Tweet
A WALK TO UNRAVEL THE CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES IN KOLKATA
by Jaideep Mazumdar
The Times of India (TOI)
January 17, 2012 Tuesday
A patch of Kolkata, not more than five square kilometers in size,
is a true microcosm of the world. No less than 16 communities from
across the globe made this area, which was referred to as the 'grey
town' during the Raj days, their home. Buffeted by the 'white town'
(for Europeans) to its south and the 'black town' (for Indians) to
its north, 'grey town' flourished as a commercial centre where the
east met the west and transacted business.
The captivating character of 'grey town' remains hidden in the
labyrinth of narrow lanes, alleys and walkways lined by old structures,
most dating back to the British days, and in various stages of
decay. But, to use a cliche, this piece of Kolkata that most of
the city's residents who do not live or trade here know little of,
is steeped in history. And one of the best ways to discover it is to
go on an exploratory walk through it with 'Calcuttawalks'.
This walk, titled 'confluence of cultures', starts from Buddhist
Temple Street off Chittaranjan Avenue. A Buddhist temple here built
by one Kripasharan Mahasthavir who tried to revive Buddhism in Bengal
lends its name to the street, which was earlier known as Mangala Lane.
Kripasharan bought a dilapidated house (where the present structure
stands) to establish a 'Mahanagar Vihara' to propagate Buddhism,
provide free schooling to children and conduct charitable activities.
This temple also has a guest house where Buddhists from all over the
world stay enroute to Bodh Gaya. A stone's throw away is a few rows
of red brick tenements which served as barracks for British soldiers
during World War I. They're now better known as Bow Barracks, home
to many Anglo-Indian families.
A short walk through overcrowded lanes is a Parsi fire temple where
the 600-odd Parsis who remain in Kolkata congregate on occasions. And
bang opposite on this street, named after Charles Metcalfe, Governor
General of Bengal from 1835 to 1836, is the Agha Khan Jamaat Khana, a
meeting place for members of the Ismaili sect of the Shia faith. This
lane leads out to the busy Bipin Behari Ganguly Street (formerly
Bowbazar Street), off which is the old Chinatown and the famous
Tiretta Bazar where an array of mouth-watering dumplings and Chinese
cuisine can be had from Chinese vendors. A must-stop here is the more
than 150-year-old shop run by Stella Chen selling Chinese noodles,
incense sticks, assorted sauces, dried mushrooms and a wide variety
of other goods, some imported from China.
Stella is happy to talk about the glorious days of Chinatown and its
residents, who used to congregate at the shop that her grandfather
founded. There are at least eight Chinese temples in and around
this area. Tiretta Bazar, for the many who don't know, derives its
name from Sir Edward Tiretta, an Italian, who was an assistant to
the infamous Giacomo Casanova. Tiretta migrated to this city after
Casanova was sent on exile, and married a French lady here.
Another short walk away from Tiretta Bazar is the Parsee Church
Street that leads to Ezra Street, named after Elias David Joseph
Ezra, a wealthy Jew who built many of Kolkata's grand structures. At
the intersection of the Parsee Church Street and Ezra Street stands
another fire temple which once had beautiful gardens around it. The
green expanse has been taken over by an unsightly assortment of shops
selling lighting fixtures and cheap chandeliers, while the temple
itself is in its last throes and no longer in use.
Ezra Street was earlier known as Domtalla Street and a grey marble
plaque on this street tells the story of a Russian adventurer,
translator, musician and writer, Gerasim Stepanov Lebedev (1749-1817),
who lived in this city for two decades from 1787, and opened the
'Hindu Theatre' at 25, Domtalla Street in 1795. Bengali actors and
actresses, for the first time, performed in Bengali adaptations of
two English plays on November 27, 1795.
Ezra Street leads to Pollock Street, off which stands a grand Bohra
mosque, and leads to Canning Street which hosts a Jain temple. A
stone's throw away, on the arterial Brabourne Road, is the Portuguese
Catholic Church with its distinctive architecture.
Rising majestically above nondescript concrete structures on the
western side of Brabourne Road is what looks like a Church spire. But
it is actually a synagogue, an architectural marvel, built by Elias
Ezra. The Maghen David synagogue is a rich repository of grand antique
furniture, chandeliers and other objects which have obviously seen
better days. This city was once home to 10,000 Jews; today, just
about 30 remain. But just a hop, skip and jump away is the Armenian
Church that is a study in contrast. This Church, founded in 1707,
is the oldest functioning religious institution in this city and is
in perfect condition, down to the spotlessly clean pews and gleaming
silver lecterns.
Add to all these temples and churches the gurudwara on MG Road, the
famous Nakhoda mosque and a Myanmarese temple near Phears Lane, and
you have eleven houses of worship of different religions and sects,
patronized by as many as 16 communities who made this city their home.
All within a five square kilometer area that would easily qualify
to the tag of a unique heritage zone that perhaps has no parallel in
the world.
From: Baghdasarian
by Jaideep Mazumdar
The Times of India (TOI)
January 17, 2012 Tuesday
A patch of Kolkata, not more than five square kilometers in size,
is a true microcosm of the world. No less than 16 communities from
across the globe made this area, which was referred to as the 'grey
town' during the Raj days, their home. Buffeted by the 'white town'
(for Europeans) to its south and the 'black town' (for Indians) to
its north, 'grey town' flourished as a commercial centre where the
east met the west and transacted business.
The captivating character of 'grey town' remains hidden in the
labyrinth of narrow lanes, alleys and walkways lined by old structures,
most dating back to the British days, and in various stages of
decay. But, to use a cliche, this piece of Kolkata that most of
the city's residents who do not live or trade here know little of,
is steeped in history. And one of the best ways to discover it is to
go on an exploratory walk through it with 'Calcuttawalks'.
This walk, titled 'confluence of cultures', starts from Buddhist
Temple Street off Chittaranjan Avenue. A Buddhist temple here built
by one Kripasharan Mahasthavir who tried to revive Buddhism in Bengal
lends its name to the street, which was earlier known as Mangala Lane.
Kripasharan bought a dilapidated house (where the present structure
stands) to establish a 'Mahanagar Vihara' to propagate Buddhism,
provide free schooling to children and conduct charitable activities.
This temple also has a guest house where Buddhists from all over the
world stay enroute to Bodh Gaya. A stone's throw away is a few rows
of red brick tenements which served as barracks for British soldiers
during World War I. They're now better known as Bow Barracks, home
to many Anglo-Indian families.
A short walk through overcrowded lanes is a Parsi fire temple where
the 600-odd Parsis who remain in Kolkata congregate on occasions. And
bang opposite on this street, named after Charles Metcalfe, Governor
General of Bengal from 1835 to 1836, is the Agha Khan Jamaat Khana, a
meeting place for members of the Ismaili sect of the Shia faith. This
lane leads out to the busy Bipin Behari Ganguly Street (formerly
Bowbazar Street), off which is the old Chinatown and the famous
Tiretta Bazar where an array of mouth-watering dumplings and Chinese
cuisine can be had from Chinese vendors. A must-stop here is the more
than 150-year-old shop run by Stella Chen selling Chinese noodles,
incense sticks, assorted sauces, dried mushrooms and a wide variety
of other goods, some imported from China.
Stella is happy to talk about the glorious days of Chinatown and its
residents, who used to congregate at the shop that her grandfather
founded. There are at least eight Chinese temples in and around
this area. Tiretta Bazar, for the many who don't know, derives its
name from Sir Edward Tiretta, an Italian, who was an assistant to
the infamous Giacomo Casanova. Tiretta migrated to this city after
Casanova was sent on exile, and married a French lady here.
Another short walk away from Tiretta Bazar is the Parsee Church
Street that leads to Ezra Street, named after Elias David Joseph
Ezra, a wealthy Jew who built many of Kolkata's grand structures. At
the intersection of the Parsee Church Street and Ezra Street stands
another fire temple which once had beautiful gardens around it. The
green expanse has been taken over by an unsightly assortment of shops
selling lighting fixtures and cheap chandeliers, while the temple
itself is in its last throes and no longer in use.
Ezra Street was earlier known as Domtalla Street and a grey marble
plaque on this street tells the story of a Russian adventurer,
translator, musician and writer, Gerasim Stepanov Lebedev (1749-1817),
who lived in this city for two decades from 1787, and opened the
'Hindu Theatre' at 25, Domtalla Street in 1795. Bengali actors and
actresses, for the first time, performed in Bengali adaptations of
two English plays on November 27, 1795.
Ezra Street leads to Pollock Street, off which stands a grand Bohra
mosque, and leads to Canning Street which hosts a Jain temple. A
stone's throw away, on the arterial Brabourne Road, is the Portuguese
Catholic Church with its distinctive architecture.
Rising majestically above nondescript concrete structures on the
western side of Brabourne Road is what looks like a Church spire. But
it is actually a synagogue, an architectural marvel, built by Elias
Ezra. The Maghen David synagogue is a rich repository of grand antique
furniture, chandeliers and other objects which have obviously seen
better days. This city was once home to 10,000 Jews; today, just
about 30 remain. But just a hop, skip and jump away is the Armenian
Church that is a study in contrast. This Church, founded in 1707,
is the oldest functioning religious institution in this city and is
in perfect condition, down to the spotlessly clean pews and gleaming
silver lecterns.
Add to all these temples and churches the gurudwara on MG Road, the
famous Nakhoda mosque and a Myanmarese temple near Phears Lane, and
you have eleven houses of worship of different religions and sects,
patronized by as many as 16 communities who made this city their home.
All within a five square kilometer area that would easily qualify
to the tag of a unique heritage zone that perhaps has no parallel in
the world.
From: Baghdasarian