West Bengal, the gateway
to the exotic east - is a land of passion and poetry, natural beauty and strong
people, marked by a humane element, evident in every facet of their life. Bengal
has a long history that dates back, before the Aryan invasions of India. Known
as 'Gauda' or 'Vanga' in ancient Sanskrit literature, Bengal had a well settled
civilisation and culture, at the time of the Aryan penetration. An integral
part of successive empires of the Mauryas and Guptas, Bengal also had its own
dynasty of independent rulers, the Palas, who extended the existing boundaries,
considerably. The Senas and the Muslim Sultanate who occupied Bengal, shaped
the distinct identity of Bengal.
This fascinating land of
the Hooghly, has a lot to offer to avid travellers.
Calcutta
A few kilometres off the
centre of the city of Calcutta, in a suburb called Barisha, live the
descendants of the man who sold Calcutta to East India Company for a price of Rs.
1200/-. The seller was one Sabarna Roy Choudhury, a landlord, and the buyer, on
behalf or the Company, was Mr. Job Charnock. The transaction took place on
November 9, 1698.
The Company became the Zamindar
over three villages, Kalighat, Govindpur, and Sutanti. Charnock had arrived
there a few years back and founded a factory at Sutanati in 1690.
Calcutta continued to be
the capital of India, even when the Company forfeited the Empire to the British
Throne.
It was in 1912 that the
capital was shifted to Delhi. Calcutta remains the headquarters of the State of
West Bengal.
Today’s Calcutta is a
dire contract to the Calcutta of the 19th century.
Calcutta, a unique city
with its intriguing environs; Digha, the land of sand and sea; Vishnupur, an
architectural treasure house; Shantiniketan, Tagore's abode of
peace(Rabindranath Tagore was in Calcutta in 1861); the lost empire of
Murshidabad; Malda-Gourand Pandua, relics of the Muslim rule; Darjeeling – a
magnificent hill resort; the wildlife sanctuary at Doars, and the marshy
mangrove jungles of Sunderbans, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, are some of the
major attractions of this fascinating State.
Sights in Calcutta
The West Bengal Tourism
and India Tourism Development Corporation ply luxury buses for tourists showing
important monuments and institutions of the city. Besides, comfortable tourists
taxies set out from major hotels with a charted itinerary.
Those who are willing to
spend a few days in Calcutta can see the city part by part. They can begin with
the places in central Calcutta: Chowringhee, the meadow or the Maidan opposite
it with Shahid Minar (Ochterlony Monument), Raj Bhavan, Assembly, High Court,
Town Hall, St. John’s Church, Writers’ Building, St. Andrew’s Church, Old
Mission Church, New Market, Museum, Asiatic Society, Planetarium, St. Paul’s
Cathedral, Victoria Memorial, Race Course, Fort William and Eden Gardens.
North Calcutta can be
explored next – with the Portuguese Cathedral, Synagogue, Parsi Fire Temple,
Armenian Church, Tagore House, Marble Palace, the University of Calcutta, Jain
Temple and Bose Research Institute.
The Howrah Bridge near
the Howrah Station too is situated in this part and, if one has not travelled
by train, one ought to make a trip to see it.
South Calcutta is no
less interesting – with its Zoological Gardens, National Library,
Agri-Horticultural Gardens, Hasting’s House, the ancient Temple of Kali, Greek
Church and Ravindra Sarovar.
Agri-Horticultural
Gardens
This is a treasure-house
of rare tropical flora. It has numerous nurseries and hot-houses. Excellent
flower-shows are organised seasonally.
Botanical Gardens
Situated at Sibpur, it
is one of the largest gardens of its kind in Asia.
One of the major
attractions of this 273 acre area is a two-century old ‘great banian tree’, the
largest in the world, rising to a height of about one hundred feet.
The place is highly
picturesque and despite the flow of visitors, a retreat of peace.
There are also rows of
mahogany trees, a grand avenue of Royal Cuban palms, and an Orchid House. It is
easy to reach the place throuHowrah; one can also take the ferry from Chandpal
or Tekta Ghat.
Chowringhee
This busiest area of the
city overflowing with fashionable shops, theatres, hotels and restaurants,
bears the name of a sage of olden days, Chowringhee Giri. The crowd can always
overflow to the other side of the road – into the grassy meadow popularly
called the Maidan.
The long impressive but
crowded promenade is relieved by the vast meadow opposite it.
Fort William
Its foundation laid in
1757, the monument was completed in 1781 – at a cost of two million pounds
sterling. This bears the memory of the early British rulers in India, beginning
with Lord Clive.
Hastings House
Situated along the
Judges Court Road, a small otablet above the door of the house bears this
inscription: “The house, known as Hastings House, originally the country seat
of Warren Hastings, Governor General of Fort William in Bengal, 1774-1785, was
bought as State Guest House by Lord Curzon, Viceroy and Governor General of
India, in 1901.”
For some time it was
used as a lodge for Indian princes visiting Calcutta.
The house should be of
some nostalgic fascination for tourists who are interested in the history of
the British period in India.
Howrah Bridge
One of the most
magnificent bridges in the world, this awesome steel structure built according
to the cantilever principle with a single span, links Howrah and Calcutta. Its
tower rises to 280 feet above the road level and measures 2,150 feet in length.
The bridge has width
enough (71 feet) for eight lines of vehicular traffic, including two tramways.
There are footpaths on both the sides.
This bridge replaces an
old pontoon bridge in 1943.
Jain Temple
The Jain Temple or
Parasnth Mandir, situated in Badridas Temple Street, is exquisite in its design
and colour scheme. The main shrine is dedicated to Sheetalnathji, the 10th
of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras It overlooks what is perhaps the most beautiful
garden in the city.
Kali Temple
For an account of this
most ancient institution in the region, we have to go back to mythical times.
Sati, an incarnation of the eternal consort of Shiva, married Shiva against the
wishes of her father, King Daksha, who had his capital at Kankhal near Hardwar.
Once Sati heard of a grand festival being held at her father’s palace and went
there uninvited. Seeing her, Daksha burst into a tirade against Shiva. Little
did the egoistic king realise that his daughter would not be able to bear even
a word against Shiva.
And soon Sati jumped
into the fire and died.
Great was the fury and
anguish of Lord Shiva when the news reached him. His supernatural servants,
wrought havoc in Daksha’s palace, but that could hardly pacify Shiva. He came
and picked up Sati’s dead body and holding it astride his shoulder, roamed
about the earth, engrossed in his sorrow.
Vishnu used his Chakra,
the divine weapon in the shape of a wheel, and cut asunder Sati’s dead body.
Her limbs were scattered all over the land of India. A toe fell in the river
Bhagirathi, another name of the Ganga, near the present Kalighat.
Ages later, a poor
Brahim named Atmaram had a vision of the luminous and beautiful toe of the
Mother lying submerged – transformed into stone. He found it and installed it
as an image of Kali on the shore and worshipped her. The area was a forest.
Some devotees who were blessed with the knowledge of the deity came there to
worship there.
Much later, one evening
a landlord was sailing by when he heard the sound of prayer from the forest. He
stopped and investigated. He had enough insight to know that the deity was a
living power. He constructed the first shrine for her.
The deity is the
patron-goddess of Calcutta which derives its name from her – Kali Ghat or Kali
Kshetra (the bank of Kali or the Seat of Kali).
An early Christian
missionary, the Rev. Ward, wrote: “I have received accounts of Europeans going
to this temple and expending Rs. 10,000 in offerings. Very lately, a gentleman
in the Honourable Company’s service, who had gained a cause at law, presented
thanks-offerings to Kali which cost Rs. 3,000 …”.
Marble Palace
The famous work of
Rubens, “The Marriage of St.Catherine,” and Sir Joshua Reyonolds’ “The Infant
Hercules Strangling the Serpent” are to be found, among many other wonders in
art, in their original, in the Marble Palace on Muktaram Babu Street, off
Chittaranjan Avenue.
The palace is made of 90
varieties of marble secured from different parts of the wold and it belongs to
the family of Rana Rajendra Mullick Bahadur. The fabulous art-collection too is
an achievement of this one family.
The palace is a great
attraction for all art-lovers. The admission is free.
Museum (Indian
Museum)
An imposing Italian
style building in Chowringhee, this Museum, with the usual features, has
numerous exhibits of the relics of the ancient civilisation of Mohenjodaro and
Harappa and also a rich collection of items of Buddhist era. It is the richest
museum in Asia.
Nakhoda Mosque
This impressive specimen
of Indo-Saracenic architecture, modelled on Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra near Agra,
can accommodate a congregation of 10,000. The onion-shaped majestic dome is
gaily painted and flanked by two beautiful minarets, each 46 meters high, and
is surrounded by 25 smaller ones.
National Library
A lofty triple-arched
gateway, surmounted by the figure of a Royal Bengal tiger, forms the main
entrance to the National Library. Formerly known as the Beldevere House, built
in the Italian Renaissance style, the mansion was the residence of Warren
Hastings and then of the British Viceroy for a while, before it was used as the
official residence of the Lieutenant Governors of Bengal.
This is India’s biggest
library. Apart from 8 million books in several languages, it has a large
collection of rare manuscripts and documents.
Rabindra Sarovar
This is a popular resort
for picnics and relaxation, studded with tall palm trees. The lake has a well
laid-out park-land surrounding it.
The Rowing clubs hold
regattas and they organise boat-races at regular intervals.
Raj Bhavan
“India should be
governed from a Palace, not from a country-house, with the ideas of a Prince,
not with those of a retail dealer in muslin and indigo,” said Lord Wellesley
(Duke of Wellington’s elder brother), who was the Governor General of Fort
William during the period 1798-1805. The East India Company was at the peak of
its power.
So the Government House
now known at the Raj Bhawan was built. It is a grand demonstration of what was
to some, the Queen Anne Style, with more distinct touches of the better known
Georgian style. The model was Lord Curzon’s ancestral home in Derbyshire.
The wooded compound of
six acres breathes elegance and majesty, marked by flower-beds, green lawns and
gravel walks.
Till 1912, the palace
was the residence of the Viceroy of India. After India’s capital was shifted to
Delhi, it became official residence of the Governor of Bengal.
The Raj Bhawan sports
rare works of art collected over the years.
Sri Ramakrishna
Mission Institute of Culture
This large
multi-storeyed building and an architectural masterpiece houses an excellent
library, reading room, lecture theatres as well as residential rooms. The
institute highlights many aspects of Indian culture.
Shahid Minar
Previously known as
Ochterlony Monument, the Minar, 78-metres high, stands on the Maidan facing
Chowringhee. This was built in honour of Sir David Ochterlony who won the Nepal
war (1814-16).
A report on the
construction says, “The upper part of the column is taken from Syria: to this
is added a base which is pure Egyptian.”
Sri Aurobindo Bhavan
A recent addition to the
cultural and spiritual life of Calcutta, the Bhavan, situated on Shakespeare
Sarani, not far from Chowringhee, is the old building where Sri Aurobindo, whom
Roman Rolland described as the last great seer and the best synthesis of the
East and the West, is believed to have been born on 15 August 1872.
The Bhavan has a library
of works by and on Sri Aurobindo, apart from a general library.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
This Anglican Cathedral
of Calcutta which is thMetropolitan Church of India stands at the extreme
south-east of the Maidan. This is also the first Episcopal Cathedral Church to
be constructed in the East. It is in Indo-Gothic architectural style.
The chapel walls show
mural tablets of historical importance. They include significant utterances by
Macaulay, Thackeray, and Lord Curzon.
Tagore House
At Jorasanko lane,
Chitpur, is the house of Rabindranath Tagore, the great poet, where he was born
and later died. It is a national monument, housing many documents concerning
the poet and other illustrious members of his family.
Victoria Memorial
“A poem in marble”, “The
finest building in Bengal”, “Another charming Taj” are some of the tributes
paid to the Victoria Memorial dominating the southern end of the Maidan.
This was built witmarble
quarried at Makrana in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, also the source of marble for the
Taj.
The twenty-five
galleries of the mansion exhibit 3,500 items including a statue of Queen
Victoria by Sir Thomas Brook, and a rosewood piano played by the queen as a
young girl.
Designed by Sir William
Emerson, the architecture bears the influence of the Italian Renaissance with
traces of Saracenic style.
Next to this memorial
stands the Birla Planetarium.
Zoological Gardens
The largest of its kind
in the country, the Alipur Zoological Gardens along the Belvedere Road cover an
area of 41 acres, laid out with well-maintained flower-beds and pools. The
gardens contain a Reptile House where innumerable species of snakes including
the King Cobra an be seen. There are two pools exclusively for crocodiles and
alligators. The gardens have all other features that mark a premier zoo. The
aquarium opposite the zoo is a recent addition worth a visit.
What To See; How To Get
There; Tourist Offices
What To See: Calcutta,
Darjeeling, Sunderbans, Other Places
How To Get There
Air: Calcutta, the
capital of West Bengal, is connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna,
Ahmedabad, Bangalore and other important cities. Calcutta also has a busy
international airport.
Rail: Calcutta is
connected with all major cities.
Road: Calcutta is
connected by road with Delhi (1495 km), Mumbai (2060 km), Chennai (1734 km),
Varanasi (676 km), Puri (555 km), Guwahati (1164 km) and Darjeeling (731 km).
Tourist Offices
Calcutta
Government of India
Tourist Office,
'Embassy', 4,
Shakespeare, Sarani,
Calcutta - 700071
Tel : 2421402, 2425813
Telex : 0212038
Fax : 033-2423521
Government of India
Tourist Information Centre,
Calcutta Airport,
Calcutta,
Tel : 5528299
New Delhi
West Bengal Information
Centre,
A/2, State Emporia
Building,
Baba Kharak Singh Marg,
New Delhi - 110001
Tel : 3732840
Chennai
West Bengal Information
Centre,
18, Wallajah Road,
Chennai
Tel : 832346