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| Chandannagar Strand |
In a pleasant morning of February 2017, me and my friend Prof.Suman Bhattachary have started for Chandannagar, the last French colony in Hoogly district of West Bengal.
Chandannagar was established as a French colony in 1673, when the French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, to establish a trading post on the right bank of the Hooghli River. Bengal was then a province of the Mughal Empire. It became a permanent French settlement in 1688, and in 1730 Joseph François Dupleix was appointed governor of the city, during whose administration more than two thousand brick houses were erected in the town and a considerable maritime trade was carried on. For a time, Chandannagar was the main center for European commerce in Bengal. (From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandannagar)
India became independent from Britain in 1947. In June 1948 the French Government held a plebiscite which found that 97% of Chandannagar's residents wished to become part of India. In May 1950, the French allowed the Indian government to assume
de facto control over Chandannagar, officially ceding the city to India on 2 February 1951.
De jure transfer took place on 9 June 1952. On 2 October 1954 Chandannagar was integrated into the state of West Bengal.
(From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandannagar)
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View of Hoogly River from Chandannagar Strand Road
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We have followed the Grand Trunk road with the accompaniment of Hoogly river through out our journey. Passing by various heritage town like Uttarpara, Serampore, Baidyabati, Champdani Bazar etc we have reached Chandannagar after a 2 hrs 30 mins journey. Actually it will take 1 hr 30 mins via NH19 but we have deliberately taken the century old Grand Trunk road to get the view of river along our journey. G.T. Road is now very narrow and congested with bus, auto, bike and toto so those who have hurry, they can better take NH19.
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| Inscription on Chandannagar Gate "Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, equality and fraternity)" |
After entering to the town through the inscripted gate constructed in 1937, to mark the Fall of Bastille, first we have faced a mysteriously erected house called Patalbari which has the underground construction submerged in River Hoogly on those days. Kobiguru Rabindranath Tegore and Pondit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar stayed in this house. The house is now a personal property, so you cannot enter there.
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| Patalbari |
Just at the opposite side of Patalbari, there stands the immense structure of French Governor's palace presently housing the Chandannagar Museum. This museum is full of french and british artifacts which can remind you the charming horn of bugle of thar colonial era.
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Institut de Chandernagore
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| Sacred Heart church |
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| Chandannagar Court |
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| Evening in Paris: Lights on Strand Road |
The rest of the day we tour some more historical architecture of former french rulers like Sacred Heart church, Chandernagore Govt. College and The temple dedicated to Swami Vivekananda on Strand road. Beside these enough numbers of almost ruined Baganbari of zaminders will remind you the pomp and glory of those days.
After taking night halt at hotel in nearby Chisurah we leave Chandannagar on next day morning....
Au Revoir !!
Some Important Information:
Distance from Kolkata- via NH19 63 km and via G.T. Road 45 km
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