Heritage Walk

Our heritage walk was arranged through ARCH, Action Research in Conservation Heritage. ARCH undertakes research and campaigns for conservation and maintenance of historical buildings and areas of the city. Its most significant achievement since it started in 1999 is getting Dalhousie Square included as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the World Monuments Watch List. In 2005 WMF provided a grant of $75,000 to enable a consultative workshop and the restoration of the façade of one significant building in the Square; which is intended to act as a catalyst for the restoration of further buildings.

Our heritage walk took place in North Calcutta, the area of the city that developed during the Raj era and where the people that worked for the East India companies lived. The walk was led by Mr Probal Deb, a volunteer guide with ARCH, whose great grandfather had established a beautiful home there, Sovabazar Palace. This has many historical associations with the East India Company and the British government of the time: Robert Clive and Warren Hastings. It was the first place of education for women, and also started a unique ceremony of the Durga Puja, which still continues today. Mr Deb explained that his family had started the process of restoration 23 years ago at which time the home was occupied by “squatters”. It was a long, bureaucratic process to get possession of the building again, as well as selling part of the premises: the tennis court, pool and bandstand, in order to fund the restoration work. We visited the main courtyard and the place of worship which are still under restoration, and then a hall, now in community use, where restoration is almost complete.

From there we went to Shobhabazar, one of the oldest parts of the city by the Hugli River and once owned by Mr Deb’s family, where many of the temple idols are made from fibreglass and straw and plaster. Narrow lanes, and mostly single storey houses were buzzing with activity. We ended at the family Ghat on the river.

Finally we visited the Marble Palace. This magnificent house, built in 1835, is still in private ownership of the Mallick family, but is now a museum. The large rooms around a central Italianate courtyard have marble floors, decorated ceilings and magnificent chandeliers. The Palace contains a large collection of paintings, including ones by Rubens, Rembrandt, Reynolds and Murillo and an eclectic assortment of ‘objets d’art’, mainly from Europe and China.

Although we did not learn as much about ARCH as anticipated as the founder, Mr Manish Chakraborti was unable to be with us, we did have a very personal view of the need for and difficulties of restoring the wonderful old buildings in Calcutta, particularly in North Calcutta. Apart from the buildings and areas that we visited, there are some magnificent buildings, both classical 19th century and Art Deco buildings all in a very poor state of repair. Although funding is obviously a major issue, ownership of the building , the bureaucratic process necessary to initiate restoration and the will to do it are also major hurdles. ARCH has an enormous challenge to overcome these hurdles and preserve Calcutta’s architectural history.

Ann.