Discover Over 15 Colonial History Sites in Kolkata in One Go

Every tourism destination has its charm. For a city like Kolkata, the charm must be spelt with an ´s´ at the end. From the religiously minded to the history buff, the city has points of interest for everybody. Walking through its alleys and streets is like getting to know a world that your book on tourism probably failed to do justice to.

And to “do” Kolkata the best area to stay at is the one popularly referred to as Esplanade. This is the place from which you can go to any place, by any mode, anywhere in the city. Not only the city but all the exit points like the long-distance bus station, two important railway stations, and the airport are easily accessible. It also houses many hotels, including the Peerless Hotel which provides a visitor with a high-end Bengali culinary culture experience along with world-class hospitality.

The Peerless Hotel sits right in the middle of what was once "British Calcutta" – flanked by the Writer's Building on the North; Park Street in the South; Fort William and the Government House (now Raj Bhawan) on the West and virtually being the next-door neighbour with the Calcutta Municipal Corporation building on the east.  

Places within walking distance of the area

This area by itself is like a museum of the colonial era. Cross the main Chowringhee road and one will reach the Ochterlony Monument (since renamed Sahid Minar), which was erected in 1828 in memory of Major-General Sir David Ochterlony for his military achievements against the Gurkhas and the Marathas. 

Walk in the same direction, and one will reach the boundaries of Fort William, named after King William III, a British military fortification on the bank of the river Hoogly, to defend their Jewel in the Crown. 

Next to it is one of the oldest cricket stadiums -- the Eden Gardens.  Walk a few more minutes, and you will reach the Howrah Bridge (since renamed Rabindra Setu), the busiest cantilever bridge in the world. It is currently the sixth-longest bridge of its type in the world. This area is full of colonial-era buildings, including the Kolkata  High Court, whose impressive facades and unique architecture are a treat to the eyes. 

The St. John's Church, originally a cathedral, was among the first public buildings erected by the East India Company after Calcutta became the effective capital of British India. It is located at the northwestern corner of Raj Bhavan, and served as the Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta till 1847. This quaint little place of worship is often included in the itinerary as a monument to the victims of the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta. It is so named because when the Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula stormed Calcutta to raze the English bastion, he took the English prisoners and put them in a 14x18 feet room. Reported that there were 145 of them, including civilians. Only 23 reportedly survived.   

Walk along the footpath towards the south, down Chowinghee, and one would progressively cross Sir Stuart Hogg Market (popularly called New Market) which houses some heritage food (Nahoum's, Nizam) and garment stores, the Indian Museum – founded in 1814, the earliest and largest multipurpose museum of its kind not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but in the world. Right next to it is the Government College of Art & Craft (GCAC), one of the oldest Art colleges in India (founded in 1854.) A few more paces, and one would reach The Asiatic Society (founded by Sir William Jones in 1784), which was the fulcrum around which strides in Oriental Research were made, and which many revere for the part it had played in the Bengal Renaissance that had followed.

Park Street (now called Mother Teresa Sarani), which turns left from Chowringhee, is another city landmark noted for offering a variety of shopping options, restaurants, and a thriving nightlife. This street, which once demarcated the end of the White Town, ends at the South Park Street Cemetery (once called the Great Christian Burial Ground, and still houses numerous graves and monuments belonging to British soldiers, administrators, and their families including those of famous personalities like Henry Louis Vivian Derozio and Sir William Jones.) The road is also home to St Xavier's College, an institution like no other. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1860 and named after St. Francis Xavier. The college also has the oldest auditorium in the city which was once the venue of classic plays, winning reviews even in magazines in the USA. 

Vertically opposite to the Asiatic Society is the largest Planetarium in Asia, next to which is St. Paul's Cathedral noted for its Gothic architecture and dedicated to Paul the Apostle. The building was completed in 1847. It is said to be the largest church in Kolkata and the first Anglican cathedral in Asia. It was also the first cathedral built in the overseas territory of the British Empire. 

Cross the road, and we have Victoria Memorial, the largest monument to a monarch (Queen Victoria, then Empress of India) anywhere in the world. Incorporating prominent features of the Indo-Saracenic architecture, this large marble monument is housed in gardens encompassing a total area of 64 acres it also has a museum and was built between 1906 and 1921.

The Metro Railway runs under the Chowringee and one can avail of its services from literally the gate of the Peerless Hotel, to travel a few stations to the Kali Temple at Kalighat, which is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas in India, a sacred abode of the Hindus and certainly one of the places to visit in Kolkata, Or even to Dakhshineswar where Ramakrishna was the priest.  More about them in a later blog. 

If you are in Kolkata as a tourist or on business, staying in the Peerless Hotel is like being in the center of it all, and even a casual stroll in its environs is akin to taking a heritage walk, one in which culture, heritage, and cuisine of Calcutta tingle the senses, touching the soul to transform like no other city possibly can. If you want a hotel to provide the best sightseeing opportunity in Kolkata then this is certainly the experience you are looking for!