St. Stephen’s Church, Kidderpore, Kolkata

Church with a Rocket like Steeple

Also see: My compilation of Calcutta (Kolkata) Churches

The St. Stephen’s Church, located on the Diamond Harbour Road, and next to the St. Thomas School, it is best observed from the bridge over Adi Ganga (Tolly Nala) in Kiddrpore.

St. Stephen’s Church, D H Road, Kidderpore, Kolkata

With its unique rocket like steeple the St. Stephen’s Church attracts the attention of even the casual passerby. Strangely the steeple was not meant to be designed like a rocket, in fact it was designed as a ship’s lantern.

Nipponzan Myohoji (Japanese) Buddhist Temple, Kolkata

Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple, Kolkata

Japanese Buddhist Temple, Kolkata

Also see: Buddhist Temple of Kolkata (Calcutta)

Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, has always been a melting pot of people of different religion and ethnicity. As the different religious group settled in a new city they set up there own place of worship.

Nipponzan Myohoji (Japanese) Buddhist Temple, Kolkata

Unlike the Christian, Jews and Parsis the Buddhist came much later to the city but they still have more than half a dozen Buddhist Temples scattered all over the city.

Heritage Tour of The Lalit Great Eastern Hotel

The Lalit Great Eastern Hotel

Heritage Tour

The crocodile bread, cream roll and the amazing aroma of baked goodies are all that remains of the my fond memory of The Great Eastern Hotel.

The grand entrance of The Lalit Great Eastern Hotel, popularly known as Great Eastern Hotel

I was at the bakery of The Lalit Great Eastern Hotel, narrating my fond memories of the good old days of Great Eastern Hotel to Madhumita Bose, Manager PR & Macrom.

In the footsteps of Wajid Ali Shah, Walking tour of Metiabruz

In the footsteps of Wajid Ali Shah

Walking tour of Metiabruz, an initiative of ITC Sonar, Kolkata

See also: Metiabruz Dawat, ITC Sonar, Kolkata

On 13 May 1856 a steamer, name McLeod, docked at the Bichali Ghat in Metibruz, in the southern fringes of Calcutta (now Kolkata). On board was the disposed king of Oudh (or Awadh) Wajid Ali Shah.

Group shot at the grand staircase of the Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) Office, headquarters of South Eastern Railway (SER), Garden Reach, Kolkata

Little did he know that he would never return to his capital Lucknow and it started the beginning of a home in exile.

Buddhist Temples of Kolkata (Calcutta)

A compilation of Buddhist Temples in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, has always been a melting pot of people of different religion and ethnicity. As the different religious group settled in a new city they set up there own place of worship.

As these religious group were further divided in sub sects and ethnicity, each of these groups started coming up with there own place of worships.

Unlike the Christian, Jews and Parsis the Buddhist came much later to the city and only a handful of there temples date backs over a century. But still Kolkata boast a interesting collection of Buddhist Temples, belonging to different ethnic groups, and scattered all  over the city.

1. Chinese Buddhist Temple, Lake Town

Chinese Buddhist Temple, Lake Town

The Chinese Buddhist Temple is located on Jessore Road in between Lake Town and Bangur.

The official address is 426 Jessore Road and the temple is located on a narrow lane on the opposite foot of Lake Town and Bangur.

It is a new temple, opened only in 1962. It went through an extension in 1972. The Chinese Buddhist Temple on Jessore Road consists of a large central hall and several smaller shrines. It also houses a library containing a large number of hand written religious text.

The temple is not very well maintained and is rarely visited by devotes. An old lady caretaker looks after the Chinese Buddhist Temple.

Fifth Wikipedia Kolkata Photowalk

Wikipedia Takes Kolkata V

Fifth Wikipedia Kolkata Photowalk, 24 January 2016

Also see: Wikipedia Kolkata Photowalks

Wikipedia the world largest online encyclopedia runs entirely on voluntary effort. Each major city in the world has a a Wikipedia chapter, who apart from contributing to Wikipedia carry out different activities like workshops and photowalks.

Group Photo (not the whole group), Fifth Wikipedia Kolkata Photowalk, (Photo Courtesy: Indrajit Das, Wikimedia Commons)

The main objective of Wikipedia Photowalk, officially known a “Wikipedia Takes,” is to build a database of photos of landmarks of the city. The photos can later be used in the relevant articles.

Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) 2016, Literally Heritage Walk

Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) 2016

Literary Heritage Walk organized by Streets of Calcutta (SOC)

The 7th edition of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Fest (AKLF) kicked off with a Literary Heritage Walk of College Street area on 10 Jan. 2016.

AKLF Literary Heritage Walk group in front of College Street Coffee House

The walk was organized by the Streets of Calcutta (SOC) and I was privileged enough to lead this walk.

Plaque of the last legal Sati (Suttee) of Bengal, Scottish Church College

Plaque of the last legal Sati (Suttee) of Bengal

Assembly Hall, Scottish Church College, Kolkata

“In 1829 he lighted the one pyre of his dead father and living mother, the last legal suttee of Bengal.”

Plaque in memory of The Rev. Bipro Charan Chuckerbutty

The plaque in memory of The Rev. Bipro Charan Chuckerbutty, who lighted the pyre of the last legal sati of Bengal, stands on the walls of the Assembly Hall of Scottish Church College, in North Kolkata.

Afghan War Memorial, Dum Dum, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Afghan War Memorial

Ordnance Factory, Dum Dum, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Afghan War Memorial, Dum Dum, Kolkata (Calcutta)

It may sound unusual that a road in Dum Dum, north of Kolkata (Calcutta), is known as the Monument Road and whats more unusual, is that it does have a monument at it side.

The monument is shaped like a white tower and has some resemblance with the Saheed Minar (Octernoly Monument), which is located at the North – Eastern corner of Kolkata Maidan.

It is located next to the entrance of the Dum Dum Ordnance Factory and is dedicated to the fallen British soldiers of the First Anglo – Afghan War (1839 – 42).

The towering Afghan War Memorial was constructed in 1842 and predates the Dum Dum Ordnance Factory. The Dum Dum Ordnance Factory was set up in 1846, following the defeat of the British in the Afghan War, when the British East India Company decided to set up the first ammunition factory in India.

According to locals the dhum dhum sound of the the testing guns gave Dum Dum its name, but historians differ as the reference of the name Dum Dum can be found far beyond the days of the Dum Dum Ordnance Factory.

Neveh Shalome Synagogue, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Rebirth of Kolkata’s (Calcuta’s) Oldest Synagogue

Also See: Kolkata (Calcutta ) Jews

“In 1806 Calcutta was at the height of its golden age. Known as the City of palaces or the St. Petersburg of the East, the British bridgehead in Bengal was unquestionably the richest, largest and most elegant colonial city in India.”

William Dalrymple, White Mughal

Neveh Shalome Synagogue, Kolkata (Calcutta)

It was during these golden days of Calcutta (Kolkata) the first Jewish settlers arrived in the city. The first recorded Jewish immigrant to Kolkata was Shalon Cohen in 1798 from Aleppo in present day Syria.