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| View of Vivekananda Setu (Second Hooghly Bridge) from Prinsep Ghat 2 |
Whenever visitors ask me what all they should ‘see’ in Kolkata, I’m mostly at a loss. Personally, I believe a city has to be felt and not really seen as such. But explaining that to tourists can be tough sometimes.
Not that there isn’t anything to ‘see’ in Kolkata. Thanks to its incredible heritage, combining Islamic, British, Armenian, Chinese, and, of course, quintessentially Bengali legacy, Kolkata’s built heritage is indeed something to be proud of.
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| The Hooghly riverfront or the 'strand' |
There are, of course, the age-old attractions like the Victoria Memorial Hall, the Indian Museum (which is in a sorry state despite being the oldest and largest in India), the temples, churches and mosques, and the red-brick British edifices in the central business district, to name a few.
But built heritage is not what Kolkata is all about. More than anything else, Kolkata has a unique ‘feel’ to it that few cities can boast of. To feel it, you have to take a walk along Park Street or Bow Barracks during Christmas or Chitpore or Chandni Chowk during Ramadan, soak in the festivities during Durga Puja, take a cab to Tiretta Bazar at 6am to have the ‘Chinese breakfast’, spend a few quiet moments at the old cemetery at Park Street or wander about in the central business district during office hours.
Or, you can take an early-morning walk down the strand of the Ganga—or the Hooghly, as it’s called in these parts. It’s one of my favourite to-do things in Kolkata and I’ve done it twice already. The best time to do it is in the winter, though the monsoon may not be a very bad time either. The Ganga has many a story to tell, if you have the ears for them.
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| James Prinsep memorial with Vivekananda Setu in the background |
I took the same route both times, the first time with three colleagues and the second time with my sister. We started our walk from Prinsep Ghat, one of the landmarks of Kolkata. It’s one of the most well maintained ‘ghats’ (jetties) of the Hooghly and is used as a venue for many open-air programmes.
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| Beautified Prinsep Ghat |
Named after James Prinsep (1799–1840), the ‘ghat’ houses a striking memorial to the British scholar. Prinsep was an orientalist, an antiquarian, a numismatist (he worked at the mint), a philologist, a metallurgist and even a meteorologist. Among the many things that go to his credit are deciphering Brahmi and Kharoshti scripts from ancient India, designing a new kind of barometer, restoring historical structures, designing the Benaras mint and churches, and being the founding editor of the ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society’.
The memorial was built a year after his death in 1840. With its rows of Ionic columns and arches at the two ends, this beautiful structure has found a stunning backdrop in the Vidyasagar Setu (often called the ‘second Hooghly bridge’), which was completed in 1992.
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| Ionic columns of James Prinsep memorial |
Our walk began from the strand that lies behind the Prinsep memorial. It’s a different experience altogether watching life on the Hooghly asleep and slowly beginning to wake. Colourful boats tied together in an arc, a solitary barge, or Kolkata’s twin town of Howrah asleep on the other bank—they all make for fantastic sights to soak in. In winter, a cover of mist makes the experience all the more alluring.
The strand is now neatly paved with tiles and leads through rows of trees and plants. You’ll find morning walkers or joggers at that hour though not too many to spoil the quiet of the place. Look out for the colourful kingfishers, or common birds like the pied myna, bulbuls, or the white and spotted doves.
Prinsep Ghat has two parts, I and II. There are a few sculptures on the strand, too, though I must say that they evoke amusement rather than awe. These are close to the Man of War Jetty, which is used by the Indian Navy, and hence, photography is not allowed.
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| Vivekananda Setu clicked from Prinsep Ghat |
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| Gwalior Memorial |
As you keep walking, you will reach the Gwalior Monument. A marble plaque declares that it was built in 1847 at the initiative of Lord Ellenborough, the then governor general of India, as a memorial to the British forces killed by Marathas in the Gwalior War of 1843. The 60-foot high octagonal structure is apparently also called Ellenborough’s Folly or The Pepperpot. Unfortunately, its doors are kept shut and no one’s allowed inside.
Next on the strand is Judges Ghat. If I have gone to Judges Ghat on occasions other than the strand walks, it’s to immerse the ashes of my loved ones following the Hindu ritual of cremation. It’s prohibited at most ghats nowadays to protect the Hooghly from pollution and this ghat is one of the places where the ashes can still be given to the Ganga.
Coming to the history of the name ‘Judges Ghat’, I have heard that my mother’s ancestor Digambar Chatterjee, who was a judge in Calcutta High Court, was the person it was built for. Hence, the name. I have already written about him in my earlier posts (click here). Apparently, seeing him go to the Hooghly like common men, the British had assigned the ghat to him. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this fact, though. It seems a bit far-fetched.
An official version is that the British built the ghat for the use of its high-ranking officials, especially judges, which gave it the name. This sounds more plausible.
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| Outram Ghat |
Next comes Outram Ghat. It took its name from lieutenant-general Sir James Outram, who fought in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Even before you reach the jetty, you will find the Sea Explorers’ Institute. Apart from maritime research, it organizes various courses like scuba diving, kayaking, and disaster management.
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| Kingfisher clicked during the walk |
Outram Ghat, though it’s one of the well-known jetties, does not boast of a special structure but the one next to it, Baboo Ghat, does. It’s perhaps the most famous of all the ghats of the Hooghly now. Standing on Doric columns, the Palladian pavilion is, ironically, one of the most neglected as well.
Standing amidst filth and slush, thanks to the long-distance bus stand next to it, Baboo Ghat is caked in layers of dirt and even the inscription at the top is difficult to read now. It does not help that in winter, pilgrims camp there before heading for Gangasagar (read my post here).
It’s also one of the main points from which idols are immersed in the Ganga during Durga Puja and other festivals. Masseurs and ‘pandas’—men who help people pray to their ancestors—have thrived on the ghat for ages.
The ghat was originally named Baboo Raj Chandra Das’s Ghat, after the husband of Rani Rashmoni, the zamindar of Janbazar. As I said, the inscription on top is impossible to read now. But I got the message of the plaque from my internet research. It goes thus:
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| One of the most elegant structures, Baboo Ghat is now a picture of misery |
‘The Right Honourable Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, G.C.B. & G.C.H. Governor General & c. & c. & c. with a view to encourage the direction of private munificence to works of public utility has been pleased to determine that this Ghaut constructed in the year 1830 at the expense of Baboo Raj Chunder Doss, shall hereafter be called Baboo Raj Chunder Doss’s Ghaut’.
Both times, we had a breakfast of piping hot ‘luchis’ and potato curry at Baboo Ghat. We reached it just around 7 am, when the ‘luchi’ makers start frying the first lot of the Bengali flatbread. Besides, we had to wait for the ferry service, which would take us to the opposite side of the Hooghly, to begin for the day.
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| Waiting for the ferry at Chandpal Ghat |
We took the ferry to Shibpur (Howrah) from Chandpal Ghat, the jetty next to Babughat. The walk ends here as the stretch of strand after that was turned into the Millennium Park at the turn of the century. I’m not exactly sure if it can be entered so early in the day. Besides, if you want to catch the Mullickghat wholesale flower market in all its glory, it’s better to head for it.
Chandpal Ghat once used to be the busiest ferry ghat of Kolkata. Apparently, it was named after Chandranath Pal or Chand Pal, a small-time trader who used to sell his goods next to the ghat.
We found the ferry nearly empty both times, apart from a few flower sellers on their way to the Mullickghat market. The ferry goes right up to the Howrah railway station, one of the oldest and grandest in India. Looming next to it is the Howrah Bridge—now named Rabindra Setu—the cantilever bridge that is arguably the most iconic structure of Kolkata.
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| Sunset clicked from Millennium Park on a different trip |
Walking past the station complex, we climbed on the bridge and crossed it on foot along with hundreds of people. From the bridge itself, the Ramchandra Goenka Zenana (Ladies) Bathing Ghat on the other side, next to the flower market, comes into view.
With its Islamic-style dome, and arched doorway, this ghat, built in the late 19th century by the eminent businessman Ramchandra Goenka, is perhaps the most beautiful of all. Sadly, it’s also the filthiest now. Not only do people bathe here regularly, the waste from the flower market is also dumped here.
If you are a photography enthusiast, do remember to take long shots of the Mullickghat flower market from the bridge. They make for absolutely stunning pictures. Such a riot of colour is tough to find except for maybe at festivals like Holi.
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| Clicked while crossing the Hooghly by ferry |
Piles of yellow and orange marigold chains, roses, gladiola of different colours, sunflowers, dahlias, cockscombs, tuberoses—flower lovers may simply go crazy at the sights of the market. Both times, we ended up buying huge bags of flowers to carry home with us.
Dare to venture into Ramchandra Goenka ghat at your own risk. If you can ignore the bathing masses and the filth, you will find the beautiful structure hidden behind all of it.
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| Howrah Station clicked from Howrah Bridge |
The ghat next to it is Chhotelal ki Ghat. Named after Chhotelal Durga Prasad, an eminent lawyer at the Calcutta High Court, the birth of the ghat has a fascinating tale behind it.
Apparently, Chhotelal, who pined for a son, met a faqir (Muslim holy man) near the spot where the ghat now stands one day. The story goes that the faqir blessed him and told him to build a ghat at that place. In due time, Chhotelal did have a son. He kept his promise to the faqir and built the ghat.
The architecture of the ghat marries Hindu and Islamic styles, but unfortunately, its entrance is blocked from view by the flower stalls. Taking a photograph is difficult.
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| Mullickghat wholesale flower market |
As you go down the steps, don’t miss a white marble plaque embedded in the wall. Up close, the message can still be read:
‘This stone is dedicated by a few Englishwomen to the memory of those pilgrims, mostly women, who perished with the Sir John Lawrence in the cyclone of 25th May, 1887’.
The Times of India had reported on June 4, 1887, about the ‘disastrous cyclone in the Bay of Bengal’. Here is an excerpt:
‘…The Sir John Lawrence, with 750 souls on board, is supposed to have become a total loss... Luggage bearing her captain’s name has been washed ashore, and the bodies of many women have been noticed. The bulk of her 750 passengers were women on pilgrimage to Puree (Puri, Orissa), and the wreck of the Sir John Lawrence, so far as loss of life goes, is one of the most terrible wrecks on record…’.
Chhotelal ki Ghat has a wrestling ring next to it and it’s one of Kolkata’s most famous ‘akharas’ (rings) for pehelwans (Indian wrestlers).
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| Howrah Bridge clicked from Chhotelal ki Ghat |
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| It's difficult to figure out now that Ramchandra Goenka Zenana (Ladies) Bathing Ghat is one of the prettiest of the jetties. It now lies in utter neglect |
Leaving behind Chhotelal ki Ghat and the flower market, and walking past some of the enormous strand warehouses, we come to our final pit stop, Mutty Lal Seal Ghat. Again, a beautiful structure but claimed by squalor.
Mutty Lal Seal was one of the richest Indian businessmen in the early 19th century who also speculated in the market. Starting with a humble background, he made it big after marriage to a rich businessman’s daughter.
Seal was apparently the first to use steamships for internal trade in Kolkata. Apart from building the ghat, he also founded a free college and a destitute home.
Even in the surrounding filth, the ornate Corinthian columns of the ghat can hardly be missed though one has already been damaged.
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| Check out the Corinthian columns of Mutty Lal Seal Ghat |
The best way to complete the tour is to take the circular railway which passes along the Hooghly, parallel to the strand. The station nearest to Mutty Lal Seal Ghat is BBD Bag. The first time, we had walked right along the tracks to reach the station about 400 metres away. But the second time, my sister simply refused to do it.
So, we went out on the main road and found our way to the station. In the process, I discovered a very colourful Shiva temple across the road. It’s called the Nageswar Mahadev Mandir.
So, if you are in Kolkata, do plan an early-morning walk by the Ganga. The ghats I have named are not all; there are others to explore, too. Not all of it is pretty, but that’s how Kolkata (and India) is anyway. When you go home, you will surely carry back a piece of this incredible city with you. | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| A rough map of the Ganga (Hooghly) strand walk we did with the ghats marked out |