The Freedom Trail

As India Celebrates Her 72nd Independence Day this August, Express Travel World peeps into the past to explore the historical freedom sires which offer the travel trade a niche product for history enthusiasts

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EAST INDIA

Kolkata was the capital of British India before it was shifted to Delhi in 1911. Some great monuments built during that time and war memorials attracts local visitors even today. The places that attract majority of tourists are Victoria Memorial (1921), Tagore House (18th century), Howrah Bridge, Marble Palace (1835), Indian Museum (1814) and Shaheed Minar (1828).

This region played a crucial role in India’s struggle for Independence as it was a hotbed of resistance to foreign rule. The Battle of Plassey took place in the capital province of Bengal which included states like West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Bangladesh and Tripura. When the last free ruler of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah attacked Fort William in Kolkata, the British sent reinforcements headed by Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Charles Watson to fight back. The end of the battle was the end of the ruler as he fled to Awadh while the Britishers took over the region. A small memorial on the banks of river Bhagirathi is a reminder of the Plassey battle.

Murshidabad

Murshidabad was another important region before the emergence of Kolkata. The Hazarduaari Palace built in the 1837 has been transformed into a museum. Also known as the palace with a thousand doors it was built for Nawab Najim Humaun Jah by British Duncan McLeod. There are various historical artifacts on display including armoury, paintings, portraits of the Nawabs, works of ivory (Murshidabad school) and of China, swords used by Siraj-ud-Daulah and his grandfather, Nawab Ali Vardi Khan. There is also the Khushbagh Cemetery where rest the remains of Siraj-ud-Daulah and Nawab Ali Vardi Khan.

Barrackpore