Can you guess which was the first three-storied building in Kolkata? - It was the Writer’s Building!

Many like you are unaware about some important historical facts of important places in Kolkata. Going beyond the structures and getting an insight on the necessity of establishing these places can be of great fascination and knowledge. This will give you understanding of why these places are revered and are of great relevance.

Some of them are renowned globally and attract thousands of tourists from both local and international destinations. Culturally rich and historically abundant is what can briefly describe the aura of our city. Reading further on you will get an idea as to why our city is known as “the Cultural Capital of India.”

Let us have a look at some of the most resounding tourist destinations of Kolkata that have rightly left a mark on INDIAN HISTORY -

WRITER’S BUILDING

From Calcutta to Kolkata, one thing that has been constant for our city is that this large building,  standing on BBD Bag Road has always been the epicentre of control. It was originally built in the 18th century to serve as the administrative office for the junior writers (clerks) of East India Company (EIC). Then in the 19th century, it became the secretariat of British India until the capital was formerly shifted to Delhi in the early 20th century. After Independence, the Writer’s Building became the official secretariat of West Bengal. The grand building is currently undergoing maintenance and renovation work to accommodate for the rising workload. 

What you did not know is that Writer’s was the first three-storied building of the city! The marvellous red and yellow walls speak volumes about the architectural elements that dominated the colonial times. The buildings adjoining the Writer’s Building are no less appealing than this marvellous structure. Contrast this with today’s times when one of the tallest highrises have their homes in Kolkata.

MARBLE PALACE

This nineteenth century building, located in North Kolkata (near Girish Park) is a grand mansion built by a wealthy merchant called Raja Rajendra Mullick. He had a passion for collecting arts and had built the Marble Palace to store his prized collections. Located on Muktaram Babu Street, the place witnesses thousands of tourists who come and have a look at the diverse collection of arts. One can expect to see Victorian Era Furniture, European and Indian paintings, Western sculptors and several other artefacts.

This place truly depicts the love for arts and culture that Bengali folks have. Marble Palace is one of those places in our city that has preserved and exhibits the artefacts collected from around the world. A little known fact about Marble Palace is that it housed India’s first zoo with many species of birds and animals. When the zoological garden was opened in Kolkata, Raja Rajendra gifted several of his birds and animals to the zoo. Currently, it has an aviary with a small stock of birds including peacocks, storks and cranes. The area around the palace, known as Bara Bazar is the shopping centre of the city.

EDEN GARDENS

The stadium derives its name from one of the oldest parks of Kolkata - Eden Gardens, located opposite the stadium. This park was known as Mar Bagan before it was changed to Eden Gardens. Babu Rajchandra Das, the zamindar of the city (then Calcutta) in the 19th century had gifted this land to the Viceroy Lord Auckland Eden and her sister Emily Garden. This was an expression of gratitude to the Eden sisters, who had saved Babu Rajchandra’s daughter from a fatal disease. This displays the heartwarming attitude Bengali folks have always had towards anyone who has helped them. Wide roads and lush green cover dominate the areas around the stadium.

This sprawling and mammoth stadium was established in 1864. It is located in the Maidan area and is a great example of the love for sports that the people of Kolkata have. Regarded as the third largest stadium in the world, the Eden Gardens originally had a capacity of 40,000. In 1987 it was renovated to increase the capacity to 94,000. Recently, it was again modernised in 2011 that eventually reduced its capacity to 68,000.

VICTORIA MEMORIAL

This memorial, residing near the Maidan grounds needs no introduction! Many people do not know that prior to construction of the memorial, this land served as the Presidency Jail. The jail was constructed in 1778 and shifted to Alipore in 1906 to make way for the Victoria memorial. The historical memorial was constructed in the early 20th century in memory of the late Queen Victoria. The plan was proposed by Lord Curzon when Calcutta (now Kolkata) was still the capital of the British Empire in India. It was constructed for 1 crore and five lakh rupees with major contributions by Indians and the British government.

Today it is known as one of the most visited tourist destinations in our city. There are lush green gardens, a collection of thousands of artefacts and paintings present at the memorial. It resembles the Taj Mahal in many ways as both have been constructed from the Makrana marble of Rajasthan. The central dome and 4 pillars that adorn the memorial also depict a confluence of European and Mughal architecture. It also believed that the British constructed the monument to outshine the magnificence of the Taj Mahal. Inside the central dome, you will find many sculptures that depict the values of charity, justice, wisdom and motherhood.

ALIPORE ZOO

The zoo was formerly established as a British menagerie, a private place to collect and display animals. When the zoo was first opened in 1876 to the public, the first stock of animals consisted of Carl Louis Schwendler menagerie. The Alipore Zoo was one of the few zoos that achieved high success in captive breeding. It’s first superintendent,  R.B. Sanyal was the individual who published the first handbook on captive animal breeding.

Today this place serves as a one stop location to get an insight into the variety of species that nature has bestowed on this planet. Weekends can see a large footfall of kids and adults visiting the Alipore Zoo to have a glimpse of the exquisite animals and fishes in the park.

The style and designs of these locations clearly resonate the extravagant love people of Kolkata have for architecture. The open grounds and antique collections found in some of these locations are elements that people still look for when searching for residential properties in the city. Though things may have become modern, walking through the streets of the city will always give you the nostalgic feeling of the age old Calcutta! 

This is what makes a Kolkatan always remain a Kolkatan!