Heritage--Kolkata

Kolkata--The Opulence of the  cultural bequest of the Metropolis

the picture is of old Calcutta--the oldest part of the city starts at Esplanade.

Esplanade--

Both the pictures above ---Esplanade ; the last one depicts The Old Court House Street, another name for Esplanade.

An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns. In modern usage the space allows people to walk for recreational purposes; esplanades are often on sea fronts, and allow walking whatever the state of the tide, without having to walk on the beach, like we have in the Marine Drives of Kochi and Mumbai. Esplanades became popular in Victorian times when it was fashionable to visit seaside resorts.

So in that sense, the Esplanade of Kolkata is not a conventional esplanade as we mean as it is not exactly situated along  side a water-body.
Esplanade in modern Kolkata did not look like this during the British days. It was the name given to the popular stretch of the northern part of maidan jungle, which was formed as a favorite promenade for 'elegant walking parties'.
After the Battle Of Plassey, in 1757 and the construction of Fort William in 1758, when early British colonizers began to move in different parts of the city, the Esplanade Row was formed, which stretched as much from Dhurmotollah till the banks of the river Hoogly. Been sparsely populated those days, it provided a means of taking a pleasure walk with the tranquil breeze from the river Hoogly.

Esplanade Mansion--

This majestic work of marble and stone came up in 1910, owned by a deep-pocketed Jewish man, Ezra, naming it the Ezra Mansion. It is a testament to the prosperity of Jews in the old days of Kolkata, now a dwindling community. A compelling piece of architecture, it was later taken over by LIC and restored from a shabby pink edifice to a pristine white.



As we take a heritage walk into the streets of Kolkata, let us sneek into some of the prodigious establishments of the Heritage city of Palaces..

Victoria Memorial--(1906)

The Victoria Memorial's architect was William Emerson (1843–1924), president of the Royal Institute of British Architects.The design is in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist style. This style uses a mixture of British and Mughal elements as well as Venetian, Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architectural influences. the pristine macrana marbles flashing upon the reflective ponds surrounding them, the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta, is the most effective symbolism of British Empire, built as a monument in tribute to Queen Victoria’s reign. The plan of the building consists of one large central part covered with a larger dome. Colonnades separate the two chambers. Each corner holds a smaller dome and is floored with marble plinth. 
The building was constructed with the death of Queen Victoria, when George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston and Viceroy of India, suggested the creation of a fitting memorial. 

Let us, therefore, have a building, stately, spacious, monumental and grand, to which every newcomer in Calcutta will turn, to which all the resident population, European and Native, will flock, where all classes will learn the lessons of history, and see revived before their eyes the marvels of the past.
The Prince of Wales, later King George V, laid the foundation stone on 4 January 1906 and it was formally opened to the public in 1921

Writers Building (1765)

This is by far the optimal bygone illustration of the Colonial architecture in Kolkata
Writers Building, designed by Architect Thomas Lyon, was constructed in 1766 initially for the residence of writers or junior civil servants of the East India Company from where building derives its name. This building was inaustere Palladian Style as seen in the illustration of Daniell’s painting of 1797. 
In 1821 it was ornamented with three pediments in front supported on colonnades for the Fort William College. In 1880, Bengal Secretariat moved to the Writers’ Building. During 1882-83, Writers Building acquired the present Victorian facade when the octagonal Bengal Legislative Council Chamber was added at the western end. Thus it attained the status as the seat of British Government by the Lieutenant Governor Ashely Eden. The luxury portico above the central entrance was supported by a row of handsome Corinthian pillars surmounted by National Court of Arms and statue of Brittanica. 
This magnificent example of Victorian Architecture is approximately 225 meter in length and superb facade contains allegorical sculpture figure of Science, Agriculture, Commerce and justice by the sculpture Fredrick Woodington. Today the Writers Building continues to serve much the same purpose as the Administrative office of the West Bengal Government (thought temporarily shifted to Nabanna). 
P.S--this is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the city :p

Clive House--

Far away from the centre of Kolkata, Robert CLive resided in this building which is now around 260 years old. He used this place as a official country house, after the victory of the battle of Plassey. 
Exact origin of this building is shrowded in mystery, but  it was probably a Dutch or Portuguese factory. Today, it has reinforced walls, a revamped facade and artefacts recovered from excavations at the site. One of the better stories of heritage preserved.
The building which was originally one-storied, was further rehuvenated by Clive and so as to destroy its character as a defence position and building a fine upper storey; the grounds were also laid out with great expense and taste in the prevailing formal Dutch style.

The vital reason for choosing this petty featureless area of the countryside as his temporary stay were the : 1762 epidemic which ravaged nearly half of the Kolkata population; yet another famine of 1770. that was so terrible that even Macaulay wrote that “the very streets of Calcutta were blocked by the dying and the dead”


Fort William-

There are actually two Fort Williams, the old and the new. The original was built in 1696 by the British East India Company under the supervision of John Goldsborough. Sir Charles Eyre started construction near the bank of the River Hooghly . The original building had two stories and projecting wings. An internal guard room became the Black Hole of Calcutta (Ref Black Hole Tragedy where nawab of Bengal Siraj ud Daullah held British prisoners while he captured Alinagar, former name of Kalikata--and According to One of the prisoners, John Zephaniah Holwell, claimed that following the fall of the fort,123 prisoners died out of 146 held due to  suffocation, heat exhaustion and crushing.. However, the precise number of deaths, and the accuracy of Holwell's claims, have been the subject of controversy)

In 1756, the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj Ud Daulah, attacked the Fort, temporarily conquered the city, and changed its name to Alinagar. This led the British to build a new fort in the Maidan.The rebuilding of the fort was started by Robert Clive in 1758, after the Battle of Plassey (1757), and completed in 1781 while the old fort was used as a customs building during the British regime.Today this fort located in the periphery of the lush green Maidan is the property of Indian Army and the Headqaurters of the Eastern Command is based out of it.

Government House/Raj Bhawan--(1803) 

The former residence of the Governor General of India is now the official residence of the Governor of the West Bengal. It was built between 1779 and 1805 by the then Governor General, Marques of Wellesley. It was designed by Wyatt who based his design for the Government House on James paine’s published plan of kaddlcston Hall, the then magnificent new home of Lord Curzon, which was completed in two years previously in Derbyshire England. The Government House is adorned with Georgian pediments and porticos.The colossal dimensions were meant to be a statement of power by the British.
There are imposing sweeping steps leading up to the main entrance. The whole place like structure is surrounded by a majestic dome. Lord Curzon described the Calcutta creation as “without doubts the finest Government house occupied by the representative of any sovereign or government of the world”. This in the only building in Calcutta where no additions and alteration were made to the building.


General post Office--

Around 150 years old this exquisite building has a clock which has been ticking since October 2, 1868, when it was completed after four years of work; designed by British Walter Granville. The stately structure of this corner building consist of two lofty storeys dominated by a corner dome and Corinthian colonnade.  It is allegedly built on the site where British prisoners of war were held in a cramped dungeon called the Black Hole of Calcutta, in 
the old Fort William. The GPO's impressive dome and Corinthian curves hardly hint towards a dark history. 


High Court (1872)

The High Court Building is significant Gothic structure in the city designed by the architect Water Granville and was completed by 1872. The design of the impressive edifice was taken straight from Gilbert Scott’s project forHambung Rothams  (1854-1856). 
The plan, elevation and much of the details are Scott’s who in turn used the great medieval prototype of the famous Staadhuas at Ypress in Belgium for his model. The Stadhuas was virtually obliterated in World War I. The High Court with its tower of 50 meters high was used, in turn, as a model for faithfully reconstruction the Stadhus during 1920s and 1930s. The ground floor has elegant vaulted cloister of sandstone with Capital of Caen stone. These beautifully foliated pillars have been daubed with cream paint thinking it as an improvement on the original stone. The interiors of the lofty court rooms and throne for the judges are splendid indeed.

Currency Building--

This Italian-style building was where the British minted their silver coins. 
Built in the year 1833 with Italian style this beautiful building was originally known as Agra Bank and Office of issue and Exchange of Government Currency later on. 
Once it was housed as the Reserve Bank of India till 1937. 
It was built when the Lord William Bentinck was the Governor General of the British India. 
 Built in 1833, part of its structure was demolished by the Central Public Works Department, before restoration efforts saved it from oblivion. The wrought iron gate at the entrance lavishly speaks of the grandeur of the Colonial regime. Apart from this, the brick arches, the Venetian windows with intricate designs are the main attraction of it. The roof was arched with iron joists. The floor was covered with marble and Chunar sandstone. The commissioner who was in charge of the office had his residence here in this building. Some portion of the upper floor was covered with Italian marble. The entrance to the residence was at the back and is still there.  In 1998 the entire structure was declared as a heritage building and a monument of national importance, thus a protected place. The  ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) took the charge in 2003 but got the possession only in 2005.


The Great Eastern Hotel--

On November 19, 1841, a bakery by Briton David Wilson gave way to theAuckland Hotel in Kolkata's central business district. 
Since then, referred to as 'the Jewel of the East', it has served the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, authors Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain, cricketer Frank Worell as well as other British royalty. 172 years later, the heritage hotel opened its refurbished doors, at costs touching Rs. 260 crore, as the Lalit Great Eastern Hotel.

The Indian museum--

The history of the origin and the growth of the Indian Museum is one of the remarkable events towards the development of heritage and culture of India.
The role of the Asiatic Society was to form a learning centre for the development of art and culture pertaining to the socio-cultural activities, entertaining people, disseminating knowledge and preserving the cultural as well as natural heritage of mankind for posterity within the geographical limits of Asia. 
Sir William Jones, the founder of the Asiatic Society, however, in his inaugural address did not refer to the foundation of a museum as part of the activities of the society. 
In 1796 the members of the Asiatic Society conceived an idea of establishing a Museum at a suitable place for the reception and preservation of the objects whatever it is performed by man or produced by nature. 
The idea got shape in the beginning of 1808 when society found itself in a position to occupy its premises erected at the corner of Park Street on a land granted by the Government of India.
Inaugurated on June 1, 1814, the largest museum in India has a collection of antiques, skeletons, treasures and even the ashes of the Buddha. Counted among the oldest museums in the world, there's enough to boggle your mind all day. It is also the home to a 4,000 year-old Egyptian mummy as well :)