Kolkata

On the eastern bank of River Hooghly in West Bengal sits the mega city of Kolkata—home to roughly 15 million people, including diverse communities such as Chinese, Jewish, and Armenian, besides the indigenous Bengalis. Kolkata came into existence in the late 17th century when the British East India Company arrived at its shores, established a trading post, and christened the area as Calcutta. Until then, there stood only three villages, ruled by the Nawabs of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty. Calcutta became the capital of British India in 1772, and remained so until 1911. The city prospered, and numerous palaces and mansions were built by the British as well as Bengali aristocrats, lending it the epithet of ‘City of Palaces’. The Bengal Renaissance further established Calcutta as the cultural capital of India, where art, film, theatre, drama, and literature flourished alongside modern liberal thinking. Officially renamed as Kolkata in 2001, the city is shaped by its history and heritage, vibrant mix of cultures, lip-smacking food, and bustling markets.

- SATARUPA PAUL

Local Buzz

In Kolkata, one is never far from a historical building, a grand mansion, or a revered temple.

Colonial Connection

The 18th-century 1 Fort William, built over 70 hectares on the eastern bank of River Hooghly, houses the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. Located between two of its gates is 2 Prinsep Ghat, the oldest recreational spot in Kolkata, featuring the Palladian porch. Across a vast lake from Fort William, in the area known as 3 BBD Bagh, stand prominent English buildings. The ornate red-brick Graeco-Roman 4 Writers’ Building was the first three-storeyed structure in Kolkata. It was meant as a dwelling for junior officers, aka ‘writers’ of the company. The 5 Calcutta High Court was set up in 1862 in a magnificent neo-Gothic building. Built in Doric style and intended for social gatherings, the 6 Town Hall dates back to 1813.

Palaces & Mansions

Historic North Kolkata boasts numerous mansions and rajbaris, built by influential locals. The 7 Marble Palace is a 19th-century mansion built by Raja Rajendra Mullick, a wealthy Bengali merchant. The neoclassical structure houses a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, and antique furniture. The grand 8 Jorasanko Thakur Bari is the ancestral home-turned museum of India’s most renowned literary figure and the first non-European Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore. Built in 1803, 9 Raj Bhavan was once the official residence of the Viceroy of India, and now that of the Governor of West Bengal.

Cultural Fusion