Visit To Chandannagar : A Travelogue

Debi Mukherjee (India, 08/02/08)

During our two months trip to Kolkata, we made it a point to pay visits to nearby sightseeing places. One of such worth-seeing sites is Chandannagar. It is a small city and former French colony located 30 kilometers north of Kolkata, in West Bengal, India.

It is the head quarters of a subdivision in Hooghly District. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. Situated along the banks of river Ganga, the city has been able to maintain a separate identity different from all other cities and abide by her own characteristics. The total area is a meagre 19 square kilometers having a population of over 150,000. Chandannagar is connected to Kolkata by railways, roadways and river transport and it takes about an hour to reach there by car from the main city.

The name Chandannagar has been probably derived from the shape of the bank of the river Ganga which is curved like a half moon (Bengali: Chand means moon and Nagar implies city). Others believe it might have been taken from the flourishing trade and business of sandal wood (Chandan) in the olden times.

One more plausible reason behind the name could be that in Chandannagar there is a temple of Goddess 'Chandi'. So somebody believes that it might come from there. But earlier people knew the place by the name 'Farasdanga' as it was a French colony. The place was also known for considerable maritime trade. For some time, Chandannagar was the main center for European commerce in Bengal.

India became independent of Britain in1947, and threafter as per wishes of the residents of this place, the French Government allowed the Indian government to assume de facto control over Chandannagar as part of West Bengal state.

Places of Tourist Interest

v      Chandannagar Strand 

A beautiful tourist spot along the banks of the river Ganga. It is a superbly decorated pavement studded with lights surrounded by lushy green trees. It is about 1 km in length and 7 meters in width, and many buildings of historical importance surround the spot. It is a very popular visiting spot of the local people and the tourists would love to stroll along enjoying the mild breeze and watching the small boats sail by. Along the strand are present Vivekananda Mandir (a meditation centre) and a protruding structure into the river Ganga. This is supposed to be the best decorated bank of the river along its entire length of 2500 Km.

v      Chandannagar Museum and Institute

One of the oldest and finest museums of the entire region, it boasts a beautiful collection of French antiques (like cannons used in Anglo-French war, wooden furniture of 18th century, etc.) which are difficult to find anywhere else in the world. The institute still teaches French through regular classes.

v      The Sacred Heart Church

The church stands for over two centuries to mark the beauty of the architecture during the French period — a good place to visit for the historians and tourists alike. Remains of the Church of St. Louis also comprise an attractive tourist spot.

v      The Underground House (Patal-Bari) 

The building is another beautiful example of the advancement in the knowledge of architecture and the aesthetic sense of the people of those earlier days. Its lowest floor is submerged in the River Ganga. The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore frequently visited the place and appreciated the building a lot. He felt that the place influenced him to a large extent and broadened his intellectual capabilities. He mentioned Patal-bari in many of his famous novels. The famous social reformer Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar also stayed in the building. The house was owned by the ruling family of nearby Bansberia.

v      Ancient Temples 

Nandadulal Temple, built in 1740 by Indranarayan Roychoudhury presents an excellent example of ancient Indian sculptures. There are many fascinating temples devoted to Kali, Shiva and other deities which show marks of brilliant craftsmanship and artistic taste.

v      Amusement Prks

Chuti and New Digha are two very popular amusement parks situated in the western part of Chandannagar.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference : Internet Sources

Image : Chandannagar Library (W.B. India)