Debaleena Sengupta and Shine Jacob revisit the colonial grandeur of the city that was once the capital of British India.
Century-old buildings, trams, man-powered rickshaws which refuse to leave the roads, the aroma of street food, buzzing addas at every corner and more. Kolkata is a city where imperial legacy blends with modernity. Each footstep in this long-time capital of British India, founded at the end of the 17th century, offers a bit of history. The Raj Bhavan-Dalhousie Square area, lined with impressive colonial buildings and the headquarters of old business houses, encapsulates the historic vibrancy of the city.
“The Britishers displayed their might and power through the palatial grandeur of this route,” says G M Kapoor of CalcuttaWalks which organises a tour of what the British once called White Town. (‘Black Town’ was where most of the Indian residents of Calcutta lived.) “The route also reflects the composite culture of the conservative north and the liberal south of Kolkata,” and is, he says, “the first preference among tour-takers (mostly students and foreigners)”.
The walk is arranged on request, preferably from 7 to 9 in the morning. We begin our journey from Raj Bhavan, the governor’s house, formerly known as Government House. The three-storey building was the seat of the viceroys during the Raj. Built in the early 19th century, it resembles Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, England (seat of the Curzons, one of whom was the Viceroy and lived in Government House at the turn of the 20th century). Just a stone’s throw away lies the Great Eastern Hotel, once called the ‘Jewel of the East’. The hotel is now in the midst of an image makeover by Bharat Hotels.
From here we proceed towards the Dead Letter Office, after crossing the office of United Bank of India. The Dead Letter Office, as the name suggests, was the place where letters that went undelivered, either because the address was wrong or the receiver had died, ended up.
Our next halt is Currency Building, a 150-year-old structure built in Italian Renaissance style.
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Partially damaged over the years, it’s now being repaired by the Archaeological Survey of India. The area around it is always bustling with activity with scores of vendors selling their goods. At a little distance, we see the St Andrew’s Church and the headquarters of Tea Board India.
By now, it’s time to turn to the state’s power centre, the Writers’ Building — one of the most well-preserved colonial structures in Kolkata. Built in the second half of 18th century, it was once the office and quarters of junior writers of East India Company. Today, it houses various departments of the West Bengal government. Offices of Reserve Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Coal India line the stretch.
In this nerve centre of Kolkata, providing perfect contrast to the hectic activity around it, lies a serene water body, Lal Dighi. East India Company set up its factories, forts and business houses around Lal Dighi, which was created by a Bengali merchant called Lal Mohan Seth. This is where his family celebrated Holi, which is probably how Lal Dighi, that literally means ‘red tank’, gets its name.
From here we make our way to the General Post Office (GPO). It stands on the site of the old Fort William, where 123 prisoners died in the infamous Black Hole dungeon in 1756. The building was redesigned in 1864 and is famous for its iconic Corinthian pillars. Twenty years later, in 1884, the postal museum was unveiled here.
Near the GPO is the house of Royal Insurance Company, a building which bears strong resemblance to the financial centres of Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast. Our walk now brings us to one of the oldest branches of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) from where we head to the St John’s Church, the country’s first Anglican church.
Located on Council House Street and built by the city’s founder, Job Charnock, St John’s Church is one of the earliest examples of Greek architecture and British masonry in India. Inside the church, is the famous painting of ‘The Last Supper’ by John Zoffany, a marvelous stained glass window and memorial tablets of prominent citizens.
Before we leave, we decide to salute the city’s master craftsman, Charnock, whose grave is nearby. The graveyard where he is buried is also the resting place of several others from the days of Raj. After a silent walk through the place where history sleeps, we head for Calcutta High Court which came into existence in May 1862 and was formerly called High Court of Judicature at Fort William.
Our thoughts are still with Charnock when we find ourselves near Eden Gardens. It’s a strange feeling, of being in two worlds at the same time. But that’s Kolkata, a city where two worlds co-exist.
