Wish you were here

City of palaces

Sandip Hor is enthralled by a city that made its name as Calcutta under the Raj

Formerly known as Calcutta, Kolkata is a city of many incarnations. An obscure village when it was spotted by English administrator Job Charnock in 1686, the city evolved to become ‘London on the River Hooghly’ within a century.

Subsequently, Calcutta became the second city of Queen Victoria’s British Empire. And in typical British style, the city was adorned with stately buildings, wide boulevards, ornate churches, colonial clubs, formal gardens, plush hotels and fashionable restaurants.

During her stay in India in the 19th century, poet and novelist Emily Eden pronounced Calcutta as ‘the finest city in the world’ and bestowed her name on its famed cricket ground Eden Gardens.

French author Dominique Lapierre loved its intrinsic culture and named it the ‘City of Joy’ while Macedonia-born Mother Teresa, who spent most of her life there helping the poor, made the city world-famous.

Today, Kolkata unhurriedly sloughs off its old skin through the coexistence of old and new, and this sharing of antiquity with modernity creates a unique appeal for visitors to experience.

WHERE TO STAY The century old Oberoi Grand Hotel is located in the heart of the city, and provides guests with the taste of a glorious past and contemporary present.

WHAT TO EAT The city’s culinary scene is famous for its street food and sweets. Most authentic are kati rolls (skewered roasted kebabs wrapped in pan fried flatbreads); phuchka (a crisp, fried and hollow flour ball filled with spicy potatoes and tamarind water); and rasgulla (a ball shaped cheese dumpling cooked in sugar syrup).

WHERE TO SHOP Calcutta was founded as a trading place, so there are several old-fashioned markets and bazaars everywhere with many glittering shopping malls supplementing the spree. For visitors however, a favourite is the British built Sir Stuart Hogg Market (New Market) where, if something can’t be found, that means it’s yet to be created.

WHERE TO GO After seven decades of independence, the legacy of the British Empire has faded; but the quality colonial architecture and lifestyle of some residents – embellished with cricket, cocktails and cakes – is a place of near pilgrimage for those who admired the Raj.

They reminiscence about the remnants of that era by meandering along the Esplanade, which is a bustling quarter surrounded by colonial architecture; strolling along the riverside Strand to glimpse the British made red edifices; relishing the art and history inside the Victoria Memorial; frequenting one of several grand old gentlemen’s clubs for a gin and tonic; betting on horses at the racetrack; or playing a soothing round at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Many imposing palaces, which were the homes of viceroys, regal imperialists and local landlords, still grace the city to testify to its other name – ‘City of Palaces.’

Most impressive are the Raj Bhavan, which is the current home of the state governor, which was built in 1803 on some 11 hectares of land along the lines of Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire as the viceroy’s home; the National Library, an Italian Renaissance style grand edifice constructed in 1836 as the residence of the British administrator; and the Marble Palace, built by Indian art lover and philanthropist Raja Rajendra Mullick at around the same time.

The 19th century Bengali Renaissance movement introduced a great cultural awakening that made Calcutta the cultural capital of India.

This city boasts Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Oscar winning film director Satyajit Ray; hosts the nation’s largest book fair; and sells countless copies of books by Vikram Seth, Amitav Ghosh, Rana Dasgupta and Jhumpa Lahiri, all of whom have enduring links to Kolkata.

The city also showcases dance and music events, as well as art exhibitions and theatre evenings, at various venues in and around Kolkata.