Although the origins of adda are murky, this beloved ritual is thought to go back to colonial times. In 1757, English East India Company won the Battle of Plassey and gained control over most of Bengal. Back then, Kolkata was a cluster of humble settlements on the left bank of river Hooghly, but it quickly expanded into a city under British rule, serving as the capital of British India from 1772 to 1911. The British colonialists left indelible marks on Kolkata"s cultural heritage, influencing food, language, literature, philosophy and even the art of conversation.