INTRODUCTION:
Travel begins at home. Which is why the first of my travel posts are about Calcutta, a beloved city! There is no end to exploration in Calcutta, no end to the discoveries that can be made.
This piece was originally written three years ago for the commemorative brochure of a medical conference. It was meant to serve as an introduction to the city for foreign delegates and all those who were visiting it for the first time. Sometimes that includes us, who have lived here all our lives. Enjoy this walk through the city. The choice of illustrations, deliberately avoiding photographs, is taken from two eternal favourites: An Artist's Impression by Desmond Doig and Kolkata, Ekaal O Sekaal by Rathin Mitra.
KOLKATA
The Strand
Welcome to Kolkata. The City of joy. Of maach, mishti and more. The City of
Palaces with its grand colonial architecture and its vibrant arts scene.
Kolkata, or Calcutta, as it was known previously sits on the east bank of the
Hooghly and has been a great melting pot over the centuries. Today it retains its
place as the commercial, intellectual and cultural capital of East India. A true
metropolis.
Let us start with the iconic Victoria Memorial, the prime stop for most first-time
visitors to the city. Set on the Maidan, in 64 acres of lush gardens, its Angel of
Victory has become one of the most durable symbols of the city. Constructed
between 1906 and 1921 as a memorial to the Empress of India, it now houses a
museum and is a favourite destination for academic and cultural events throughout
the year.
St. Paul's Cathedral
Look east from the Victoria Memorial and you will see the marvellous Gothic
edifice of St Paul’s Cathedral. Completed in 1847, it was built to replace St John’s
Church, which by then had become too small for the burgeoning European presence
in the city. Continue along Cathedral Road in the so-called island of attractions’,
which includes Nandan – a film and cultural centre with its trademark Satyajit Ray
logo, Rabindra Sadan and the newly refurbished Birla Planetarium. The Rabindra
Sadan Complex includes the Rabindra Sadan auditorium, Nandan, The Paschimbanga
Bangla Akademi, Gaganendra Prodorshonshala, and Sisir Mancha among others
making it the heart of the performing arts scape in the city. On the other side of
the cathedral is Birla Planetarium, built loosely in the style of the Buddhist Stupa
at Sanchi, it is held to be the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest in
the world.
Turf Club
An imposing backdrop here is the Calcutta Race Course with the Royal Calcutta
Turf Club. Founded in 1847 it became the premier horse racing organisation during
the British Raj, governing almost all the racing courses in the sub-continent. Then cross over the historic but less well-known Zeerut Bridge opposite, in your approach to the Belvedere Estate. Before you reach it, look right and you will see the Alipore Zoological Gardens, India’s oldest formally stated Zoological Park. Covering over 40 acres of land, it opened its doors in 1876 and became famous as the home of the Aldabra giant tortoise Adwaita reputed to be 250 years old when it died in 2006.
Few know the formal name of the Belvedere Estate which comprises of Belvedere
House and 30 acres of grounds. Belvedere House was the former viceregal
residence and later home to the Governor of Bengal before housing the National
Library in 1948.
On leaving Alipore you may choose to go further south to the Acharya Jagadish
Chandra Bose Botanical Gardens spread over 109 hectares and famous for The
Great Banyan, the largest tree in the world at over 330 metres in circumference
and a wide variety of botanical rarities.
Calcutta High Court
Or move north towards the “White Town” of Old Calcutta. Reach BBD Bagh and
look around. This was the heart of Calcutta and under the British, the
administrative centre of the British Raj till 1911, when the capital was shifted to
Delhi.
The General Post Office
Here is the General Post Office, known affectionately as the GPO, standing
on the site of the original Fort William. Opposite stands the Calcutta High Court,
the oldest High Court of India and behind it the Town Hall in Roman-Doric style,
built by funds raised from lotteries to provide Europeans with their own
recreational space.
Raj Bhawan
Also look around The Writers’ Building which served, till recently, as the State
Secretariat. The name derives from its original purpose – to house the writers of
the British East India Company. But the gem of this area is obviously Raj Bhawan
or Government House as it was known, modeled on Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire.
Built in 1803 it is the official residence of the Governor of Bengal and is known by
its distinctive architectural of a central core with four radiating wings. It is also
known as the first building in India to have a lift installed inside in 1892!
Within a stone’s throw is St John’s Church, formerly a cathedral, modelled on St
Martin in the Fields Church in Trafalgar Square. Of historical interest also, is the
mausoleum of Job Charnock and Johann Zoffany’s Last Supper amongst others.
Where would you like to go next? You could wander down the riverside, marvelling
at the iconic Howrah Bridge and taking a river cruise along the Hooghly. Or you
could move down Chowringhee and reach the Indian Museum, the largest and oldest
museum in India founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1814.
The Armenian Church
A short ride from here are Marble Palace and Jorasanko Thakurbari, magnificent
private residences, the latter being Rabindranath Tagore’s family home. Moving
sideways through myriad gullies and lanes and hidden alleyways you would reach
Armenian Street, witness to the very old presence of the Armenian community in
the city. Also visit the Maghen David synagogue at the junction of Brabourne Road
and Canning Street, accessible to the public.
Kalighat Temple
For a temple experience visit Kalighat with its well-known idol of the goddess Kali
and further afield, the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple. While you are at the latter,
take a boat and cross the river to Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramkrishna
Mission housed in a building that fuses Hindu, Islamic, Christian and Buddhist
motifs in its architecture.
So, welcome to Kolkata! We hope you leave with this wonderful city in your hearts
and return for more adventurous explorations of your own! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
댓글