than the national average. Christians are the third largest community, forming 0.8% of the population, lesser than one-third of the national average . Kolkata has a workforce of over 1.8 million, with 98% of the working population engaged in non-agrarian activities. According to 2001 reports, 1.7 million people, or one third of Kolkata’s population lived in 2011 registered and 3500 unregistered slums.^[12]

Also see : Ethnic communities in Kolkata

Culture

People and customs

Main articles: Kolkata culture, List of notable Calcuttans

a bird's eye view of the Indian Coffee House, College Street : frequenters addicted to coffee and adda

Political graphiti on the wall

Kolkata is an important cultural center of India with a rich literary and revolutionary heritage and is considered as the cultural capital of India by many people. The city is the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought and of Indian nationalism, and the efforts of its citizens to preserve Indian culture and civilization have no parallel in the rest of the country.^[13] Kolkata was the birtplace or working place of Nobel laureates like Rabindranath Tagore, Amartya Sen, Sir C.V. Raman and Mother Teresa. Calcuttans tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature and are generally welcoming towards new talents. Famous new generation Indian artists like Sanjay Bhattacharya, Shakila and Paresh Maiti had started their careers from here.

A specialty of Kolkata's city culture is the Paras which signify a neighbourhood with a strong sense of community. They can be sharply defined on the basis of loyalties (like which households contribute economically to which public or "barowari" puja). Typically, every para has its own community club with a club room ("club ghar") and often, a playing field. People of a para habitually indulge in adda or leisurely chat in "rock"s or "rowacks" (porches) and tea shops in the evenings after work. North Kolkata paras typically have more street life at late nights compared to South Kolkata paras. Sports (cricket, football, badminton) and indoor games (carrom) tournaments are regularly organized on an inter-para basis.

Another interesting aspect of Kolkata is the widespread culture of political graffitis. Walls were "captured" for fixed numbers of years, and graffiti overpainting was tantamount to political transgression. Generations of political graffiti artists have been at work on Kolkata's walls, producing slander, witty banter and limericks, caricatures and propaganda.

Festivals

Main article: Festivals in Kolkata

Festivals are an integral part of the Kolkota's culture and society.

The most notable religious festivals is Durga Puja - the main annual festival in Kolkata as well as West Bengal- the festival comprises of 4 to 5 days in the month of October. Other festivals are Kali Puja, Saraswati Puja, Dol / Holi, Ratha Yatra, Eid and Christmas.

Some of the cultural festivals are Calcutta Book Fair, Dover Lane music festival, Calcutta International Film Festival, and National Theatre Festival.

Arts & Entertainment

While Bollywood, based in Mumbai, is the commercial movie capital of India, Kolkata is the art film capital of India. The city has a long tradition of film making and has seen many critically acclaimed film directors like Satyajit Ray,Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen. Some of the current well-known directors are Aparna Sen, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Goutam Ghosh, and Rituparno Ghosh. Kolkata Film Festival is held annually across several cinema theatres in the city showing films from all over the world. Some famous Kolkatta films are Devdas (1935), Pather Panchali (1955), Shatranj Ki Khiladi (1977) and Paroma (1983).

Kolkatta has a strong tradition of folk theater or jatra. Jatras are usually epic four-hour-long plays featuring loud music, harsh lighting and dramatic props played outside on giant stages. Besides this, Rabindra Sangeet , Rabindra Nritya Natya (songs and song-dance sequences by Rabindranath Tagore) are integral parts of Kolkata culture, while Bangla bands are relatively recent and popular mode of music. The Government Art College in the premises of Indian Museum is one of the oldest fine arts institutions in India. Several art galleries organize regular exhibitions.

Sports

Makeshift stumps on the ground in front of Eden Gardens

Football (soccer) is a passion for many Calcuttans with the national clubs, East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan Athletic Club being the best known Indian teams. Like other parts of India, cricket is played everywhere starting from the well-maintained grounds to right on the road. Sourav Ganguly, who is considered the most successful captain of India in Test cricket hails from Calcutta.

Eden Gardens is oldest cricket ground in India and presently, one of only two 100,000 seater amphitheatres for the game of cricket. Some other sports statidums are:

Salt Lake Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Salt Lake City.
Netaji Indoor Stadium is an air-conditioned indoor stadium.
CCFC is the second oldest cricket club in the world.

Media

Kolkata has a thriving and independent media culture with many eminent and respected newspapers and television production houses. This city can also claim a widespread argumentative culture that adds to its reputation as being one of the best centres for journalism in India. A few of the widely circulated newspapers are as follows,

Bengali: Anandabazar Patrika, Aajkaal, Bartaman, Sangbad Pratidin

English: The Telegraph, The Statesman, Asian Age, Hindustan Times, The Times of India

Hindi: Sanmarg, The Vishwamitra

Kolkata also has various radio stations: AIR Kolkata, Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz), Red FM (93.5MHz), Aamar 106.2 FM (106.2 MHz), Gyan Vani (105.4 MHz), and Power 107.8 FM (107.8 FM)

The national television broadcaster Doordarshan provides two free terrestrial channels, while two main cable networks serve cable TV connection to households. The channels served by cable are a mix of local Bengali channels, India-wide Hindi channels, global and Indian English channels and also channels in other major Indian languages.

See also: Kolkata in the media

Tourism

Main article: Places of interest in Kolkata

Vidyasagar Setu

Kolkata has many museums, libraries, hotels, parks, memorials, sports venues, markets, temples, mosques and clubs which may be of interest to the tourist. Victoria Memorial remains one of the most well known structures in Kolkata and it also hosts a museum. Indian Museum is the largest museum in Asia and the oldest in the Asia - Pacific region (est. 1814). Situated on Chowringhee Avenue, it houses perhaps the greatest collection of Indian natural history and an Indian Art collection. The Marble Palace has a privately owned collection of eclectic sculptures, paintings and a small menagerie and aviary. National Library of India (estd.1836) located in Alipore is India's leading public library. The Jorasanko Thakurbari is the ancestral home of the Tagore family and was converted into a museum in 1961. Nandan is a modern cinema complex and an unique cultural centre which is also a popular hangout. Raj Bhavan or the Government House, Calcutta, built in the early 19th century, was once the seat of the Viceroy of India. The Maidan is a large open field in the heart of the city where several sporting events and public meetings take place regularly. It is also known as the 'lungs of the city.' Indian Botanical Garden, Central Park, Rabindra Sarobar, and Millennium Park are some of the other large parks.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Kalighat, Birla Temple, Belur Math, Tipu Sultan Mosque, Nakhoda Masjid , St. Paul's Cathedral are some of the notable religious centers of the city. College Street, Free School Street, Park Street, Sudder street, Chowringhee Avenue are some of the famous streets.

Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu are two famous suspended bridges connecting Kolkata with Howrah over the Ganges.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Kolkata

Vendors hawking in a flower market

Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the main port of communication for the North-East Indian states.Kolkata is home to India's second-largest stock exchange - The Calcutta Stock Exchange, a major port, an internation al airport and many high quality colleges aimed at supplying a highly-skilled work force.^[14]

Kolkata witnessed an economic decline from the sixties till the late nineties.The city's fortunes have looked up since the nineties, coinciding with the liberalization of the Indian economy.Until recently, flexible production had always been the norm in Kolkata, and the informal sector has comprised more than forty percent of the labor force,^[15] with unskilled and semi-skilled labours earning their livelyhood by laundering, housecleaning, sweeping, hawking, rickshaw pulling, masonry, leather work etc.

Kolkata is home to many industrial units, of large Indian corporations, whose product range is varied and includes - engineering products, electronics, Information Technology, electrical equipment, cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewellery, frigates, automobiles, railway coaches, wagons, tea, paper, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, tobacco, food processing, jute products etc.

Owing to the recent boom in the economy of Kolkata and also the state as a whole, West Bengal is now the third fastest growing economy in the country.^[16]

Transport

Bus, yellow cabs and other traffic in Kolkata

Tram in Kolkata street

Main articles: Transport in Kolkata, Kolkata Metro

The two major railway stations of the city are at Howrah and Sealdah. The Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway are headquartered in the city. The electrified suburban rail network of the SER and the ER is extensive and stretches far into the neighbouring districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly etc. The Circular Rail encircles the entire city of Kolkata. The city also has South Asia's oldest underground metro railway. Kolkata also has an extensive network of private-owned and government-run buses. Most of the train and buses are usually overcrowded during the peak hours. Kolkata is the only city in India to have a tram network.Rickshaws pulled by men and auto rickshaws are commonplace.

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum (previously known as Dum Dum airport) is the only airport in the city, operating both domestic and international flights.

Kolkata is also a major port and together with the Haldia dock systems, the Kolkata Port Trust has been amongst top performers in the country.

Calcuttans can be aggressive commuters, but tend to have a sense of humour about it. The local and suburban rails and buses, as well as the underground Kolkata Metro railway are usually packed during office hours. The practice of "reserving" public seats by daily passengers is widespread. Share taxis are a common occurrence for travel to and from railway stations and such. The practice of car pools is also growing after the construction of the eastern metropolitan bypass and the emergence of the CBD in Bidhan Nagar. Besides all this mode of transport, like in other Indian cities, walking is very common way to commute between the workplace and nearest railway station or busstop. Private cars are less in number and usage compared to other large cities in India.

Utility services

The KMC supplies potable water to the city, most of which come from the Hooghly river after being filterd at Palta water pumping station, in North 24 parganas. The reservoir at Tala in the northern part of the city is the largest water reservoir within the Kolkata municipal area. Almost all of Kolkata's daily refuse is transported to the dumping grounds in Dhapa in east. Electricity is supplied by the Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) in the city, and by West Bengal State Electricity Board in the suburbs. The largest telephone service provider is BSNL . Cell phone coverage is extensive, and the major service providers are Hutch, Airtel, Reliance Infocomm and Tata Indicom. Both GSM and CDMA services are available in the city. Broadband internet penetration is increasing in the city, with BSNL,Tata and Reliance being the leading service providers.

Education

Main article: Education in Kolkata

Calcutta Medical College

Schools in Kolkata are either run by the state government or by private, sometimes religious, organisations. Schools in Kolkata use English or Bengali as the medium of instruction, though there are other medium of instruction like Hindi and Urdu. The schools are affiliated with either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) or the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. After completing their secondary education, students typically enrol in Junior College (also known as Pre-University) or in schools with higher secondary facility affiliated with West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, in one of three streams — Arts, Commerce or Science. Upon completing the required coursework, students enroll in general or professional degrees.

Kolkata has nine universities, as well as numerous colleges affiliated to them (including those affiliated to universities located elsewhere in the state of West Bengal or even outside the state). University of Calcutta founded in 1857, has more than 200 affiliated colleges. Bengal Engineering & Science University and Jadavpur University are notable engineering institutions. Kolkata is home to several famous and important educational institutions like Presidency College, St. Xavier's College, Scottish Church College, Bethune College, Calcutta Medical College. Some institutions of national importance are Asiatic Society, Indian Statistical Institute, Indian Institute of Management, Marine Engineering Research Institute, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre etc.

Trivia

In the 19th century, Kolkata was the British Empire's second biggest city after London.
In 1897 Ronald Ross discovered the link between mosquitoes and malaria in Kolkata.
William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta.
India's first newspaper, Hickey's Bengal Gazette or the Calcutta General Advertiser, was published in Kolkata in 1781.
India has 7 Nobel Prize winners, either by birth or citizenship, to date and 4 of them are directly connected to Kolkata.
Kolkata has an eminent place in the history of American diplomacy as one of the oldest American Consulates anywhere in the world, and the oldest in India .
Kolkata and Mumbai are the only two cities in India where the honorary designation of the Sheriff still exists.
Kolkata and Mumbai were two of the main export/import destinations for British beer, which would go stale and sour during the sea voyage. So the IPA (India Pale Ale) style of beer was created specifically to withstand the rigours of the sea between London and these Indian ports. ^[17]
The Indian Botanical Gardens at Shibpur, near the Bengal Engineering College, is home of the world's largest banyan tree(the banyan tree with the biggest girth), according to the Guinness Book of Records. It is reputed to be over 240 years old. ^[18]
Kolkata is sister city to Long Beach, California.
The Royal Calcutta Golf Club has the oldest golf course outside the British Isles.^[19]
Calcutta Medical College is the oldest institution of European Medicine in Asia.^[20]
Kolkata was the original headquarters of IBM Corporation in India before shifting to Bangalore on its return to operations in the country.
Kolkata based physician Subhash Mukhopadhyay was the second doctor to perform a successful in-vitro fertilization in the world leading th the birth of Kanupriya Agarwal, alias Durga.
Kolkata based accountant Amitava Banerjee is the first single man in India (and South Asia) to father an in-vitro fertilised baby.^[21]