 "Billionaire acres")
The Agri Horticulture Society of India (AHSI), commonly known as Horticulture Garden, is home to some rare trees - Buddha's coconut, White Bottle Brush, Tree of Heaven, to name a few. Yet, the most picturesque part of the block is in the south western fringes. There a stepped hillock and a waterfall watch over the daily rituals of the elite, for AHSI in South Kolkata's Alipore locality is the preferred jogging venue for several of the city's industrialists.
AHSI, of course, is also infamous for crime. In 1999, S B Ganguly, chairman of Exide, was abducted during his morning walk near AHSI. In 2011, SK Birla, chairman emeritus of the SK Birla Group, was chased by a group of bikers during his morning routine. "I don't know if I was really chased or it was my imagination, but I was scared," recalls Birla. Today, the wealthy denizens run with a clutch of security guards for fear of stalkers and kidnappers.
To people with ulterior motives, the conglomeration of palatial abodes that fence the Alipore neighbourhood must be an attraction, for here live people like Sanjiv Goenka (chairman, R P Sanjiv Goenka group), H M Bangur (managing director, Shree Cement), M K Jalan (chairman, Keventer and MKJ Groups), Hemant Kanoria (chairman & managing director, SREI Infrastructure Finance), Karan Paul (chairman, Apeejay Surrendra Group), Vishambhar Saran (chairman, Visa Steel), Jagmohan Dalmiya (interim BCCI president ) and Gaurav Swarup (managing director, Paharpur Cooling Towers). Steel baron L N Mittal spent his childhood in one of the bungalows here.
Alipore is steeped in residential history. In 1772, when Warren Hastings proclaimed Calcutta as the capital of British India, Marwaris, the affluent trading community from Rajasthan, migrated to the city in large numbers, sensing business opportunities. The community acquired large tracts of land by the Ganga river to set up mills.
"The Marwaris who came to Kolkata in the 19th century lived in north Kolkata localities like Burabazar, Central Avenue and Shyambazar," says octogenarian B D Sureka, chairman, Sureka Group, whose forefathers came to the city around 1900. "By the beginning of the 1900s, these areas had become very congested and the Marwaris began to move south to Ballygunge and Alipore. And once the Goenkas purchased land in Alipore, others followed suit."
Before the Marwaris and the British elite, Alipore was home to aristocratic Bengali families like those of the maharajas of Cooch Behar, Burdwan and Santosh. The present generation of Burdwan royalty still owns substantial properties in Alipore. The British came next. Alipore was lined with bungalows that served as residences of tea and jute estate managers. Belvedere Estate, 250 years old and now the National Library, was once the residence of Warren Hastings and of later lieutenant governors of Bengal. It is believed that the manor was given to Hastings by Mir Jafar, the last Nawab of Bengal, in the 1760s.
A short distance from Belvedere Road is Bangur Mansion on New Road, owned by Shree Cement's Bangur. The house, spread across 50,000 square feet, was purchased by Bangur for around Rs 15 crore from one Saxena family, who in turn had bought it from some Khemkas, who had purchased it from the maharaja of Burdwan. The house has nine bedrooms, seven living rooms, a home theatre, gymnasium and a temple with a silver door, with a century-year-old idol of Lord Venkatesh. "Two years ago, a Britisher and his wife came to see how my house has changed. He seemed to have spent his childhood here," says Bangur.
Half a kilometre away from Bangur Mansion is the grander mansion of S K Birla, son of L N Birla. The house, purchased by the Birlas in 1943, once served as a base camp for American soldiers who were supporting the Chinese against the Japanese during World War II in an operation called Flying the Hump. "Our house was requisitioned by the Americans, and when they handed it back to us in 1946, it was not in a good shape. Maps and plans for Flying the Hump were scrawled on the walls," recalls Birla.
Another well-known address is Shriram Gardens on Belvedere Road. The penthouse in the high-rise belongs to Jalan, chairman of Keventer and MKJ Groups. Its rooftop garden is one of the first in Kolkata, claims Jalan. Neighbours of Jalan include the Goenkas and Bajorias. The imposing walls and the trees that camouflage the façade of Goenka Niwas give a faint but definite impression of the grandeur within.
With such VIP residents, land does not come cheap in Alipore. One square foot of developed land sells for Rs 15,000-20,000. In comparison, a square foot in Rajarhat, the IT hub of Kolkata, is yours for Rs 4,000-6,000. Property websites often feature 4-5 bedroom flats in Alipore for between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore. "Vacant plots in Alipore are rare and commercially not viable due to skyrocketing prices. Land prices have gone up from Rs 15-20 crore an acre about seven years back to about Rs 120 crore now," says Pradeep Sureka, managing director of Sureka Group and co-developer of the South City residential project.
Security is a big concern. The recently-formed Alipore Citizens' Forum (ACF) has installed 160 hi-tech cameras at strategic locations at a cost of Rs 5 crore. Jalan, a founding members of ACF, says the security system is based on Los Angeles' city surveillance model.
AHSI, of course, is also infamous for crime. In 1999, S B Ganguly, chairman of Exide, was abducted during his morning walk near AHSI. In 2011, SK Birla, chairman emeritus of the SK Birla Group, was chased by a group of bikers during his morning routine. "I don't know if I was really chased or it was my imagination, but I was scared," recalls Birla. Today, the wealthy denizens run with a clutch of security guards for fear of stalkers and kidnappers.
To people with ulterior motives, the conglomeration of palatial abodes that fence the Alipore neighbourhood must be an attraction, for here live people like Sanjiv Goenka (chairman, R P Sanjiv Goenka group), H M Bangur (managing director, Shree Cement), M K Jalan (chairman, Keventer and MKJ Groups), Hemant Kanoria (chairman & managing director, SREI Infrastructure Finance), Karan Paul (chairman, Apeejay Surrendra Group), Vishambhar Saran (chairman, Visa Steel), Jagmohan Dalmiya (interim BCCI president ) and Gaurav Swarup (managing director, Paharpur Cooling Towers). Steel baron L N Mittal spent his childhood in one of the bungalows here.
* * * * *
Alipore is steeped in residential history. In 1772, when Warren Hastings proclaimed Calcutta as the capital of British India, Marwaris, the affluent trading community from Rajasthan, migrated to the city in large numbers, sensing business opportunities. The community acquired large tracts of land by the Ganga river to set up mills.
"The Marwaris who came to Kolkata in the 19th century lived in north Kolkata localities like Burabazar, Central Avenue and Shyambazar," says octogenarian B D Sureka, chairman, Sureka Group, whose forefathers came to the city around 1900. "By the beginning of the 1900s, these areas had become very congested and the Marwaris began to move south to Ballygunge and Alipore. And once the Goenkas purchased land in Alipore, others followed suit."
Before the Marwaris and the British elite, Alipore was home to aristocratic Bengali families like those of the maharajas of Cooch Behar, Burdwan and Santosh. The present generation of Burdwan royalty still owns substantial properties in Alipore. The British came next. Alipore was lined with bungalows that served as residences of tea and jute estate managers. Belvedere Estate, 250 years old and now the National Library, was once the residence of Warren Hastings and of later lieutenant governors of Bengal. It is believed that the manor was given to Hastings by Mir Jafar, the last Nawab of Bengal, in the 1760s.
A short distance from Belvedere Road is Bangur Mansion on New Road, owned by Shree Cement's Bangur. The house, spread across 50,000 square feet, was purchased by Bangur for around Rs 15 crore from one Saxena family, who in turn had bought it from some Khemkas, who had purchased it from the maharaja of Burdwan. The house has nine bedrooms, seven living rooms, a home theatre, gymnasium and a temple with a silver door, with a century-year-old idol of Lord Venkatesh. "Two years ago, a Britisher and his wife came to see how my house has changed. He seemed to have spent his childhood here," says Bangur.
Half a kilometre away from Bangur Mansion is the grander mansion of S K Birla, son of L N Birla. The house, purchased by the Birlas in 1943, once served as a base camp for American soldiers who were supporting the Chinese against the Japanese during World War II in an operation called Flying the Hump. "Our house was requisitioned by the Americans, and when they handed it back to us in 1946, it was not in a good shape. Maps and plans for Flying the Hump were scrawled on the walls," recalls Birla.
Another well-known address is Shriram Gardens on Belvedere Road. The penthouse in the high-rise belongs to Jalan, chairman of Keventer and MKJ Groups. Its rooftop garden is one of the first in Kolkata, claims Jalan. Neighbours of Jalan include the Goenkas and Bajorias. The imposing walls and the trees that camouflage the façade of Goenka Niwas give a faint but definite impression of the grandeur within.
* * * * *
With such VIP residents, land does not come cheap in Alipore. One square foot of developed land sells for Rs 15,000-20,000. In comparison, a square foot in Rajarhat, the IT hub of Kolkata, is yours for Rs 4,000-6,000. Property websites often feature 4-5 bedroom flats in Alipore for between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore. "Vacant plots in Alipore are rare and commercially not viable due to skyrocketing prices. Land prices have gone up from Rs 15-20 crore an acre about seven years back to about Rs 120 crore now," says Pradeep Sureka, managing director of Sureka Group and co-developer of the South City residential project.
Security is a big concern. The recently-formed Alipore Citizens' Forum (ACF) has installed 160 hi-tech cameras at strategic locations at a cost of Rs 5 crore. Jalan, a founding members of ACF, says the security system is based on Los Angeles' city surveillance model.