Shwetambar Jain Temple, Gouribari, Kolkata

Shwetambar Jain Temple

Gouribari, Kolkata

With the Battle of Plassey Calcutta transformed from a trading outpost of East India Company to the capital of British India. Soon the city transformed into the second city of the mighty British empire and become the hub of business activities in Asia.

Temple of Sitalnath, Shwetambar Jain Temple Complex, Gouribari

As the city and its economy grew it started attracting prople from not only different parts of India but from the entire world. The Britishers were already there they were joined by the Jews, Armenians, Portuguese and Greeks.

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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.

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.