Category Archives: Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Olympic gold-winning hockey legend Keshav Datt dies

Hockey player Keshav Chandra Dutt   | Photo Credit: Rajeev Bhatt

He was part India’s historic feat at the 1948 Olympics where they beat home team Britain 4-0 at the Wembley Stadium in London to win the first gold post Independence.

Two-time Olympics gold medallist Keshav Chandra Datt, the last surviving member of the Indian hockey team in the historic 1948 London Games, passed away here early on Wednesday, according to a Hockey Bengal (HB) statement. He was 95.

An HB official said Datt’s last rites would be performed after the arrival of his daughter Anjali from abroad in a few days’ time.

A product of the famous Government College, Lahore — which also produced Olympians like Syed Jaffar, Commander Nandy Singh and Munir Dar — Datt, born in Lahore on December 29, 1925, participated in the 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Games respectively.

Some claim that he could not take part in his third Olympics, in Melbourne in 1956, due to “professional commitments with Brooke Bond”.

Datt — who migrated to India after the partition and played in Bombay and then in Bengal — was part of the Dhyan Chand-led Indian squad that toured East Africa in 1947. As a half-back, he played in 22 matches and scored two goals.

In 1949, Datt had the honour of playing against hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, who led the Rest of India squad, in two exhibition matches here.

First, Datt was part of the 1948 Olympics squad and in the second he was a member of the Bengal team.

In his autobiography Goal, Dhyan Chand rated Datt as one of the finest half-backs of that time.

Best moments

Defeating host Great Britain 4-0 in the final at the Empire Stadium, Wembley, London, to win Independent India’s first gold in 1948 on the British soil and then thrashing the Netherlands 6-1 four years later in Helsinki to bag the second consecutive Olympic Games title were the finest moments of Datt’s career.

By the age of 26, he had the prized possession of two Olympic gold medals.

He was among the last ones to witness India’s monopoly in the Olympics as it faced some challenge in the 1956 Games where it experienced tight matches — including 1-0 wins over Germany and Pakistan in the semifinals and final respectively.

Datt shone in his club career as well.

“While playing for Calcutta Port Commissioners, he impressed famous actor and Mohun Bagan Hockey secretary of that time, Jahar Ganguly. He joined Mohun Bagan in 1951 to respect the wishes of Ganguly and played till 1960.

“In 1952, Mohun Bagan achieved the first double in hockey when it lifted the Beighton Cup for the first time along with the Calcutta Hockey League (CHL),” the Bagan website said.

Datt won CHL six times and the Beighton Cup three times in his 10-year Bagan career. He was the first non-football sportsperson to be conferred the Mohun Bagan Ratna, in 2019.

Datt represented Punjab (in undivided India), Bombay and Bengal in the National championship.

Badminton player

He was also an accomplished badminton player and was Bengal No.1 of his times.

Datt’s passing away snaps the only living link with Independent India’s first sporting glory.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Hockey / by Y.B. Sarangi / Kolkata – July 07th, 2021

Gandhi – The Calcutta Connection

Yesterday marked 72 years since a man fired by bigotry and hate assassinated the Mahatma. We bring you excerpts from a little known but painstaking work on his trysts with the city.

The Mahatma visits Subhas Chandra Bose’s bedroom at Netaji Bhavan in 1945. File Picture

South Africa calling

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi reached Calcutta by the S.S. Pangola on July 4, 1896, after leaving Durban on May 6. He did not stay in Calcutta… After visiting Rajkot, Bombay and Madras, he returned to Calcutta via Nagpur on October 31. He stayed at the Great Eastern Hotel from October 31 to November 14… Gandhi had no friends in Calcutta. He wanted to meet Sir Surendranath Banerjee to get him interested in South African affairs. He met Banerjee at the Indian Association Hall, and he told Gandhi, “I am afraid people will not take interest in your work. As you know, our difficulties here are by no means few. But you must try…” The editors of Amrita Bazar Patrika and Bangabasi — leading Bengali newspapers — whom Gandhi met did not take interest in the South African problems. But the Calcutta-based English dailies, The Statesman and The Englishman, showed interest and published his interviews.

A Growing Acquaintance (1901-1921)

Gandhi did not want to miss the 17th session of the Indian National Congress held in Calcutta in December 1901. He reached Calcutta on December 24 and stayed at the India Club (6 Bankshall Street) at Dalhousie Square. The session, under the presidency of Dinshaw Edulji Wacha of Bombay, was held at Beadon Square.

Gandhi visited Calcutta in August 1920 to attend the Congress session presided over by Lala Lajpat Rai. His wife Kasturba and son Devadas accompanied him. All of them stayed with Gandhi’s eldest son, Harilal, at 4 Pollock Street.

Gandhiji at a meeting in Calcutta / File Picture

He was in Calcutta four times in 1921… Foreign cloth was burnt at five venues: Harish Park, Mirzapur Park, Halliday Park (or Mohammed Ali Park), Beadon Square and Kidderpore. Gandhi was in Calcutta on September 9 and 10, when he held discussions with the Marwari Association and the Chambers of Commerce about the burning of foreign cloth and picketing of shops selling them.

Subhas Bose

On April 28, 1939, Gandhi had prolonged discussions with Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru. Sarat Chandra Bose called on Gandhi after his prayer time. Gandhi visited Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s house at 19A Ballygunge Circular Road, accompanied by Kasturba and Nehru for discussions with Congress leaders. On April 29, he held discussions with Bose who was the Congress president. On April 30, Bose resigned making room for Dr Rajendra Prasad.

Gandhi visited Subhas Chandra Bose’s house at Elgin Road (on December 17, 1945) and saw the bedroom from where he escaped. Haridas Mitra took Gandhi to different rooms of the house. Sarat Chandra Bose and other members of the family were present. 

1947

Gandhi stopped at Calcutta while returning from Noakhali on March 4, 1947, on his way to Patna. He returned to Calcutta on May 9 and went to Sodepur… Central Calcutta Congress leaders led by Kalipada Mukherjee and Debendra Chandra Dey discussed the effects of Partition of Bengal with him. Sitaram Seksaria, member, AICC, called on Gandhi. On May 11, S.H. Suhrawardy, premier of Bengal, accompanied by Mohammed Ali Bogra (minister of undivided Bengal) and Abul Hashim (general secretary, Bengal Provincial Muslim League), called on Gandhi and discussed the idea of United Sovereign Bengal… After listening to Suhrawardy and his companions, Gandhi said a new Bengal could not be born in utter disregard of the past. When the past was so full of wrongs, how could people believe in the sincerity of the new proposal unless past wrongs were set right? Suhrawardy broke into an eloquent defence of his government… Gandhi was of the opinion that this was not different from the argument of British imperialists.

May 14.

A massive report was presented to Gandhi by a number of journalists containing a detailed description of the riots that were continuing in Calcutta and of the failure of the police and the administration in this connection. Gandhi expressed a desire to visit the affected parts of Calcutta. Necessary arrangements were immediately made and he was driven to all the affected quarters along with the acting chief minister, Mohammed Ali, and also important persons such as Debendranath Mukherjee, who was the secretary of the Bengal Provincial Hindu Mahasabha. The journey was over 50 miles and when Gandhi returned home he expressed the opinion that there was exaggeration in the description of damage in the report. August 9. Gandhi returned to Calcutta from Patna… Riots had once more broken out in Calcutta. This time, apparently, the initiative had come from the Hindus. The latter felt that the power of the League Ministry was now broken and the police could therefore no longer encourage the Muslim goondas. Under the new regime of the Congress, the time had therefore come for the Hindus to strike back. This was perhaps the reason why, on the present occasion, the targets of attack were certain slums in Miabagan or Paikpara that had been known to harbour gangs of Muslim goondas in the previous phase of the riots… Gandhi called on Governor Burrows at 3.30pm at Government House. Burrows requested Gandhi to stay over in Calcutta and help quell the riot-like situation.

Gandhiji with Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy and others at the Beliaghata Camp in 1947 / File Picture

Syed Mohammad Usman, a former mayor of Calcutta, called on Gandhi at Sodepur and requested him to postpone his trip to Noakhali and save Calcutta… It is interesting to note that at a later stage, at one of Gandhi’s prayer meetings, in reply to a question Suhrawardy practically confessed that he was responsible for the great Calcutta Killings of 1946… Gandhi refused requests by the Information Department of the Governor of India and BBC to broadcast a message on August 15… On August 11, Gandhi conducted a tour of the riot-affected areas of Calcutta from 2.30 to 4.15pm accompanied by Dr P.C. Ghosh, chief minister designate, and Mohammad Usman. Suhrawardy, the outgoing Prime Minister of Bengal, met Gandhi at 9pm and stayed till 11pm.

The next day Suhrawardy agreed to Gandhi’s condition that they should stay together and quell the riots in Calcutta. Mahatma Gandhi left Sodepur in the afternoon of August 13 and took up residence in a house owned by a Muslim family in the disturbed area of Beliaghata in northeast Calcutta. Gandhi fasted all day on August 14. On August 15, all day long unending streams of people proceeded to Beliaghata to see Gandhi. Gandhi broke his fast after his afternoon prayers in observance of Independence Day. His face beamed with joy when the West Bengal premier, Dr Prafulla Chandra Ghosh, told him about the unique demonstrations of Hindu-Muslim unity seen in connection with Independence Day celebrations.

Gandhi made a tour of Calcutta at night and witnessed how the city was observing Independence Day and how the communities were fraternising… At a press conference at his Beliaghata residence on August 20, Gandhi met the representatives of Calcutta Press. In his advice to them he said: “Let the past be buried. Do not rake it up. Think of the future. Analyse. Do not exaggerate. The country has often suffered from exaggeration.”

AUTHOR’S INFO:

Parameswaran Thankappan Nair is known as Calcutta’s barefoot historian. He has written A Tercentenary History of Calcutta: A History of Calcutta’s Streets and among his other books are Calcutta in the 19th Century: Company’s Days and Calcutta: Origin of the Name. This piece has been excerpted from his 63rd book, Gandhiji in Calcutta, published by Punthi Pustak in 2019

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Culture> Books> Big Story / by P.T. Nair / January 31st, 2021

Joynagar Moa earns branding mojo

Manufacturers create product adhering to original recipe with distinctive aroma, feel and taste.

Joynagar’s Moa / Telegraph picture

Joynagar Moa has managed to get for itself a logo that signifies its unique local identity and a recipe that defines what moa is supposed to be all about.

Six years back, in November 2014, the delicate sweet made of khoi (popped rice) had bagged a geographical indication tag for its uniqueness that would be only found across two blocks of Joynagar in South 24-Parganas.

Over the last few years a section of moa manufacturers have managed to do what rasogolla manufacturers are still struggling with the “Banglar Rasogolla” GI tag — create a product adhering to the original recipe that would offer a distinctive aroma and mouthfeel.

With these manufacturers finally ready with their produce, a unique brand of Joy-nagar’s Moa would sell this winter.

Over 20 such manufacturers from different parts of Joynagar — who have bagged the “authorised user certificate” — have come together and tied up with almost all the best selling mishti shops across Calcutta to sell Joynagar Moa, the authentic one.

“Anyone can challenge the manufacturer for the authenticity of the moa that will be sold in packs of six, 10 and 12 pieces,” said Ashok Kumar Kayal of Joynagar Moa Nirmankari Society, the one that had pitched for the GI tag with the Union ministry of commerce and industry. “It’s not easy producing this moa abiding by all the norms that have been laid down by the GI council. It’s a strict mix of human skill and hygiene while following the prescribed flow-chart.”  

A moa to be truly of Joynagar has to be between 50 and 75 gram in dry weight and must be made from Kanakchur khoi and should have at least seven ingredients including nolen gur , ghee, cardamom, khoya kheer, sugar, dry grape and cashew nut.

“Anything else that sells as Joynagar Moa is not the one that has been certified by the GI council,” said Dhiman Das, director of KC Das Private Limited. “Some sweet-shop owners have come together to save this product in its original form and hence, this initiative to sell original moa.”

Dhiman was among the many who had fought for the “Banglar Rasogolla” GI tag certification that came in 2017 and has now created a platform of sweet sellers known

as Mishti Udyog, who would sell the branded moa from their outlets in Calcutta and beyond.

Just like the uniqueness of “Banglar Rasogolla” lies in being spongy, fluffy and its smooth texture “with less chewiness”, the speciality of Joynagar Moa is the Kanakchur khoi.

Kanakchur variety has a slender grain and is scented, short and bold, everything that makes it particularly suited for the uniqueness of Joynagar Moa.

The origin of Joynagar Moa dates back more than a century. The year 2004 was the centennial year of ‘Moa of Joynagar’.

Ashutosh Das, a resident of Das Para of Sreepur village in Joynagar had first started the moa industry in the Bengali in 1904. His son, Jawaharlal Das, used to visit the house of Rani Rashmoni at Janbazar carrying moa.

Over the years, moa found acceptance as a delicate sweet and gained popularity across the globe.

But the moa that would be sold across Calcutta or Bengal would not rarely meet the standards that were set down some six years back.

Why? Primarily because of the detailed process that would be involved in preparing an original moa was missing. Here is how the process goes.

Ten litres of nolen gur, for instance, would have to be boiled to get a litre of pure gur. Then comes preparing the khoi. There are male and female khoi. Female khoi, which are bigger in size, is not preferred for moa. They are separated out. Good male khoi are only mixed with hot nolen gur in a big iron pan.

Next the khoi has to be immersed in nolen gur. The stirring has to be done with a wooden ladle. It’s a long and tedious process. 

Artisans would allow the mix to cool before using their cleaned hands to give the shape after smearing their palms with pure ghee.

Finally, flavouring agents are added. That would in-clude sugar, cashew nuts, cardamom, ghee and dry grapes. Average weight of each moa would be between 50 and 75 gram.

Know your sweet

Area: The area of production of Joynagar Moa lies between Joynagar Block I and Joynagar Block II of the Joynagar-Mazilpur municipal area, which is around 53km south of Calcutta in South 24-Parganas

Raw materials required: Khoi of Kanakchur paddy, nolen gur, ghee, cardamom, khoya kheer, sugar, dry grapes and cashew nuts. 

Colour: Light yellowish. 

Weight: Average weight of each Moa is between 50 and 75 gram. 

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal> Calcutta / by Kinsuk Basu / Calcutta / November 29th, 2020

How a suicide in Calcutta in 1800s sparked a debate on applying English laws in India

The East India Company wanted the law of forfeiture to apply in the colonies, which would have allowed a suicide victim’s property to pass to the Crown.

The Court House, Calcutta, where the case would first have been heard. A hand-coloured print from the Fiebig Collection: Views of Calcutta and Surrounding Districts, by Frederick Fiebig in 1851 | British Library Online Gallery

In a delicate case from 1864, the Privy Council considered whether the English practice of forfeiture following a suicide should apply to a subject of the British Raj.

Following the death of Rajah Christenauth Roy Bayadoor in Calcutta on October 31, 1844, a second will was discovered, written by him that morning, which left a portion of his estate to the East India Company. Since his death was by his own hand, Bayadoor’s widow, Ranee Surnomoyee, disputed the validity of this will on the grounds that it was not written in sound mind. The court found in favour of Ranee Surnomoyee, declaring the second will to be invalid.

An appeal was then made to the Privy Council against this verdict on behalf of East India Company, citing the law of forfeiture in cases of suicide. A digitised copy of the response of the Council is available to view on the website of the British and Irish Legal Information Institute.

Known as felo-de-se within English common law, meaning “crime of his-, or herself”, suicide in England was associated with restless souls. Confirmed victims were historically buried at crossroads with a stake through their heart, possibly in an effort to stop the soul from wandering. The law was only changed to allow burials within churchyards following the tragic death of Foreign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh in 1822.

Even then, restrictions still applied. In her book on Victorian attitudes to suicide, Barbara Gates states that churchyard burials were allowed without Christian rites and restricted to “at night, between the hours of nine and midnight, and his/her goods and chattels must still be turned over to the Crown”.

Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, took his own life in 1822, probably due to stress and depression caused by the strain of his political career and public unpopularity. The suicide of such a public figure inspired the re-examination of related English laws. Image from Jonah Barrington, Historic Memoirs of Ireland (London, 1833) Photo credit: British Library flickr

Intended as a deterrent to criminals, the law of forfeiture passed the deceased’s property to the Crown and away from inheritors. It also applied to suicides, which were considered a crime against the individual, God and the Crown. Abolished by the Forfeiture Act 1870, the practice was applied infrequently, even at the time of our case.

In the appeal, the representative of the East India Company did not further contest the second will. Instead, he argued that English law, including forfeiture, applied in the colonies. The privy councillors, therefore, had to consider the application of these laws in India.

They examined cultural differences between Britons and Indians to find examples of where British law did not fit with Indian traditions. The main examples given by the Council were polygamy and child marriage. Although shocking to Victorian sensibilities, these were part of the culture and beliefs of Indians at the time and so the East India Company had allowed them to continue. Therefore, by adapting English law to suit Indian culture, the East India Company had set a precedent.

In conclusion, the Privy Councillors expressed their surprise at an effort to enforce forfeiture following a suicide as late as 1844 and their confusion at its application to an Indian Hindu. They found in favour of the descendants of Rajah Christenauth Roy Bayadoor and allowed them to retain possession of his property.

The author is a Cataloguer of Modern Archives & Manuscripts.

This article first appeared on the British Library’s Untold Lives Blog.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> History Revisited / by Matthew Waters / October 12th, 2020

In a first, scientists discover 2.5 million-year-old dragonfly fossil in India

Researchers from four universities in West Bengal have been looking for fossils in the sediments of Chotanagpur plateau for almost a year

The dragonfly is around 3cm long and has a wingspan of around 2.5cm. This is, however, much smaller than the fossils of giant dragonflies, which have been found elsewhere in the world. (Sourced)

A team of scientists from West Bengal has discovered the first dragonfly fossil in India from Jharkhand’s Latehar district. The fossil is at least 2.5 million years old. A paper on the finding was published in the October 10 edition of Current Science journal.

“This is the first dragonfly fossil from India. It is a well-preserved one. The fossil belongs to the late Neogene period, which dates between 2.5 million and five million years ago,” said Subir Bera, a professor with the Centre for Advanced Study of the Botany department, University of Calcutta.

The dragonfly is around 3cm long and has a wingspan of around 2.5cm. This is, however, much smaller than the fossils of giant dragonflies, which have been found elsewhere in the world. Experts said that the wingspan of one of the giant dragonflies Meganeuropsis permiana measured around 2.5 feet. It dates back to the Permian era, around 300 million years ago. In 2013, a giant, well-preserved dragonfly fossil, dating back 200 million years, was discovered in China.

Researchers from four universities in West Bengal have been looking for fossils in the sediments of Chotanagpur plateau for almost a year. In January 2020, they dug the dragonfly fossil from a depth of around 5m below the soil surface.The team has also found fossils of various insects, fishes and leaves of some flowering plants.

The research was headed by Mahasin Ali Khan, assistant professor of Botany at Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University.

“The nearest living member of the fossil is Libellula depressa, a species of dragonfly that is found in any tropical country, including India,” said Manoshi Hazra, one of the team members and the first author of the research paper, which has been published in Current Science.

As dragonflies spend most of their lives near fresh water bodies, the scientists said that millions of years ago a freshwater body might have existed there, which has now dried up. The other fossils of plants and fishes, which the scientists have found, also support the theory.

“The very fact that the team has found the fossil of an adult dragonfly from the sedimentary bed is very interesting. Usually the prospect of finding an immature dragonfly from the sedimentary bed is huge because dragonfly-larvae live underwater. The prospect of finding insect fossils from sedimentary beds and coal beds is huge, but unfortunately little work has been done in India in this regard,” said TK Pal, a former scientist of the Zoological Survey of India.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Kolkata / by Joydeep Thakur / Hindustan Times, Kolkata / October 08th, 2020

The long road to Eden Gardens, retraced

Historical venue: Eden Gardens came about after two attempts to have a ground failed.   | Photo Credit:  The Hindu

Cricket enthusiasts in the 19th century got little support from the colonial Army,

Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, India’s oldest cricketing ground, came about as the third-time-lucky effort of fans in 1864, after two attempts to have a good venue for the sport failed, because it was seen as an encroachment, and due to objections raised by the British Army at Fort William.

That story emerges from colonial documents at the Directorate of State Archives, West Bengal with other interesting facts on the history of cricket in India. A documentary has been made on this piece of sporting history. The first cricket club outside Britain was the Calcutta Cricket Club founded in 1792, and the first match was played 12 years later between the Etonians, senior civil servants and other company officials.

Sumit Ghosh, the Archivist at the State Archives, says the match was played in front of Government House which is the Raj Bhawan of the present day on January 18 and 19, 1804. “In 1825 the club got a plot of land on the Maidan between Government House and Fort William to be used as a cricket ground,” he told The Hindu.

In 1841, the club was permitted to enclose the ground with a fence. But the Army at Fort William, described the club as an “encroacher” and in 1853, the Chief Magistrate of Calcutta wrote to Cecil Beadon, Secretary to the Government of Bengal, on this act of “forceful occupation”.

Mr. Ghosh says Cricket Club of Calcutta authorities then looked for an alternative ground and at ₹1,000, found a new one, fenced it and made it playable. To their dismay they realised that a new road into Fort William was being built, which would cut into the ground. The Club officials appealed but their pleas were rejected.

The road to Eden Gardens is traced in a documentary titled Edener Itikatha (History of Eden Gardens) by Mr. Ghosh. “There is so much of recorded history but so little known to common people walking past these grounds. It is important that people know that in the mid-19th century, the vast Maidan was also used as pasture,” he adds. The Archives say Matabooddin Sirkar, a native took the land on lease for one year from February 1, 1854 to January 31, 1855 at a rent of ₹500. That contract allowed horse, cow, goat, sheep, donkey to graze, but not pig and buffalo.

Archivist Sarmistha De, who has worked on the area, says“State Archives from the mid-19th century show that Maidan was a zone of contention between the British military and British civil society. While the military thought it should mainly be for their purposes and monitoring of Fort William area, another section was actively considering it as a recreation zone with cricket as a part of that”.

After two failed attempts, in 1864, land was laid out for a ground for Calcutta Cricket Club in the extended part of Eden Gardens.

Eden Gardens made its first appearance during the time of Governor-General Lord Auckland (1836-42). Originally ‘The Auckland Circus Gardens’, the area south of Baboo Ghat changed to ‘Eden Gardens’. The Archives say Baboo Rajchunder Doss, husband of Rani Rashmoni gifted this land after Lord Auckland and his sisters Emily Eden and Fanny Eden helped him save his third daughter from a deadly disease. Eden Gardens, many believe, may be commemorating the Eden family.

“In 1868 there was a proposal for a new building of the Calcutta Cricket club ground but it was not sanctioned by the Government. The construction of a pavilion was sanctioned by the Government of India in their Military Department’s letter no. 699, dated the on April 19, 1871,” Mr. Ghosh says. The conditions imposed were club being at any time required to do so promptly remove the erection without any compensation.

“Now many people know that in 1856, a Pagoda was set up in the gardens and which has been a principal interest of the gardens. The Pagoda was built in Prome in the year 1852 by Ma Kin, wife of Moung Honon, Governor of Prome, Burma. The Pagoda was taken to Calcutta in 1854 by the order of Lord Dalhousie,” Mr. Ghosh said, adding that Pagoda still stands towards the northern part of the stadium.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kolkata / by Shiv Sahay Singh / Kolkata – September 27th, 2020

Cruise down the Hooghly river offers a peek into Kolkata’s history

From October 1, the West Bengal Transport Department (WBTD) commences a 90-minute Heritage River Cruise that starts from the Millennium Park Jetty.   | Photo Credit:  Special arrangement

Affordable 90-minute guided experience guide launched by Bengal Transport Department on October 1

It is along the bends of the river Hooghly that the city of Kolkata grew from three villages to a bustling metropolis. Now a cruise on the Hooghly will take people past the different ghats of the river, providing a peek into the history of the metropolis.

From October 1, the West Bengal Transport Department (WBTD) commences a 90-minute Heritage River Cruise that starts from the Millennium Park Jetty.

Sailing upstream and downstream, the vessel will pass beneath the majestic Howrah Bridge, and go past ghats such as the Armenian ghat, Nimtala ghat and Mayer ghat. Each ghat on the bank of the river has a bit of history attached to it.

For instance, the Armenian ghat was built back in 1734 by Manvel Hazaar Maliyan, a trader of Armenian origin. The ferry ghat stands testimony to Kolkata’s cosmopolitan culture in the colonial times, and the Armenian community’s contribution to the city.

There is also the Mayer ghat (the mother’s ghat), which draws its name from Maa Sarada Devi, wife of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. She would visit the ghat daily, and stayed near it from May 1909 to July 1920.

Similarly, the Nimtala ghat is a historical landmark where the cremation of Rabindranath Tagore and other important cultural icons was performed. The famous Bhootnath temple is located here.

The cruise’s itinerary also includes Chandpal ghat, located just on the northern side of Babughat, the very place where Lord Cornwallis, the first Governor General of India, landed on September 12, 1786. Guides on board the cruise will tell people about the ghats, and visitors will also be provided with complimentary cruise heritage navigation brochures.

Officials of the Transport Department said that tickets have been kept affordable at ₹39 for the entire cruise to attract more people. “The idea is to make the heritage river cruise experience affordable, and popular among the youth,” said the Managing Director of WBTD Rajanvir Singh Kapur.

Following physical distancing norms, as of now, not more than 150 people will be allowed on each trip.

Attempts have been made in the past to boost waterfront tourism in the city by State governments and different agencies. About 17 km of the Hooghly river’s waterfront lies within the metropolitan corporation’s boundaries, of which about a 10 km length of riverfront, from Taktaghat in south Kashipur and Pramanik ghat in the north, represent the most active and vibrant portion of Kolkata’s diverse engagements with the river. There are dozens of ghats on both banks of the river that not only provide a rich slice of history but are associated with the way of life of the city’s people.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kolkata / by Shiv Sahay Singh / Kolkata – October 01st, 2020

Broadway Hotel: Old-world hotel that still stands tall

If you don’t mind the old, if you find it elegant, not to say comforting, Broadway bar is the best party in town

Sandeep Sehgal at the bar at Broadway Hotel. Picture by Subhendu Chaki .

As the metal clinks against the glass, and the buzz mixed with laughter rises from the low tables covered in maroon or yellow tablecloths, and the shaded lamps throw light on black- and-white old Calcutta pictures, and the draught beer taps are placed on your table, and moonlight blended with electricity cracks in through the large glass windows on the front, you only miss live music. But then a tall gentleman enters the bar at Broadway Hotel through the side entrance.

He is very tall indeed. He appears silently at the door and then glides from table to table, ensuring that everyone gets a seat quickly, especially the ladies.

Sandeep Sehgal is the current owner of Broadway Hotel on Ganesh Chandra Avenue. Apart from lending his graceful, welcoming and slightly mysterious — he hardly speaks to a guest — presence to the place, he has also rendered a great service to the city.

He has kept Broadway Hotel and the bar, one of Calcutta’s most-loved places that started in 1937, the way he found them. Almost. Since he took over the hotel three years ago — the bar is on the ground floor; the four floors on top have rooms to stay in — Sehgal has just added one or two necessary, unobtrusive facilities to the bar and to the hotel. Such as the draught beer, AC, new crockery and a new menu that only adds to the old items, which include boiled eggs and the famous “Stock Market Toast” (named after bakery bread that was found near the Calcutta Stock Exchange building).

In the process he has assured old Broadway faithfuls, who form a substantial number of Calcuttans, that their refuge remains undisturbed. He has also performed an act of conservation — of a dear piece of the city, where “development” is a euphemism for demolishing the old.

Broadway, now, is exceptional in another way, as most bars in this part of the business district have either renovated themselves into a new-age tackiness to become unrecognisable or have turned into crooner bars. Or both.

I finally get to talk to Sehgal, 53, in his large and plain office on the first floor of the hotel. He was born to a Punjabi family in the city and educated here and abroad. “I am not going to change any of this. Because there is going to be no other place like this,” he reassures me personally.

Broadway always defied change, even in the hands of the earlier owners. Since the early 2000s, when most of the bars in the neighbourhood turned into crooner bars, Broadway stood its ground. Then, too, the bar had a loyal following, but mostly of office-goers.

It remained stodgy and refused an image makeover. Because it was confident of its charms, which begin with the old wooden doorway at the Ganesh Chandra Avenue entrance. It is a small cubicle by itself, possibly unique in Calcutta.

After Sehgal took over, the bar looks a little spruced-up, but still old and plain. So what is it that is so inviting?

Once you get in, if you are lucky, you may get a table by the large front windows. Or by the wall-to-wall mirror on one side. It does not matter really. The waiters will not trouble you with excessive attention, as in a snazzy restaurant, but will not neglect you either. The menu is exciting — you get everything from a robust Chicken-a-la-Kiev to succulent pieces of deep-fried Katla fish, and at prices that are quite old world too.

The old bar stands in a corner. On some evenings, you may spot another tall gentleman, much older, taking the same rounds as Sehgal. He is Mr Sehgal Sr.

But it is not one single detail. Here you are never rushed. They will let you be. Everyone is welcome. You feel good. You feel looked after.

Most of all, you feel free of the shiny oppressiveness of synthetic wood, glass and metal that defines the new restaurant chic. The new breeds such anxiety. It makes you feel that you are not up to it.

Broadway tolerates the old. You relax.

If you don’t mind the old, if you find it elegant, not to say comforting, Broadway bar is the best party in town.

That does not mean it is not cool. Far from it. The young, the trendy and the different are being increasingly spotted at Broadway. Some celebs too. A few scenes from the recent Bollywood film Dhadak were shot here.

Sometimes saving the old is good business as well.

Sehgal takes me on a guided tour of the hotel. The rooms are spacious ones, with old, unfussy furniture, very clean.

The previous owners, who were deeply attached to the property, had asked Sehgal, who also owns the restaurant Flavours of India on AJC Bose Road, Calcutta, and Hotel Utsav in Santiniketan, if he would make any changes.

“But I would not change anything,” Sehgal repeats. “We can’t make another property like this.”

“I will have to replace the furniture when they become too old. But this red oxide floor? These beams? Where will I get them now?” he asks.

Sehgal was also particularly careful in retaining all the staff. “In the hotel we have third-generation guests coming,” Sehgal says. The waiters and the visitors know each other. Besides, Sehgal did not visualise the hotel without the people who were a part of it.

If he has to renovate the hotel, the old Great Eastern Hotel will be his model. “Not the new one,” he stresses. “The old one.”

Sehgal reveals his height is 6ft 6”. He walks tall.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Online / Home> West Bengal / by Chandrima S Bhattacharya, Calcutta / September 15th, 2020

Malda librarian keeps old coins for posterity

Saha is dreaming of developing a modest museum in association with the state government where he can display his collection and ensure that the rare coins are preserved properly for the future

Subir Saha with coins at his home in Malda on Thursday. / Soumya De Sarkar

Hundreds of coins dating back to the Sultanate era and of the current age have helped librarian Subir Saha spend his days indoors during the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown.

Saha, a known numismatist who stays at Green Park here, is now dreaming of developing a modest museum in association with the state government where he can display his stock of coins and ensure that the rare coins are preserved properly for the future.

A visit to his residence, and one would be delighted to see the “Gani” coin used during the regime of Mohammed Bin Tughlaq, “Tanka” of Kutubuddin Aibaq to “Dam” of Akbar, Jahangir and Aurangzeb.

The repertoire also contains “Falus”, a coin used during regimes of emperors Humayun and Shah Jahan, “Paisa” used during the rule of Sher Shah Suri and also coins used during the eras of rulers like Alauddin Khilji and Gias Uddin Balban.

A postgraduate in economics and a postgraduate diploma holder in business management, Saha, who is posted as a librarian at a state-run library in Old Malda, also takes the pride of displaying coins used during the rules of King George V and George VI and King

“I also have a gold-plated replica of ‘Mohor’ that was used in transactions during the regime of Queen Victoria. I have coins made of silver, copper, nickel, blending of aluminium and magnesium and stainless steel,” said the numismatist, who is in his early fifties.

His collection of coins which have been minted in India post-independence is no less surprising.

He has the coin of 1,000 rupees denomination that was introduced to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of a temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, and also the coins of Rs 500, Rs 200, Rs 150, Rs 125, Rs 60, Rs 25 and Rs 20, introduced as souvenirs to celebrate occasions like Indo-African summit, sesquicentennial anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and platinum jubilee of the Reserve Bank of India.

“During the recent lockdown, it is these coins with which I had spent most of my time. These coins keep me busy as I also make different models with the coins which have turned outdated in our country. I had developed the habit of collecting coins since my university days and I feel equally enthusiastic even now to collect rare coins,” said Saha, who has created a collection of over 2,000 coins during the past 30 years.

At his home, there are at least 50 such models made of coins, which include a coin plant, decorative pieces and figures.

The librarian-cum-numismatist also has coins of over 20 countries with him, including coins of the US, France, UK, Canada, Japan and Thailand.

“My aspiration is to make a permanent display of these coins so that more and more people can see the collections. Each coin carries a piece of history with it. Once the situation normalises, I will approach the administration and the state government with a proposal of a museum that can be set up jointly in Malda,” he said.

His collection has also made some local youths propose an exhibition in the town.

“However, we can think of it only after this pandemic is over,” said Saha.

Interestingly, the numismatist is a phillumenist as well and has a collection of thousands of matchboxes.

“This is yet another collection that I have. In the past few months, we often heard that people feel bored or are depressed as they have to spend hours and days at home. I believe they can utilise their time and develop some hobby or other to remain mentally fit,” he said.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / Home> West Bengal / by Soumya De Sarkar / Malda – September 11th, 2020

The golden oldies: Calcutta’s heritage list

The burgeoning vision of heritage preservation must expand to districts and villages

Monochrome view of a heritage hand pulled rickshaw on Kolkata city street with the Metropolitan building at the background. / Shutterstock.

There is a lot more worth saving than meets the eye — or, more accurately, than the eye has been willing to see. That is why it is heartening to hear that Calcutta’s heritage list, which has been lying dormant and unchanged since 2000, is finally set to be updated by the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. The inordinate delay notwithstanding, the revision is a welcome move, as it will add greatly to the representational nature of the list with the inclusion of more structures of cultural, economic and historical value. It is no secret that in spite of its diverse culture and history, Calcutta, much like other Indian cities, is known for doing precious little to preserve and protect the remnants of its past. This disregard has been amply reflected in the apathetic response to conservation; as recently as 2018, the old Kenilworth Hotel was razed to the ground after its heritage status was quietly downgraded. Well before that, the exquisite Darbhanga palace on Chowringhee was demolished; in its place today stands Calcutta’s ‘tallest building’, promoted by the same consortium that acquired and demolished the old Kenilworth Hotel.

In the light of this, it is reassuring that the practice of downgrading heritage buildings without public knowledge is set to end and, more important, public participation is to be made a significant part of the municipal framework of conservation activity. In this case, archivists, heritage enthusiasts and activists will be able to identify not just mansions but also entire precincts within the city that deserve to be preserved for their unique cultural and historical dimensions. This kind of cohesion and dialogue between administrative bodies and experts is rare in Indian policy-making; and yet, it is crucial for firing up the bureaucratic imagination to transcend established codes of conservation. After all, heritage is a fine mesh of the tangible with the intangible. It is an endangered space where old buildings and edifices jostle for survival along with cultures and livelihoods. This ecosystem is in dire need of regeneration. Calcutta’s Chinatown, a vibrant but marginalized hub, is a case in point. There is an added advantage to this nimbler comprehension of heritage. The preservation of livelihood, integral to heritage precincts, could, in turn, strengthen local — neighbourhood — economies, bolstering public mobilization to demand conservation. Heritage then can turn truly participatory and democratic.

This momentum must be widened in its scope. The burgeoning vision of heritage preservation must expand to districts and villages. Apart from Serampore or Chandannagore, places such as Tamralipta and Chandraketugarh — from where there is archaeological evidence to suggest a sea-faring history of the region’s people — as well as Bengal’s crumbling terracotta temples must be brought within the ambit of a collective culture of conservation. The future of heritage and its protection in India rely on enterprises that are modern, well-funded and truly participatory in character.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / by The Editorial Board / August 22nd, 2020