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The city was founded by the British and has a short history of around 400 years. There are very few old monuments of pre-British origin. However the British constructed quite a few buildings for developmental purposes. Some have been associated with the Indian freedom struggle giving them a monumental stature. The prominent among them are Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, Raj Bhawan, Sheed Minar, BBD Bagh and Writers’ Building.
Howrah Bridge The symbol of modernization, always under focus of the lens men of the 50s and then immortalized in the Hindi movie with the same name. A visit to Kolkata has to begin at the Howrah Bridge. A 1500 ft single span suspension bridge over Hoogly River was completed in 1943. There are three bridges on the Hoogly River today but Howrah Bridge is the busiest. The traffic density on the bridge is the maximum in the world. The traffic in India is a motley mix of bullock carts, horse drawn carriages, lumbering trucks & buses and the swish modern cars. You can watch this site on Howrah Bridge by taking a ferry in the Hoogly River or from the sidewalks of the bridge. The Bridge has long been renamed as Rabindra Setu but the popular name of Howrah still continues.
Victoria Memorial The memorial is an excellently crafted legacy of the British Raj with a regal statue of Queen Victoria cast in bronze, two brass canons guarding the statue and landscaped gardens with well laid pathways. The Memorial was designed by Lord Curzon and was inaugurated in 1921 by the Prince of Wales. The Memorial has marble statues, galleries full of British Raj memorabilia, exquisitely crafted domes and magical light and sound shows which are organized in the evening. The memorial is closed on Mondays for maintenance.
Raj Bhawan The place was built in the 1800 and is an exquisite example of Gothic architecture. The place was used as the residence and office complex for the British Governor General of India. Today it is the office complex and residence of the Governor of West Bengal. The entry to the place is restricted and public entry is generally prohibited.
Saheed Minar The ‘Monument of Martyrs’ or Shaheed Minar is a 158 feet high Egyptian style minaret with a dome on top. It commemorates British Army’s victory in the battle against Nepalese Army in 1814. The monument was originally named Octarloni Monument on the name of the British General David Octarloni who led the battle. The Monument was associated with the Indian Freedom Movement and political seminars were regularly held here. After the Indian Independence the Monument was renamed as Shahid Minar, a mark of respect for the freedom fighters and its association in the freedom struggle. There is a balcony in the dome at the top of the monument which gives a panoramic scene of Kolkata. It sure is an arduous task climbing 198 steps of the spiral staircase. But still more arduous is obtaining permission from the authorities to undertake the adventure.
BBD Bagh This is a small place located to the south of Rabindra Setu. There is a pond, Lal Dighi in the middle of the garden which was the main source of water to the nearby areas during Raj. The place is also known as Dalhousie Square or Tank Square or Lal Dighi Square. The British immortalized the place by hanging three Indian freedom fighters, Benoy, Badal and Dinesh who led the protests opposing the partition of Bengal. The name BBD has been coined from the first letters of the three names of the martyrs.
Writer’s Building The European architecture, red colored building of the 17th century is well maintained and also the office of the State Chief Minister. It is a solace that the onslaught real estate developers will not touch this ancient beauty, thanks to the location of the high office. The building was originally constructed to accommodate the clerical and administrative staff of the East India Company. The clerks in those days would write all the documents by hand, thus the name Writers’ Building. The humble one storey building in BBD Bagh was later expanded to accommodate more staff. The Fort William College of Calcutta was first located here. Today the sprawling building is 200 meters wide and has 2.8 acres of covered area. The Chief Minister Office complex has three more massive buildings which accommodate 6000 office workers to run the affairs of the state.
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