Colonial Architectural

Heritage In Bengal ;
IN Context Of Cultural Tourism

GAYATRI DALAI
8/5/2019 JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY
 COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

 An architectural style from a mother country

that has been incorporated into the buildings of
settlements or colonies in distant locations.

 The colonists built a settlement that synthesized

the architecture of their countries of origin with
the design characteristics of their new lands,
creating a hybrid designs.

Photo Courtesy: Rangan Datta

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 DOMINANT COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

• Spanish Colonial Architecture :

Mostly visible in Mexico,
Columbia, Peru, Philippines,
etc.

• Portugese Colonial Architecture :

Most visible in Brazil, Madeira,
North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa,
Macau, Malaysian city of Malacca
and Goa (India) etc.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 DOMINANT COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
• Dutch Colonial Architecture :
Mostly in Indonesia (especially Java and Sumatra),
the United States, South Asia, South Africa and
parts of Srilanka.

• British Colonial Architecture :

Dominant in North America, Canada, South
Asia, Far East and Australia.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 DOMINANT COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
• French Colonial Architecture :
Predominant in North America, regions of Indo-
China region, India.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 CALCUTTA - British Colonial Architecture
In the year 1690, Job Charnock established centre for trade and commerce in Sutanti Village on the
Eastern banks of the river Hooghly. This was the origin of the city of Calcutta.
The English bought Gobindapur, Kalikata and Sutanti Villages to establish their settlement.
The battle of Plassey in 1757 was in a way a turning point for the growth of Cacutta. The supremacy of
English in Bengal was established.
It was transforming itself from purely Garrison town to
an administrative culture centre
The capital got shifted in 1912 AD, and soon the British
government set-up the improvement trust for the
settlement of living condition in the city.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 CALCUTTA - British Colonial Architecture
COLONIAL CALCUTTA
A Major change was marked by abandoning the old front
on the river and taking up a new front facing the land: the
south of the Esplanade.
The most important public buildings and private house
were located on the northern side of the Esplanade facing
the Maidan on the south “all looking remarkable Neo-
classical”.
This period saw the expansion and consolidation of the
baroque Neo classical style in Calcutta.
Buildings were well suited for the hot and humid
climates of Calcutta as it was well ventilated through
numerous openings on the walls and a wide colonnaded
verandah on the south.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 CHANDANNAGAR – French Colonial Architecture
Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore
(Chôndonnôgor, French: Chandernagor), is a small city and
former French colony located 30 kilometers (19 mi) north of
Kolkata.
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
Hughli River.
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.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 CHANDANNAGAR – French Colonial Architecture
In 1756 war broke out between France and Great
Britain, and the British Navy bombarded and
captured Chandannagar on 23 March 1757.
The town's fortifications and many houses were
demolished thereafter, and Chandannagar's
importance as a commercial center was eclipsed
by that of Calcutta just downriver.
Chandernagore was restored to the French in
1763, but retaken by the British in 1794 in the
Napoleonic Wars.
The city was returned to France in 1816, along
with a 3 sq mi (7.8 km2) enclave of surrounding
territory.
It was governed as part of French India until
1950, under the political control of the governor-
general in Pondicherry.
The European town was noted for its clean wide
thoroughfares, with many elegant residences
along the riverbank.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 CULTURAL TOURISM AND COLONIAL HERITAGE
Cultural Tourism
It is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or
region’s culture.
Specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical
areas.
The history of those people, their art, architecture, religion
and other elements that helped shape their way of life.

Colonial Heritage In Bengal

Bengal has been one of the most important centres of trade right from the Mughal Period.
The French, British and the Dutch also fought for this region to establish trade.
Hence, Bengal has a rich glossary of settlements which classify the Colonial Architecture.
They are now a part of the Heritage as they depict story of the development of the state and its use.

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

DUTCH COLONIAL BUILDING,

VICTORIA MEMORIAL, KOLKATA SERAMPORE, KOLKATA

WRITER’S BUILDING, KOLKATA COLONIAL BUILDING CENTER, KOLKATA

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

COLONIAL STREET, KOLKATA

FRENCH STRAND, DUPLEX’S MANSION, FRENCH COLONY,

CHANDANNAGAR CHANDANNAGAR

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

HOUSES HAVING COLONIAL

RAILINGS AND CAST IRON
PILLARS, KOLKATA
HOUSES HAVING FRENCH QUARTER FEATURES, KOLKATA

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism
 NEED TO PROMOTION
Colonial Architectural Heritage in Bengal:
Needs to be promoted as a part of the Cultural Tourism.
There is a need for adaptive re-use of these monuments to
save these monuments from extinction.
Rare evidences of structural transformation.
Conservation of these monuments would help the future
relive the history.

THANK YOU

Colonial Architectural Heritage In Bengal ;

8/5/2019
In Context Of Cultural Tourism