Ghost Walk of Esplanade and Dalhousie Square, Calcutta (Kolkata)

Ghost Walk

Esplanade and Dalhousie Square, Calcutta (Kolkata)

It was the sound of piano, isolated notes and then a complete string of music, then the loud dong of the St, John’s Church bell announcing 1:45 am, this was all part of the Ghost walk of Esplanade and Dalhousie area in Calcuta.

Ghost Walk Group, in front of Ne Market, Kolkata

The idea of a ghost walk of Calcutta was conceived by my friend Anthony Khatchaturian,  a Calcutta Armenian of the famous Galstaun lineage, along with Dr. Souvik Mukherjee of Presidency University. The route was soon chalked out and the Anthony did all the running and arranged for permissions and police escorts.

Advertisement

A Panoramic Tour of Kolkata (Calcutta)

Compilation of Panoramic photos from Kolkata (Calcutta)

Also see: My collection of Panorama Compilation

Panoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that captures images with elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as wide format photography. Panorama photos are normally shot by stitching  series of photos with sightly overlapping fields to create a panoramic image.

Salt Lake (Sec – V) Panorama with East Kolkata Wetlands, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Calcutta GPO ~ Site of Old Fort.

Located on the crossing of Netaji Subhas Road and Koilaghat Street, is located Calcutta’s main or General Post Ofiice (GPO). General Post Office (GPO) is one of the famous landmark of the city of Calcutta (Kolkata). Built in 1868 (construction started in 1864) the majestic building was designed by Walter B. Grenvile.

General Post Office (GPO), Calcutta (Kolkata)

The majestic building has two wings supported by Ionic – Corinthian pillars and is crowned with a towering dome. Today it operates as the chief post office of West Bengal and contains a Philately Department and a Postal Museum.

Built at the sight of the old Fort William (built in 1700), which was destroyed by Shiraj – ud – Daulah during the “Seige of Calcutta” in 1756.

Left: Plaque mentioning the Brass Plate, Right: Portion of the Brass Plate

Along the eastern staircase of the GPO almost invisible brass plate marks the eastern end of the old Fort William, probably the only remains of the old fort of Calcutta.

In recent years a marble plaque has been put on the Eastern walls of GPO mentioning the Brass Plate but still the almost obliterate brass plate is difficult to spot. Thousand of pedestrians walk pass the GPO everyday ignoring the only remains of the Old Fort of Calcutta.

Reference:

• 10 Wlaks in Calcutta by Prosenjit Das Gupta
• Saswata Kolkata by Nishitranjan Roy

List of my Blog entries on Calcutta (Kolkata)

PHOTO PUBLICATION – III

JET WINGS

AUGUST 2011

Three of my photographs on Calcutta (kolkata) Architecture was published in the article titled “Stories within Walls” by Partha Mukherjee & Priyanka Mukherjee in the Jet Wings (In flight magazine of Jet Airways) October 2011 issue.

Pages of Jet Wings with my photos

My three published photos:

• General Post Office (GPO), Calcutta (Kolkata)
• St. Andrew’s Kirk (Church), Calcutta (kolkata)
• Raj Bhavan Gate, Calcutta (Kolkata)

General Post Office (GPO), Calcutta (Kolkata)

General Post Office (GPO), Calcutta (Kolkata)

General Post Office (GPO) is one of the famous landmark of the city of Calcutta (Kolkata). Built in 1864 the majestic building was designed by Walter B. Grenvile.

Built at the sight of the old Fort William the stairs on the Eastern end of the building still contains the almost invisible brass plate marking the boundary of the old fort. The old Fort William was destroyed by Shiraj – ud – Daulah in 1756.

The majestic building has two wings supported by Ionic – Corinthian pillars and is crowned with a towering dome.

Today it operates as the chief post office of West Bengal and contains a Philately Department and a Postal Museum.

More photos of Calcutta (Kolkata) Architecture.

St Andrew’s Kirk (Church), Calcutta (Kolkata)

St. Andrews Kirk (Church), Clacutta (Kolkata)

Located at the Dalhousie Square St. Andrew’s Kirk (Kirk means Scottish Church) is the first Scottish Church of Calcutta

(Kolkata). The milk white St. Andrew’s Church, with its withe steeple crowned with a black weather cock, stands next to the Writers’ Building.

With the initiative of Scottish man Dr James Bryce, the Scottish community of Calcutta (Kolkata) started building their own church in 1815. Completed in 1818 the St. Andrew’s Church was designed by M/s Burn, Currie & Co. and its steeple was higher than that of the then Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta St. John’s Church, much to the annoyance of Bishop Middleton.

Today the St. Andrew’s Church stands as an oasis of peace in Calcutta’s busiest square.

Another view of St. Andrew’s Kirk (Church), Calcutta (Kolkata)

Raj Bhaban, Calcutta (Kolkata)

“without doubt the finest Government House occupied by the representative of any Sovereign or Government in the world.” Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India (1898 – 1905)

Raj Bhaban Gate, Calcutta (Kolkata)

Before 1799 the Governor General resided in a rented house, called Bukimham House, located in the same location. It was in 1799 the then Governor General of India, Lord Wellesley, took the initiative of building a palace, because he believed that India should be ruled form a palace and not from a country house.

After 4 years construction was complete at a colossal cost of 63,291 pounds (about 3.8 million pounds in today’s estimate). Wellesley was charged for misusing of Company’s fund and was finally recalled back to England in 1805.

Designed by Capt. Charles Wyatt and on the lines of the Curzon’s family mansion of the Keddleston Hall of Derbyshire, the Raj Bhavan follows a Neoclassical style with distinct Baroque overtones. In a strange coincidence, a 100 years after its construction started, the most illustrious son of the Curzon family, George Nathaniel Curzon came to occupy the Raj Bhavan as the Viceroy of India.

Today Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of Bengal and one of the leading landmarks of Calcutta (Kolkata).

Raj Bhavan Calcutta (Kolkata) from North Gate

More Photo Publication