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Calcutta had
always had a special relationship with its parks. Although some features where taken up for war duties they were
still an important part of life in the 1940s and provided a much needed escape
from an increasingly overcrowded city.
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Calcutta is admirably served in the matter of
"lungs", There is no part which is not provided with a park or open
space. The facilities for public recreation are, in fact, in several respects
far in advance of those of many Western towns. Buf the pride of Calcutta is its
Maidan, an. extensive plain in ihe heart of the city covering about 1200 acres.
Sports clubs of all descriptions have their temporary homes here, and Viceroys
and the humblest workers alike have for generations enjoyed the amenities of this delightful
stretch of greenery.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair
dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The
copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
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(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Ochterlony Memorial, Hb010, " Ochterlony Memorial, Maidan, Calcutta" seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Activity in Maidan, Mf003, "Activity in Maidan late fall." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Refreshments, Mf004, "Refreshments in Maiden during a festival, fall." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Event, Mf007, "I can't identify the event, but it is in the Maidan, Calcutta." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Cane juice seller, Mf008, "Cane juice seller in action at a festival in the Maidan, Calcutta." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Monsoon clouds, Mf012, "Afternoon monsoon clouds form over the Maidan and Calcutta's downtown tram terminus, 1944." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Indian Naval Unit, Mf005, "Indian Naval Unit in Retreat ceremony in the Maidan, Calcutta, fall." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(Source: Elaine Pinkerton / Reproduced by courtesy of Elaine Pinkerton)
(Source: Elaine Pinkerton / Reproduced by courtesy of Elaine Pinkerton)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Musician, I007, "Musician with instrument at a festival in the Maidan, Calcutta" seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
The Calcutta Maidan, a wide rolling expanse of
greensward covering about 1400 acres in the very heart of the city, and bounded
on the north by Esplanade and Government House, on the south by Lower Circular
Road and Hastings, on the east by Chowringhee Road and on the west by the river
Hooghly, is rightly considered to be the pride of Calcutta. Aptly described as
the finest "lung" of the city, the Maidan is the chief venue for
games and athletic sports of all descriptions. Some idea of its extent and
importance can be gauged from the fact that it has a Public Works Division of
its own.
Entering the Maidan from Government Place West,
we have on the left Government House and on the right Esplanade Row West
leading to Strand Road. In Esplanade Row West are the Town Hall, the High Court,
the Imperial Bank of India (entrance from Strand Road), Northbrook Statue,
Northbrook Road and the Calcutta Swimming Club. Farther down is Auckland Road
running parallel to Esplanade Row West. On the northern side of Auckland Road
is the Bengal Legislative Council House, Auckland Statue, and the Headquarters
of the Calcutta and Presidency Battalion Auxiliary Force, a commodious
two-storeyed building, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Marquess
of Lansdowne on the 1st April 1889.
The Auxiliary Force came into existence under an
act of 1920 with the object of assisting in home defence: it consists of all
branches of the service, membership being limited to European British subjects.
Service is purely local and training, which is adjusted to conform with these
conditions, is graduated according to age, the younger members receiving the
more extensive training. The Unit is under the control of the local military
authorities, and in case of emergency may be called out for local service.
On the southern side of Auckland Road is the
Eden Gardens, bounded on the east and south by Eden Garden Road leading to
Strand Road. Proceeding along Eden Garden Road we pass, on the left, Plassey
Gate Road which leads to the Fort: on the right of this road are the pavilions
and grounds of the Calcutta Customs Club and the Calcutta Police Athletic Club,
and on the left the Women's Hockey Association ground, and the pavilions of the
Presidency College Club, Measurer's Athletic Club, Greer Sports Club, High
Court Athletic Club, Mohan Bagan Athletic Club and the East Bengal Club.
Farther down Eden Garden Road is the Calcutta Football Club's pavilion and
ground. This ground is considered to be the finest in the East and it is on it
that all the important Provincial and International fixtures are played. Next
is Calcutta Gate Road leading to the Fort, and farther on, at the junction of
Eden Garden and Strand Roads, stands the bronze memorial statue of King George
V, sculptured in England by William McMillan, R. A. The statue, mounted on a
base of Bottocino marble, rises to a height of 27 feet. The base is surrounded
by three tiers of fountain basins, the fountains playing at a capacity of 2,000
gallons per minute.
Continuing our way southwards, we note on the the
right the Maidan, gradually rising in undulating levels to the outer redans and
embattlements of Fort William. Across the moat many of the fine buildings in
the Fort can be seen ; also the Semaphore tower which supports the time-ball,
according to which the one o'clock gun is fired, while soaring high, and
festooned with trailing wires, are the six giant aerials of the Military
Wireless Station. The Fort is considered to be one of the finest of its kind in
the world : the site was selected by Lord Clive, the foundation stone laid in
October 1757 and the Fort, constructed at an approximate cost of Ł2,000,000,
was completed in 1781.
Fort William is built in the form of a regular
hectagon, with five sides to the land and three to the river, and is surrounded
by a moat which can be flooded in times of emergency. It has six gates, and can
accommodate 10,000 men : it also has its own Institute, Swimming Bath, Cinema,
Firing Range, Parade and Football Grounds, Boxing Stadium, Post and Telegraph
Office and Bazar. In about the centre of the Fort is the Anglican St. Peter's
Church, built during 1822-28, and considered to be the finest garrison Church
in India. Of particular interest here are the baptismal font, two stained glass
windows on the right as one enters by the main door, the handsome marble
pulpit, the arcades adorned on either side by figures of angels, and the stone
reredos behind the altar representing the Lord's Last Supper. The walls and
pillars are lined with tablets erected to the memory of the brave. About a
hundred yards to the east of St. Peter's Church stands St. Patrick's Roman
Catholic Chapel, opened on the 18th January 1859.
Retracing our steps to the point where we
entered Eden Garden Road, we turn left into Government Place South. Proceeding,
we pass on the right the statues of Lord Canning, Lord Lawrence and Lord
Hardinge and come to Government Place East, in the centre of which, at its
junction with Ochterlony Road, is a traffic island, where vehicular traffic
passes on the roundabout or gyratory system. On the left, stretching back to
Esplanade junction, is Curzon Gardens, laid out in the form of a Union Jack,
and at the south-west corner of Government Place East and Ochterlony Road is
the Bhowanipore Club's pavilion and grounds, with the Ochterlony Monument,
about a hundred yards to the east.
Pursuing our way southward along Government
Place East, we note on the right, the Cenotaph: farther down, forming a
junction with Mayo Road and Government Place East is Red Road. In Red Road, on
the right, is the Mahomedan Sporting Club's pavilion and ground ; also the
statues of Field-Marshalls Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener; and on the left,
the statues of Governors-General Lord Lansdowne, Lord Minto and Lord Ripon.
Turning left we enter Mayo Road, which leads
across Dufferin Road to Chowringhee Road. Proceeding, we have, on the left, the
pavilions and grounds of the Calcutta Wanderer's Club and the Aryan Club, and
beyond, across Dufferin Road, the pavilion and ground of the Telegraph
Recreation Club, and Lindsay Tank. On the right of Mayo Road, in a line, are
the pavilions and grounds of the Dalhousie, Rangers and University Clubs, and
at the intersection of Mayo and Dufferin Roads the equestrian statue of Lord
Mayo (Governor-General), who was assassinated at the Andaman Islands in 1872.
The statue was unveiled by H. R.H. the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward
VII. Within the triangle formed by Mayo, Dufferin and Outram Roads, are the
pavilions of the Calcutta Police Court Tennis Club, the Town Club, the Parsee
Club, the Jewish Sports Club, the Marwari Club, the Y.M.C.A. Club, Burns Sports
Club, the Bengal Government Press Club, the Chowringhee Athletic Club, Kalighat
Sporting Club; the Ronaldshay Hut, the Armenian Football and the Badminton Association
grounds.
Deviating into Dufferin Road and proceeding, we
come to a point where five roads, namely Dufferin, Red, Outram, Kidderpore and
Chowringhee Gate Roads, converge. At the junction of these roads stands a
bronze statue of the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Viceroy and Governor-General
of India (1884-1888) and at the southeast corner of Kidderpore and Outram
Roads, is the pavilion of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.
Pursuing our way along Kidderpore Road we have,
on the left, the Parade Ground, bounded on the east by Chowringhee and Elliott
tanks and on the south by Queensway. Passing Casuarina Avenue, leading to the
Victoria Memorial, and then the Ladies' Golf Club, we come to Hospital Road,
leading past the Victoria Memorial to Lower Circular Road. To the east of the
Victoria Memorial and separated from it by Cathedral Road, is St. Paul's
Cathedral.
At the angle formed by Kidderpore and Lower
Circular Roads is the Race Course, said to be the finest in the world, and on
the other side of Kidderpore Road, lies the Ellenborough Course (Polo ground)
bounded on the west by St. George's Gate Road; beyond is Napier Road leading to
Hastings Bridge. At the junction of Napier Road and St. George's Gate Road,
stands the equestrian statue of Lord
Napier of Magdala, a replica of
the one by Boehm, occupying the centre of the lower half of Waterloo Place,
London. Directly facing the statue is Prinsep Ghat, erected in memory of James
Prinsep, Master of the Mint, Secretary of the Asiatic Society, and the first
decipherer of the ancient alphabets of India. A short distance to the south is
the Laskar Memorial. This brings us to Hastings.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
On the western extremity of the Maidan, facing
Esplanade East, towers the Ochterlony Monument, for years the most prominent
landmark in the city. It was erected to perpetuate the memory of that
distinguished soldier, Major-General, Sir David Ochterlony, the hero of the Nepalese "War.
Sir David Ochterlony was born in February 1758
at Boston, U. S. A., joined the Hon'ble East India Company's army as a cadet in
1777, and rose to the rank of Major-General.
He died at Meerut in 1825.
The monument, a fluted column of brickwork, was
built in 1828 by J. P. Parker, from the design of Charles Knowles Robinson, at
a cost of about Rs. 35,000, met by public subscription. It is of Eastern
design, with a rare combination of three architectural styles. The base is
Egyptian, the column Syrian, while the dome with its metal cupola is typically
Turkish. The height of the monument is 158 feet; the spiral staircase within
contains 198 steps from the ground level to the first balcony, and another 25
from the first to the second balcony.
A trip to the top is well worth the trouble
entailed, as from it one can view and marvel at the spreading panorama of the
busy city below, laid out in a perfect bird's-eye view.
No charge is levied for ascending the monument,
the only formality being the obtaining of the necessary permission, which is
readily had from the Assistant Commissioner of Police at 18 Lall Bazar Street.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
At the northern end of the Maidan, to the west
of the Ochterlony Monument, stands that dignified Memorial, the Cenotaph,
erected by public subscription to the memory of those who, during the Great War
(1914-1918), gave their lives for King and Country. The Memorial, a simple and
massive column of stone inscribed with the words "The Glorious Dead",
is almost a replica of the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. It was unveiled in
1921, by H. R. H. The Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VIII.
In Memoriam
1914 - 1919
Lest We
Forget
At 11 A. M. on Armistice Day (November 11th)
each year, the Cenotaph, with its base covered with floral tributes, is the
scene of a most impressive ceremony, when the Governor and his suite, the
Military, the Navy and a large gathering of people of all communities, stand
bareheaded in reverential silence for two minutes which is maintained
throughout the British Empire.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
At the southern end of the Maidan, within a
hundred yards of Prinsep Ghat, is the Lascar Memorial, erected by the Shipping
and Mercantile Companies to the memory of the 896 lascars of Bengal, Assam and
Upper India who lost their lives on active service during the Great War
(1914-1918). It was unveiled in 1924 by Lord Lytton, then Governor of Bengal.
The Memorial, a foursided column of Oriental architecture, appropriately
designed with a prow of an ancient galley projecting from each of its sides, is
capped by four small minarets and a large gilt dome.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
I do remember passing an unused, fighter plane
air strip by the fort in the Maidan, then the race course and after that, it's
a blank until we came to the bridge in Kidderpore. After that, nothing until we
came to our base.
(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with
Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August
2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of
Glenn Hensley)
And if an American happened to be walking, for
instance, across the Maidan, it was not unusual for a young boy to come up
beside you and whisper, "Hey, sahib, you want good jig-jig? Come my house
see my sister. Cheap!"
And that was one impression with which many
Americans left India. It's too bad, but true.
(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with
Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August
2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of
Glenn Hensley)
Americans were warned that should we be crossing
the Maidan in the dark, we should talk loud and at all times because some
Indians were known to attack British soldiers they caught out in secluded spots
at night. But, if Americans talked so others could hear, they never bothered
us. I think they really thought Americans were their "saviors." We
were recognizeable by the absence of a "Brtitish" accent. No one ever
gave me a moment's worry when walking along dark streets or across the
blacked-out Maidan.
(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with
Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August
2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of
Glenn Hensley)
It was Sunday on the Maidan, and the Communist
meeting was evidently only one entertainment among many to tempt the passerby.
A huge crowd nearby had collected to watch a wrestling match; another was
entranced by two dancing monkeys; beyond it a performing bear attracted the
attention of several hundred laughing coolies. Other amusements scattered about
the huge area included a story teller telling tales of Rama and Sita, singers
and drum-beaters, a fortune-telling cow, a holy man discoursing on the Gita, a pundit leading a prayer meeting, a boy
loudly proclaiming the virtues of a foot ointment compounded to order on the
spot, and a cricket match.
The class distinction was never more evident.
Easily recognizable by their clothes, their spectacles, and their general air,
the young intellectuals, students, and other members of the middle class were
gathered en masse at the World Peace Congress. In rags and tatters, the
proletariat were having an even better time watching the dancing bears and the
monkeys.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with Margret Parton 1959)
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(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Victoria Memorial, Hb002, "Victoria Memorial with wartime scaffolding and dark, grey camouflage paint" seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
Location :—At the southern end of the Maidan, with
the main entrance on Queensway.
Admission
to the Grounds : —Open daily
from sunrise to sunset, throughout the year.
Admission
to the Memorial :—Except on
Mondays, when the Memorial is entirely closed, and on Tuesdays, when it is open
from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Victoria Memorial is open daily, including Sundays,
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (March to October), and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (November
to February).
Admission
to the Memorial is free with the exception of galleries XII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII
and XVIII, for which an entrance fee of annas four is levied.
On
Fridays an entrance fee of annas eight is made which admits one to the whole
building.
A charge
of annas eight per head is levied for ascending to the Grand Dome and entering
the Echo Chamber and Whispering Gallery.
Trams :—Kalighat, Kiddcrpore.
Buses:
—Nos. 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 4, 4A, 5, 12, 12B.
The
Victoria Memorial in Calcutta is incomparably the most magnificent monument
erected to the memory of the great Sovereign whose name it bears. This enormous
yet symmetrical pile of white marble, conceived by the genius of Lord Curzon,
is regarded as one of the great buildings of the modern world and is unsurpassed
as a repository for priceless collections of pictures, statues, historical
documents and other objects of art and interest, illustrative of Indian History
in general and the Victorian era in particular.
Designed
by Sir William Emerson (architect), the foundation stone was laid on the 4th
January 1906 by King George V, then Prince of Wales. The building, of
Renaissance architecture with traces of Saracenic influence, was constructed by
Messrs. Martin &. Co. Calcutta, under the supervision of Mr. V. J. Esch, C.
V. O. (architect), at a cost of Rs. 76,00,000, subscribed by the Peoples and
Princes of India, and was formally opened on the 28th December 1921, by H. R.
H. the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VIII.
The
dimensions of the Hall at the corner towers are 339 feet by 228 feet. The dome
of the building, 182 feet above ground level, is surmounted by a figure of
Victory 16 feet high, weighing 3 tons, revolving on a sphere 2 feet in
diameter. The ornamental statuary groups over the entrance, and the figures
surrounding the dome were designed and executed in Italy.
The
treasures within the Memorial are worthy of their magnificent repository. The
collection and arrangement of the material was entrusted to Sir William Foster,
C.LE., and later the work of revision and completion was supervised by Sir Evan
Cotton, C.I.E. At the express desire of Lord Curzon, the Trustees have prepared
an illustrated catalogue of the exhibits, which is in itself a work of art and
of historical value. This catalogue is on sale to the public and a copy should
be in the hands of every visitor.
Arriving
at the Memorial from Queensway, we pause at the Lion-guarded gate to
inspect the striking bronze statue of Lord Curzon by Pomeroy. The great
Proconsul stands bare-headed facing his Sovereign and the magnificent Memorial
he was instrumental in raising to her Imperial memory. Surrounding his statue
at the four corners, are groups of statuary representing Commerce, Famine
Relief, Agriculture and Peace.
Proceeding
up the drive, we come to the bronze statue of Queen Victoria by Sir George
Frampton. Her Majesty is represented seated on a throne, wearing the Robes of
the Order of the Star of India, on her head is a crown, in her right hand the
Sceptre and in her left hand the Orb of State adorned with the figure of St.
George. Surmounting the throne are bronze figures representing Art, Literature
and Justice, while at the back in relief, side by side, are the Lion of Britain
and 'the Tiger of India, and above them the Sun that never sets on the British
Empire. The pedestal is of green marble, adorned in front with the Royal Coat
of Arms encircled by palms of Victory. On the base of the pedestal are bronze
bas-reliefs, depicting Indian State processions.
The
spacious grounds around the building are well laid out with gorgeous flower
beds, wide lawns, sequestered walks and gleaming stretches of water, while
rustic benches beneath shady trees, provide inviting and restful retreats.
Proceeding,
we reach the Memorial, awe-inspiring in its superb construction, sheer white
beauty and sweeping grandeur: ascending the broad marble steps we pass into the
Entrance Hall (I) where we note marble statues of King George V and Queen Mary;
bronze busts of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra; a musical Grandfather
Clock by Whitehurst of Derby; a wooden model of the Victoria Memorial; and the
original design of the Victoria Memorial by Sir William Emerson. Passing
through the Vestibule to the Royal Gallery (II), which contains photographs of
former Governors-General and a bronze bust of
Florence Nightingale, we enter the Royal Gallery (III), on the south wall of
which hangs a masterpiece by Vassili Verestchagin, depicting the State
procession of the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII, at Jaipur in
1876. This exhibit, regarded as one of the finest works of art in India, was
presented by the Maharaja of Jaipur. Of particular interest here are Queen
Victoria's writing table and armchair, which she used daily at Windsor Castle;
a pianoforte made to the order of William IV by S. and P. Erard in 1829, on
which she learned to play; oil paintings of Queen Victoria and the Prince
Consort, their marriage, the christening and marriage of King Edward VII, Queen
Victoria's Jubilee Services, and a portrait of Queen Alexandra.
In the
Annexe to the Royal Gallery (IV) are a number of interesting exhibits,
including Queen Victoria's last letter to India, dated 14th December 1900; King
Edward VII's signed message, read at the Delhi Coronation Durbar; two
exquisitely Indian embroidered dresses, one worn by Queen Alexandra at Courts
in London and the other worn by Lady Curzon at the Centenary Fancy Dress Ball
held in Government House, Calcutta, in January 1903 ; Queen Victoria's
Proclamation Banner (1877); a gold embroidered footstool used by King George V.
at the Delhi Coronation Durbar in 1911; photographs of Earl and Countess
Canning ; lithographs of Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, an engraving
of Windsor Castle; paintings of Queen Victoria's Coronation; the laying of the
foundation stone of the Victoria Memorial Hall; several engravings of Queen
Victoria; a photograph of her Majesty with her Indian Attendant, and 60
engravings, on a screen, depicting the female aristocracy of her Court.
Returning
to the Entrance Hall (I), we pass into the Vestibule to the Portrait Gallery
(V), containing a number of engravings of Indian scenes, a coloured engraving
of the Court of Fath Ali Shah of Persia and a marble bust of Charles James Fox.
In the Portrait Gallery (VI) we have fine portraits of Lord Metcalfe, Lord
Bentinck, Sir Robert Sherley (1581-1628), Dwarkanath Tagore, Field Marshal
Gough, Dr. Alexander Duff, Bishop Heber, John Zephaniah Holwell, Major-General
Sir David Ochterlony, Lord Clive, Major-General Stringer Lawrence, Admiral
Charles Watson, Viscount Lake; marble statues of the Marquess of Wellesley, the
Marquess of Hastings and the Marquess of Dalhousie; two large oil paintings
representing the investiture of the Duke of Edinburgh with the insignia of G.
C. S. I.; and the State Entry of Lord and Lady Curzon and the Duke and Duchess
of Connaught into Delhi for the Coronation Durbar of 1903. In the show cases
are displayed manuscripts of great interest to antiquarians, including Tipu
Sultan's note book written by himself; an Ain-I-Akbari by Abdul Fazi, Prime
Minister of the Emperor Akbar; poems of Nizami and Jamali; the first volume of
the Calcutta Gazette dated Thursday, June 3rd, 1784; Akbarnamah in two volumes,
bearing the imprimature of the author Abdul Fazi Allami; Sir William Jones*
translation of the great Sanskrit drama Sacontala (The Fatal Ring) by Cali Das;
an illustrated Anwar-I-Soheili, written in 1518 A. D., bearing Akbar's
signature; Quhstan, written by Zarein Haqam; also aquatints and paintings on talc,
of costumes of the Bengal, Madras and Indian armies.
The
Annexe to the Portrait Gallery (VII) contains a number of paintings and
engravings. Of special interest are those of Muhammad Ali, Nawab of Arcot, Tipu
Sultan, Sir William Jones the famous Orientalist, founder and first President
of the Asiatic Society of Bengal; David Hare, founder of the Hindu College;
William Carey, D. D., founder of the Baptist Mission Society; Brigadier-General
John Nicholson of Mutiny fame; Field-Marshal Sir Neville B. Chamberlain
(1820-1902); Brigadier-General Sir Henry Lawrence; Field-Marshal Earl Roberts;
Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, who relieved Lucknow during the Mutiny; Raja
Ram Mohan Roy the great Hindu Reformer; and the Rev. J. Z. Kiernander, the
first missionary of the Church of England in Bengal. In the centre of the room
is a large show case, displaying a unique collection of ancient armour and
weapons of the various States of India.
Finding
ourselves once more in the Entrance Hall (I), we enter Queen's Hall (VIII). In
the centre directly under the dome is a splendid and dignified statue of Queen
Victoria by Sir Thomas Brock. On the walls of the Hall are marble panels
inscribed with the Queen's Proclamations on the transference of India to the
Crown in 1858, and on her assumption of the title of Empress of India in 1877.
High up above the gallery which circles the Hall are 12 frescoes by Frank
Salisbury, depicting the main incidents in the life of the great Queen. The
bronze doors on the two sides of Queen's Hall, giving access to the Eastern and
Western Quadrangles (IX and X), are fine specimens of intricate workmanship. In
the centre of the Eastern Quadrangle is a marble statue of the Marquess of
Cornwallis and, in the Western Quadrangle, one of Warren Hastings.
Staircases
to the right and left of Queen's Hall lead to galleries XIX to XXXII, but it
would be an advantage for visitors to explore the lower floor before going
upstairs.
From
Queen's Hall (VIII) we pass into Prince's Hall (XI), containing busts of Brigadier-General
John Nicholson, Earl Canning, Lord Lawrence, Major-General Sir Henry Havelock,
the Duke of Wellington, Major-General Claude Martin and the novelist William
Makepeace Thackeray. The outstanding feature of this Hall is the fine marble
statue of Lord Clive, a replica of the one outside the India Office in London.
Two French guns, captured by Lord Clive at Plassey in 1757, are very
appropriately placed here.
To the
left of the Prince's Hall is the Durbar Hall (XII), with its handsome
wrought-iron gates surmounted by the Royal Coat of Arms. Admission is by ticket
(four annas), which covers entrance to this Hall as well as to the Galleries
Nos. XIV, XV, XVI, XVII and XVIII. These galleries contain exhibits of
historical and world-wide importance and interest and no one should miss
visiting them. The Durbar Hall, one of
the most striking galleries in the building, displays a wide variety of
interesting objects, including a valuable collection of Indian stamps; water
colour sketches by Miss Eden, sister of Lord Auckland; Queen Victoria's Journal in the
Highlands, and The Early Years of
the Prince Consort; an
autographed letter from the Duke of Wellington; a Bengali letter from Nund
Coomar; Warren Hastings' snuff box; a number of Oriental paintings on screens;
engravings and aquatints of views of Calcutta; show cases of swords formerly
belonging to Lord Roberts, Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali and others; uniforms worn by
King Edward VII and Lord Curzon; silver trumpets used at the Coronation Durbar
at Delhi, and the stone Throne or Musnad of the Nawabs Nazim of Bengal, hewn
out of a single block, dating from 1641. It is said that the stone occasionally
exhudes a rust coloured liquid due to the presence of iron ore.
Retracing
our steps to Prince's Hall (XI), we enter the Vestibule to Daniell Room (XIV).
In this vestibule are various uniforms worn by heralds and trumpeters at the
Coronation Durbars of 1903 and 1911. The Daniell Room (XV) is adorned with a
number of fine paintings of Indian scenes by Thomas Daniell, R. A., William
Daniell, R.A., and John Zoffany, R.A., some of which have been exhibited at the
Royal Academy, London. The chief among these are Lord Cornwallis receiving the
son of Tipu Sultan, and Lord Clive receiving from Emperor Shah Alam the Grant
to the East India Company of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, both
paintings by John Zoffany; The Embassy of Haidar Begg to Calcutta, by J.
Zoffany; Lord Cornwallis receiving the Hostage Princes, by Mather Brown; The
Imambara of Asaf-ud-Daula at Lucknow by W. Daniell; part of Mausoleum of Nawab
Assuph Khan, by Thomas Daniell.
Queen
Mary's Room (XVI), contains many portraits and views of absorbing interest,
mostly presented by Her Majesty. There are paintings of Sir Saiyed Ahmed Khan
by Poresh Nath Sen; Raja Sir Tanjore Madhava Rao by Raja Ravi Varma of
Travancore; Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere by Malcolm Stewart; Major-General
John Briggs by J. Smart; The Poet Rudyard Kipling by Sir Phillip Burne-Jones;
Sir James Fitzjames Stephen by C. H. Thompson; Lord Macaulay by A. C. Dyer;
Brigadier-General Sir Henry Lawrence by Miss M. Saunders; Rajandra Lal Mitra by
Lai Fong; Major-General Sir Peter Lumsden by D. Ward; Sir Elijah Impey by Tilly
Kettle; Nawab Asaf-ud'Dowlah by Ozias Humphry; Lieutenant-General Sir Richard
Strachey by T. Blake Wirgman; The Old Fort and Holwell's Monument, Calcutta, by
T. Daniell; John Zoffany, R.A., (1733-1810), by himself; The Daniells in India;
The Jummah Musjid, Delhi; Sir Colin Campbell (first Baron Clyde); Lord Pigot of
Patshull; Duke of Wellington; Major-General Sir David Ochterlony; Major-General
Sir Robert Sale; also portraits of Governors-General of India from Warren
Hastings down to Lord Curzon. An exhibit of great historical interest is the
last page of a letter dated 7th July, 1686, bearing Job Charnock's signature.
Gallery
(XVII), contains paintings of Tipu Sultan and his sons, Mahdaji Sindhia, a
collection of arms and armour of various Indian States, flags of old time
regiments, an Austrian machine gun, and other interesting exhibits. The
exhibits in Gallery (XVIII) include engravings of the Preparation for Suttee,
the Battle of Meeanee, and the Festival of the Mohurram, a painting of Keshub
Chandra Sen, an aquatint of the Gate to Akbar's Mausoleum and show cases
containing models of the old East Indiaman Allumghier and of the battlefield of
Plassey (1757) in plaster of Paris, together with a cannon ball picked up on
that field.
Back to
Prince's Hall we pass out of the door to the southern vestibule. At the foot of
the staircase to the right are two cannons, one an old Indian camel gun, the
other bearing an inscription in Bengalee to the effect that it was cast by one
Kisore Das Karmakar, blacksmith; the gun belonged to the Maharaja of Nadia, who
played an important part in the Revolution of 1757. Ascending this staircase we
enter the Vestibule leading to Hastings Room (XIX). Here are exhibited King
Thebaw's Silver Carpet, a coloured oriental painting of the Dasara Procession
of His Highness the Rao of Kutch, and a Panorama of Her Late Majesty Queen
Victoria's Coronation Procession (about 80 feet long). Among the exhibits in
Hastings Room (XX) are two busts of Hastings in glass cases, a number of
portraits of Warren Hastings and Mrs. Hastings, Views of Daylesford House,
Hastings' family home, his tomb in Daylesford churchyard, and an engraving of
his trial; an ivory teapoy and chair, part of the famous suite of Warren
Hastings; and a paper booklet containing Hastings' account of his duel with
Philip Francis in 1780 ; several engravings of Tipu Sultan's last stand at
Seringapatam, his death, the surrender of his sons and a model of the Fort of
Seringapatam (No. 1376).
The
Print Room (XXI) and the Calcutta Room (XXII) run parallel to Hastings Room
(XX). In the former are mezzotint engravings of Sir William Peel, Lord Napier
of Magdala, Viscount Gough, General John Jacob, several battle scenes; a
portrait of Countess Mornington, the mother of the Duke of Wellington and the
Marquess Wellesley; a lithograph of Sir Charles Napier and several paintings
and portraits of Indian scenes.
The
Calcutta Room (XXII) should be of particular interest to residents of this
City. Some of the views represented are Old Court House Street, Calcutta in
1756, the River Hooghly, Calcutta from the Ochterlony Monument, Writers
Buildings, Chowringhee, the Council House, Proclaiming the transfer of the
administration to the Crown, Barrackpore, and a number of coloured lithographs
of,Old Calcutta by Sir Charles D'Oyly. There are teakwood models of St. Anne's
Church, Old Fort William and the South-East of Old Fort William showing East
Gate Barracks and the Black Hole of Calcutta: the top of the last named can be
removed to show interior details.
The
Annexe to the Calcutta Room (XXIII) is on the right and offers many photographs,
engravings and maps of Calcutta, showing the gradual growth of the city: this
is illustrated by views entitled The Old Mission Church, St. Andrew's
Presbyterian Church, Old Court House Street, Corner of Maidan (now the Curzon
Gardens), Site of Sans Souci Theatre (now St. Xavier's College), Clive Street
and Dalhousie Square, Chowringhee, Riverside, Old Bengal Club, Old Fort
William, United Service Club, Shipping on the Hooghly, Howrah Bridge, Old Post
Office, the former Royal Exchange, Roman Catholic Cathedral and the original
Black Hole Monument and its present replica.
Adjoining
the Calcutta Room is the Bombay and Madras Room (XXIV), containing a wide
display of views of both these cities and south India. These include a
collection of engravings of costumes of the western side of India, the palace
of the late Nawab of Arcot and Fort St. George. On the right is the Document
Gallery (XXV) where a number of ancient and original documents, sanads,
parchments and letters may be inspected. Of special interest among these are a
sanad by the Emperor Aurangzeb conferring a title on the Raja of Bansberia, two
warrants of the Herald's College for the arms of the City of Calcutta in 1896,
several documents relating to Sir Colin Campbell's appointments, letters in
Persian to and from the Raja of Pudukotai, a page from the baptismal register
showing the entry of baptism of Job Charnock's daughters, accounts of Queen
Victoria's Coronation and Marriage as published in the Sun, an old English newspaper, a poem in honour
of King George V's Coronation, documents in the hand-writing of Zaibunessa, daughter of Shah Jahan, three holograph letters
of Maharaja Nund Coomar, and the original jewel bond for the alleged forgery of
which Nund Coomar was tried, convicted and hanged. In a show case are a large
number of minutes, treaties, despatches, letters and a sketch of the career of
Keshub Chandra Sen, written by himself and presented to Lord Curzon. In another
case is a Tibetan manuscript on durable thick paper made from beaten grass.
Emerging
from Gallery (XXV), we turn left and ascend a short staircase leading to the
circular gallery of Queen's Hall just below the frescoes. The first door on the left leads to the
North-West Balcony (XXVI), where are exhibited an engraving of the Mausoleum of
Haider Ali and several fine views of Simla, Lucknow, and south India. A passage
from Balcony (XXVI) leads to the North Porch Room (West) (XXVII), which
contains steel engravings of the Himalayas; while a doorway on the left gives
access to a gallery leading to the North Porch Room (East) (XXVIII), containing
aquatints and engravings of Monghyr, Lucknow, Benares, Ceylon and
Abyssinia. From here we turn left and
pass into the North-East Balcony (XXIX), on the walls of which are hung tinted
lithographs of the Mutiny of 1857. In the North-East Gallery (XXX) are
displayed an assorted collection of views of Calcutta, Delhi, Seringapatam,
Lucknow and South Africa, as well as mezzotints of the installations of the
Nawabs of Bengal and the Carnatic. Worthy of special attention is the picture
of Mr. T. H. Kavanagh, V. C., disguised in order to make his way out of
Lucknow, to guide the relieving force led by Sir Colin Campbell. A passage at
the end of this gallery leads the way over an open terrace to Room (XXXI), in
which are displayed the Coronation Durbar scenes. At the farther end of this
room a doorway gives access to the North-East Corner Tower Room (XXXII), lined
with some very fine paintings of military officers by Fred Swynnerton, several
views of Calcutta, and a photograph of the laying of the Foundation Stone of
the Queen Memorial Hall. This is the last room in the building.
A
staircase from these galleries brings us down to Queen's Hall (VIII); from
where we make our way to the southern vestibule to inspect two old guns, one of
which is marked 'H. H. Maxwell, 1865, Cossipore,' and both inscribed with the
motto "Horn Soit Qui Mal y Pense DCCCLXV."
In the
grounds on the south is a life-size marble statue of Lord Curzon by Pomeroy, in
the robes of a Grand Master of the Order of the Star of India. Farther on, in
the centre of the roadway leading to the southern gate, is a memorial marble
arch surmounted by an equestrian statue of King Edward VII, and a few yards
farther south is a naval gun, captured by the Turks at Kut and recaptured from
them during the Great War, mounted on a carriage which was used in the Boer War
(1899-1901).
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
Now, about the Victoria Memorial. When I was in
Calcutta the VM was closed tightly. Its exterior was clad with a spider web of
bamboo scaffolding. Black paint had been splashed all over the memorial's white
marble in an attempt to visually tone it down a bit. That work was done when
the town fully expected heavy Japanese air raids. On a moonlight night, VM
would have signaled, "Calcutta is HERE as powerfully as if the town had
installed a bright light at which an enemy could aim. I once walked around the
building and tried to peer into windows or doors, but nothing was visible. Many
items inside had been covered with paper or cloth and tied with ropes.
(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with
Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August
2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of
Glenn Hensley)
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(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Botanical Gardens, Bg002, "I think this is in the Botanical Gardens, however I'm not all that certain. Calcutta area." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Botanical Gardens, Bg005, "This, I am certain, is in the Botanical Garden, Calcutta." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
Admission
:—Free. Open from sunrise to
sunset.
Ferry
Services to the Gardens
:—Weekdays—6, 7, 9-5, 10-10, 11-40 a.m., 12-30, 2-30, 3-20 p.m.
Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays, additional services at—11-25 a.m., 1-30, 3-30, 4-45 p.m.
Ferry
Services from the Gardens:—Weekdays—7-55, 9, 10-57 a.m. 12-15,1-25,
2-35, 4-30, 5-20 p.m.
Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays, additional service at 5-50 p.m.
Fare
:—Return Ticket: 1st class,
12 annas, 2nd class, 4 annas.
Trams:—Howrah to Sibpore.
Buses
:—From Howrah Station, No.
55.
The
Royal Botanical Gardens, on the right bank of the river Hooghly, was the first
of its kind in India. It was laid out in 1787, under the auspices of the
Hon'ble East India Company by Colonel Robert Kyd of the Bengal Engineers, who
became its first Superintendent.
The
premier object in laying out these gardens was to promote the study of Indian
trees and plants for economic and medicinal purposes. In addition, however, to
serving the main purpose for which it was established, the Gardens with its
shady avenues, picturesque scenery and delightfully cool river breeze, is today
a great attraction to the citizens of Calcutta as a welcome retreat from the
noise and bustle of the city.
Covering
an area of 273 acres and with a river frontage of a mile, the Botanical Gardens
has rightly been described as the "Pride of Calcutta".
Landing
from the river ferry the visitor is greeted by beautiful avenues. On the left lies the Herbarium, particularly
interesting to Botanists; farther on are the Gardens' offices and the
Superintendent's quarters, built in 1795 by Dr. Roxburgh on the site of the old
fort of Muckwah Thanna, which was erected by the Moghuls to protect the
villages upsteam from the depredations of the » pirates from Arrakan. On the right along Collett Avenue,
which leads to the Howrah Gate and the Sibpore College Gate, are the Royal
Restaurant and the Wallich Memorial.
Directly
facing the landing stage is Banyan Avenue, lined with trees of the species Bischofia Javanica,
Calophyllum Spectabile, Bursera Serrata and the like, leading past Jaquemont Path and Hooker Avenue to the
Great Banyan Tree ( Ficus Bengalensis ). This tree is about 140 years old, the
circumference of its trunk, since decayed, was 51 feet, that of its crown is
about 1140 feet and the maximum height attained by one of its branches, 90
feet. It has over 600 aerial roots, planted in the ground, and is by far the
largest tree in the Gardens ; with regard to age. however, it does not stand
alone, as there are many grand old veterans in the Gardens that knew the city
across the water when it was in its infancy, and when sailing vessels, before
the introduction of steam, made the dangerous passage up the Hooghly.
Turning
into Kurz Avenue and proceeding, we come to the Roxburgh Monument, erected to
commemorate Superintendent Roxburgh, the successor of Colonel Kyd. The epitaph
on the pedestal, in Latin, is from the pen of Bishop Heber. Farther on is the
Small Banyan Tree and the Lotus Bowl, and on the left the Carriage Stand and
the Gentlemen's Cloak Room.
The end
of Kurz Avenue brings us to Anderson Avenue: here, on the right, is the Small
Palm House, where various species of plants flourish in ideal surroundings.
Beyond, in Griffith Avenue, is the Palm Conservatory, and to the left of the
Small Palm House, stands a memorial to William Griffith, Civil Assistant
Surgeon of the East India Company, who bequeathed large collections of plants
and manuscripts to the Court of Directors. Farther down lies Rottler Avenue,
adorned with the Kurz Monument, and on the left are the Jack Monument, a
beautiful miniature lake, the Orchid House, and the Ladies' Cloak Room.
We have
now reached the memorial to Colonel Kyd, the founder and first Superintendent
of the Gardens. It is a marble obelisk of Grecian design, crowned with an urn,
and commands an uninterrupted vista to the river through Coredoxa Avenue, which
is lined with white columnarstem Cuban palms.
The
popularity of the Gardens with the general public, however, lies in its appeal
to the eye. No words are better adapted to describe its beauties than those
expressed by the poet Bishop Heber, when he saw it over a century ago.
"It
is," he wrote, "not only a curious but picturesque and most beautiful
scene, and most perfectly answers Milton's idea of Paradise, except that it is
on a dead flat instead of on a hill, than anything I ever saw."
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
It was a great place to get away from the
throngs of people that covered almost every square inch on the city's side of
the river. The Bot. Gardens were serenely quiet. No motors, few visitors and
much, highly interesting and strange, to me, plant and tree life. I especially
enjoyed resting under the big Banyan tree, which, I understand was supposed to
be maybe the world's largest. It didn't matter to me if it was or was not.
Several friends and I visited the gardens, maybe
a dozen times while we were at Calcutta. We always seemed to want to go there
when we were just plain tired of fighting the crowds -- on streets, on trams or
elsewhere.
With its pools, quiet walkways, shade trees, it
was a good point of refuge. Incidentally, now that I think about it, I think
many of the negatives that I lost through them becoming struck together were
scenes in the Bot. Gdn.
(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with
Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August
2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of
Glenn Hensley)
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Affiliated
to The Royal Horticultural Society, The Royal Agricultural Society, The
National Rose Society and The National Dahlia Society, London.
Admission
:—Free to the public on
weekdays from 6-30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On
Sundays, from 6-30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Reserved
for members on Sunday afternoons.
Trams:—Alipore.
Buses
:—No. 3.
The
Agri-Horticultural Society's Gardens, covering about thirty acres, well planted
and laid out, are the only one of their kind in the East and are situated at
the junction of Belvedere and Alipore Roads, with gateways on both.
Just
inside the gate on Alipore Road, is a miniature lake bordered with tall shady
trees, and encircled by a cinder pathway. Wide roads swing past both sides of
the lake in symmetrical curves and, criss-crossing
the grounds, lead to various nurseries, hot-houses and ferneries.
In the
centre of the gardens is the Society's office, housing the library and the
meeting room, the walls of which are adorned with portraits of former
Presidents and Secretaries, including three of the founder, William Carey,
D.D., who is also commemorated by a marble bust mounted on a carved pedestal,
in front of the office.
The
Society offers its members, for a small annual subscription, very generous free
gifts of plants and seed and many other privileges.
The
Royal Agri-Horticultural Society traces its inception to that renowned Baptist
Missionary, the Rev. William Carey, who in 1820, under adverse conditions and
extreme sacrifice, founded the Society which has acquired its present
usefulness through perseverance, and whose promoters have always kept in view
its importance as a means of improving agriculture and horticulture in this
country.
The
Society's gardens, during the early years of its growth, had to be frequently
moved from place to place; notwithstanding this handicap, its progress remained
uninterrupted. It was not until 1879 that the present site at Alipore was
acquired.
The
Society imports plants and seed, both of vegetable and commercial categories,
from the United States of America, Europe, Australia, Africa, Mauritius, China,
Manila and other foreign countries and distributes them to cultivator members
in India, and, with a view to arouse enthusiasm among the public, competitions
and Flower Shows are held and awards made for the best productions. The Society
has been successful in the formation of several branches in various parts of
India, many of which are now functioning on their own.
In its
early years, the Society did the work of the Agricultural Department of the
Government and, in consideration, was allowed an annual grant. In 1900 however,
on the transfer of all agricultural work to the Government, the annual grant
that had been made since 1866 was discontinued: inspite of this, it was not
long before the Society, stimulated by the patronage of Viceroys and Governors,
became a self-supporting body, with an ever increasing membership.
Today
the Society offers the people of India a free Enquiry Bureau, and a valuable
library on all matters agricultural and horticultural, while its competitions
and Annual Shows with their attractive awards, do much towards encouraging the
promotion and improvement of plants in India.
The long
list of plants which the Society has introduced from abroad or "made in
India" by cross breeding, would occupy too much space here. Cannas, for
instance, owe their improvements to the Society, and a large number of these
beautiful flowers first saw light in these gardens.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Pagoda in Botanical Garden,. Bg001, "Pagoda located in Calcutta's Botanical Garden. It was across the river and downstream from the central part of the city. This could be the one in Eden Gardens, though." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Botanical Gardens, Bg003, "I think this is a scene in Botanical Garden, but might be in Eden Gardens. Calcutta." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Eden Gardens, Bg004, "This, I think, is in Eden Gardens, but I have difficulty recalling the difference between some scenes in the Botanical Garden and Eden Gardens. Anyway, it is a beautiful spot in Calcutta." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Garden, Bg007, "Cannot positively identify, but it is either Botanical Garden or Eden Gardens." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
The Eden Gardens are situated at the north-west
extremity of the Maid an, bounded on the north by Auckland Road and on the west
by Strand Road. They were laid out in about 1840, around an avenue of trees
known as "Respondentia Walk", then the fashionableb promenade of
Calcutta society, and named after Lord Auckland's sisters, the Misses Eden, who
designed and directed their general lay-out.
There are several gates to the Gardens, but by
whichever one the visitor enters, he is led to sylvan surroundings far removed
from the noise and bustle of the city. Wide undulating lawns, in a blaze of
colour, stretch away on every side, and streams of rippling water, canopied
here and there by overhanging branches, seem to give life and buoyancy to the
flowers as they nod to every passing ripple. Pathways wind past multi-coloured
flower-beds, tropical palms and murmuring fountains, adorned with dolphins and
cherubs that add to the beauty of the scene; while rustic benches in shady
arbours by the water-side, welcome those who seek rest in this haven of
loveliness.
Among these surroundings serenely stands the
famous Burmese Pagoda, quaint in its carving and design. Brought en bloc from Prome in 1 854, it was
erected on its present site two years later. Since then, however, it has
suffered the ravages of the elements and many of its parts have had to be
replaced or renovated; though still unaffected are the Burmese monsters that
guard its four corners.
About a hundred yards to the south of the Pagoda
is the white marble statue of Sir William
Peel, Commander of the Naval Brigade during the Indian Munity of 1857;
he died at Cawnpore on the 27th February 1858 at the age of 34.
In the lake alongside the Pagoda are two rowing
boats, very appropriately named Adam
and Eve. These can be hired at
the rate of four annas per head per hour, and it is indeed a picturesque sight
to see them take the water crowded with happy holiday-makers.
To the east of the Pagoda lies the
cricket-ground, encircled by the riding-track. It has been described as the
finest ground out East, and with the rise of India to International status in
cricket, its importance has been greatly enhanced. It has been the scene of
many provincial cricket matches, and of International matches between India and
England and India and Australia. In addition, these grounds are used for the
Bengal Lawn Tennis Championships and
the Annual Dog Shows of the Kennel Club of India. The Presidency Sports, now
called the Bengal Olympic Athletic Sports, were formerly also held here.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
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Admission
:—Open daily from sunrise to
sunset throughout the year.
Entrance
fee one anna, children below the age of four admitted free,
Vehicles—One
rupee plus the entrance feS for
each person in the vehicle, except the driver.
Entrances
:—The main one is at Alipore
at the foot of the Zeerut Bridge, reached by way of Belvedere Road and
Sterndale Road, the other at Kidderpore, reached by way of Orphanganj Road.
Feeding
Time :—Carnivorous animals
at 4-30 p.m. daily, others morning and evening.
Plantains,
peanuts, gram, &c., for distribution to the animals are on sale at the
Alipore entrance.
Motor
Parking :—Opposite Alipore
entrance.
Trams
:—Kidderpore, Alipore,
Behala.
Buses :—Nos. 3, 3A, 12, 12B.
The idea
of establishing a Zoo in Calcutta appears to have originated with Dr. Fayrer,
C. S. I., in 1867 ; the subject was again raised in 1873 by Mr. C. L.
Schwendler, who strongly stressed the necessity of a Zoological garden. Sir Richard
Temple, Lieutenant-Governor, (1874-1877), supported the scheme and on the
representation of the Asiatic and Agri-Horticultural Societies, the Government
granted a site, and in January 1876 the gardens were inaugurated by H.R.H. The
Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII, and opened to the public in May of
the same year, with Mr. Schwendler as its first Superintendent.
The
grounds, covering nearly 45 acres, are tastefully laid out with gorgeous
flower-beds, rustic benches in shady bowers, and stretches of water abounding
with swans.
The Zoo
is a popular resort for picnickers, it has a great fascination for juveniles
and until 1936 was the venue of an annual fancy fair.
In
1937-1938, nearly a million people visited the Zoo, yielding an income of about
Rs. 60,000/-, comparing favourably with the season 1934-35, when there were
over a million visitors with receipts amounting to Rs. 65,0551-. The number of visitors on ordinary days
averages 2,000 and on festival days about 11,000.
The
enclosures and houses are plainly labelled, but in order to obtain an accurate
knowledge of the exhibits and the lay-out of the grounds, visitors are advised
to purchase a plan of the gardens, on sale for only one anna at the Alipore
Gate. The exhibits can be viewed by entering from either the Alipore or the
Kidderpore Gates.
Assuming
we enter by the former and strike left, we will then have on the right
"Dumraon House," containing a wide variety of monkeys—Arabian
Baboons, Dusky Langurs, Chacma Baboons, Hanumans, Bonnet Monkeys, Rhesus
Monkeys, Macaque Monkeys, etc., and on an island nearby, other specimens of
monkeys. Higher up, on the left, we see the Patagonian Cavy and Porcupines and
on the right, varieties of Peafowl and Indian Hare; a few steps farther (left),
are the Marsupials, Gazelles, Uryals and Barbary Sheep and in "Bolaram
House" Nepal Kalij, Pheasants, Sand Grouse, Cavies and Javan Mouse Deer.
In the enclosure behind, are Spotted Deer, Antelopes, Kangaroos, Bennett's
Wallaby and the Great Walaroo and to the left, more Deer and Nilgai, while
across the bridge in a separate enclosure, are Markhor.
Pursuing
our way along the main road, we see Gayal Deer, Bison, Blue and Brindled Gnu on
the left, and on the right, a variety of monkeys—Lion-tailed monkeys, Dusky
Langurs, Sooty Mangabeys, Macaque Monkeys, Mandrills, Vervets, Green Monkeys,
Mona Monkeys, Samangos and Weeper Capauchins. Farther (left) are New Zealand
Deer and on the right, Brow Antlered Deer, Llamas, Land Tortoises and Fallow
Deer, and immediately after on the left, Blesbok, Barking Deer, Bara Singha
Deer, Camels, Sambhur Deer, Hog Deer, Alligator and Nilgai.
Passing
the Hoolock Gibbons and the Elephants, we come to "Gubbay
House," housing specimens of Monkeys, Baboons, African and Striped-face
Mandrills, and crossing the roadway leading to the Wild Boars and the Andaman
Pigs, we reach the enclosure of the Great One Horned Rhinoceros. Next, on the
left, are the Red Jungle Fowl, Flamingo, Two-wattled Cassowary and Cranes;
farther on is the Zoo Hospital and Dispensary.
Returning
to the enclosure of the Great One Horned Rhinoceros and proceeding, we have on
the left the Zoo Library and then the Balearic, Paradise Stanley and Crowned
Cranes. We have now reached the centre of the gardens; here, in the middle of the
road, stands an obelisk, erected by public subscription, to the memory of Carl
Louis Schwendler, by whose indefatigable zeal and untiring energy the
Zoological Gardens were established in 1876 : he died on the 6th January 1882.
This monument was further adorned with a bronze medallion of Carl Louis
Schwendler by his countrymen in Calcutta.
To the
east of the obelisk is the enclosure of Egyptian Geese and varieties of Doves,
Pigeons, Pheasants, Grey Lemurs, and adjoining it an enclosure containing
Teals, Thrushes, Bulbuls, Parrots, Mynas and Cockatoos.
Turning
westwards and proceeding, we pass "Mullick House," accommodating
Otters, small animals and a variety of birds—Black Headed Sibia, Black
Partridge, Bunting, Orange Headed Ground Thrush, Java Sparrows, Silver
Pheasants, White Jungle Babblers, Koels and Black Throated Hill Partridges, and
enter the "Reptile House," in the centre of which are two pools, one
containing Crocodiles and Alligators and the other Otters, while round the hall
in glass cases are exhibited specimens of snakes and other reptiles. Behind the
"Reptile House" are the enclosures for Zebras and Antelopes, and
farther down an enclosure for Tiger Cubs, while separated from it by a roadway,
are the enclosures for Leopards, Wild Dogs, Indian Wolves, Striped Hyaenas,
Pumas, Spotted Hyaenas, Jaguars, Shaded Leopards, etc. Passing the Pigmy
Hippopotamus (right), Antelopes, Emus, Ostriches, Rheas and varieties of birds
of prey, and the Refreshment Room (left), we reach the Kidderpore Gate.
Continuing
our way along the main road, which flanks the lake on the right, we pass
Hyaenas, a variety of Indian and American Bears, Hippopotami, Tapirs, specimens
of Pheasants and come to the strong cages of the Lions and Tigers: here is the
Maimensingh Arena, where the wild beasts are released for the purpose of
exercise. To the east of the arena are the enclosures for Drills, Baboons,
Squirrels and Hornbills.
Proceeding
southwards, we pass more American Bears and a Civet Cat, then Uryal, Thomson's
Gazelle and Giraffes. Crossing the bridge we see specimens of Coots, Pigeons,
Thrushes, Flamingoes, Teals, Water Rails, Doves, Spotted Crakes, etc., and
farther up, a collection of Duck and Water Fowl, Scarlet Ibis and Pochard.
Passing the enclosure exhibiting varieties of Silver Pheasants, Teals,
Woodpeckers, March Tern, Kingfishers, Sandpipers, Egrets, Plovers, Blue Herons,
Black Bitterns, etc., and then the cage of the Orang-Outang, we cross the Green
and reach the Restaurant and thus complete our round.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
Another day there was a visit to the Calcutta
zoo. As far as zoos go it cannot be
compared with others in cooler climes. Tiger, leopards and other tropical
animals thrived. The monkeys amused the twins but the white polar bears aroused
compassion when watching them sitting around listlessly, languishing in the
heat.
(source:page 91 of Eugenie Fraser: “A home by the Hooghly. A jute
Wallahs Wife” .Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing 1989)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with
Eugenie Fraser)
I found my way to the Calcutta Zoo which was
cheap but depressing — a beautiful park where polar bears panted and sweated
(if a bear can sweat) under a hot sun; tigers endlessly patrolled their small
cages and eagles looked longingly at the sky. Finding this zoo distasteful, I
returned disheartened through shady streets where the burrasahibs lived in their comfortable air-conditioned bungalows. Now,
having lived myself in the wilderness, I hate all zoos. Passions run high over
hunted foxes, animals whose numbers, after all, have to be controlled. Few people ever spare a thought for those unfortunate animals that have lost
both freedom and dignity by being condemned
to live unhappy and unnatural lives in cages.
(source
pages 10 of John Rowntree: “A Chota
Sahib. Memoirs of a Forest Officer.” Padstow: Tabb House, 1981.)
(COPYRIGHT
NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial
educational research project. The copyright remains with the Estate of John
Rowntree)
In 1945, most of the wild animals at Tokyo's
Ueno Zoo were killed by their keepers who feared they might escape during air
raids. Since then, visitors who daily flock to the zoo have had to content
themselves with housecats, hogs, a Jersey cow, stuffed lions & tigers. The
government has been deluged with children's pleas that real live wild animals,
especially elephants, be restored to the Ueno Zoo, but exchange difficulties
have made it practically impossible.
Recently, Tokyo moppets made friends with
personable young Himansu Neogy, a Calcutta exporter who had taken time off
during a business trip to visit the city's schools. They gave him bouquets of
flowers, posed with him for group pictures. When Neogy was about to go back to
India, they begged him to intercede on their behalf with Prime Minister Nehru
to send them an Indian elephant.
Last week, Neogy dropped in at Nehru's office in
New Delhi, plumped on the prime minister's desk a pouch containing 815 letters.
In English, Sumiko Kanatsu, a girl pupil in Negishi primary school, wrote:
"At Tokyo zoo we can only see pigs and birds which give us no interest. It
is a long cherished dream for Japanese children to see a large, charming
elephant.. Can you imagine how we want to see the animal?" Said Masanori
Yamato of Seisi grade school: "The elephant still lives with us in our
dreams."
Pandit Nehru ordered the External Affairs
Ministry to consult with the provinces and princely states forthwith, set about
procuring funds and transportation to get a beast to the Ueno Zoo.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with Time Magazine)
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(Source: Elaine Pinkerton / Reproduced by courtesy of Elaine Pinkerton)
(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Garden, Bg006, "Again, I am not certain -- Eden Gardens or Botanical Garden. Calcutta." seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
Location
:—Southern Avenue.
Trams
:—Ballygunge.
Buses
:—8A, 16, and those of 2 and
2A marked "To the Lakes".
The
Dhakuria Lakes in southern Calcutta, reached conveniently by way of Lansdowne
Road and Southern Avenue (Russa Road), is one of the most popular resorts of
the citizens of Calcutta. In the dusk of the evening, the widening roads
bordering the lakes and curving over the parkland, are thronged with people,
glad to be away from the bustle and noise of the city.
The
original lake covered 76 acres: to this was recently connected the extension
lake, which was excavated to a depth of 25 feet below the surface of the
original one. The lakes now completed, have a frontage of a mile and are in
idyllic settings. Tall swaying palm trees border the curving shores and cast
magnified shadows across the transparent waters, while little whirls and eddies
indicate the presence of fish. The surrounding parkland, covering several
acres, is well laid out, and at night is transformed into an enchanted realm
gleaming with fairy lights.
The
lakes have gained wide popularity among wielders of the oar; rowing clubs dot
their shores and regattas and rowing championships are held on their waters at frequent intervals.
In the
southern half of the original lake, a tiny island, joined by a suspension
bridge to the mainland, looks for all the world like that intriguing design we
see on willow-pattern ware; while another island, planked in the middle of the
extension lake, adds greatly to its beauty.
Only a
few years ago the lakes and the country around were swampy marshland, shrouded
with miasmatic mists, while today, due to the perseverance and whole-hearted
efforts of the Improvement Trust, the lakes and the park have developed into a
sphere of importance.
Both
lakes and park are maintained, and are still being embellished, by the
Improvement Trust at considerable expense.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
We did take some time out at noon to watch the
Indians who were fishing, using nets and bamboo traps, in the pond adjacent to
our headquarters. The water is low enough that they can wade through all of it,
and word got around that one had caught a fish 15 inches long. In a few
moments, 56 (by actual count) Indians, little and big, were there.
(Source: p.115
of Elaine Pinkerton (ed.): “From Calcutta With Love: The World War II
Letters of Richard and Reva Beard” Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 2002 /
Reproduced by courtesy of Texas Tech University Press)
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Pursuing our way along the main thoroughfare
[Upper Circular Road], we pass on the right, in succession, Greer Park
(Reserved for ladies), […]
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
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At the southern end of Park Street, at its
junction with Lower Circular Road, are the old Calcutta Park Street Cemeteries
where, under massive brick and plaster memorials, lie the remains of many great
personages associated with the early history of Calcutta. Names famous in verse
and legend adorn the crumbling graves and vividly resuscitate for us the
glories of Old Calcutta, of Warren Hastings, of French Privateers and of gay
mid-Victorian Cavaliers. These cemeteries are four in number :
Tiretta or French Cemetery—Opened in 1786
for the reburial of the young wife of Edward
Tiretta, an Italian who rose to the position of Superintendent of
Streets and Buildings. In this cemetery are also buried Mark Mutty, the
Venetian, the renowned Vicomtesse Adeline de Facieu and Roman Catholics of
those early days.
Mission Cemetery—Opened in 1773. Among
those buried here are Richard Burney, and the Rev. J. Z. Kiernander, the first
Protestant Missionary to Bengal, who built in 1770, at his own expense, the
Beth Tophilla (House of Prayer), now the Old Mission Church.
North Park Street Cemetery—Opened in 1791. Here lie the remains
of Thomas Henry Graham, killed in action in an affray between the East India
Company's ship "Kent" and a French privateer in 1800 ; Richard
Thackeray, the novelist's father; and William Jones, founder of Bishop's
College, now Sibpur Engineering College.
South Park Street Cemetery—Opened in
1767. Here a mammoth obelisk marks the grave of Sir William Jones, founder and
first President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. A fluted column, inset with a
black marble slab, marks the last resting place of Rose Aylmer, immortalised in
verse by that strange genius, Walter Savage Landor (P. 88). Here are also
buried Captain Mackay, whose narrative of shipwreck inspired that of Byron's in
"Don Juan"; General Clavering; Major-General Stuart; Colonel and Lady
Monson; Colonel Kyd, founder and first President of the Botanical Gardens; Sir
Elijah Impey; Henry Vansittart, Governor of Bengal, 1760-64; Edward Wheler, and
Captain Edward Cook, son of the famous navigator. As Commandant of H.M.Ship
"La Sybille", Captain Cook engaged the heavily armed French frigate
"La Porte", and captured it on the 1st March 1799; he was
wounded in action and died on the 23rd May 1799, at the age of 26: a memorial
tablet in Westminster Abbey records his great services to the Empire.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
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(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Dalhousie Square, C004, Northwest corner of Dalhousie Square at intersection of today's Lal Bazaar St. and East Old Courthouse Street seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)
From the western corner of Writers' Building we
cross the road and enter Dalhousie Square Park by the gate at the north-west
corner. The Square has many historical associations: in the very early days it
was the principal place for promenading, and was first known
as the "Green", later the "Park", then "Tank
Square", and now Dalhousie Square after the Marquess of Dalhousie,
Governor-General, 1845-I856. In the centre of the Park is a miniature lake of
clear, sweet water, bordered by a broad walk. The lake was dug in
about 1770 to provide the inhabitants of Calcutta with drinking wafer.
Along the broad walk on the northern side of the
Park is a statue of Sir Ashley Eden,
Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, 1877-1882 ; another, an equestrian, by Geo.
Frampton of Sir John Woodburn, Lieutenant-Governor, 1898-1902; and a third, by
Hamo Thornicroft of Sir Stewart Colvin Bayley, Lieutenant-Governor, 1887-1890.
The statue onthe
east side is' that of Sir Andrew
Fraser. Lieutenant-Governor, 1903-1908. and that on the west side of Sir R. N. Mukerjee,
a well-known philanthropise. On the south side of the square stands Dalhousie
Institute, and at the south-west comer a seated marble statue with the only
word "Darbhanga" inscribed un the pedestal. Four marble fountains
installed by Lord Curzon, one at each corner, add to the beauty of the Square.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair
dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The
copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
To the right of the thoroughfare lies Curzon
Gardens, pleasingly laid out in the shape of a Union Jack. At the western side
of the garden stands the statue of Raj Bahadur Sir Hariram Goenka, business man
and philanthropist, while bounding the garden on the east is the Calcutta
Tramways Co's Main Junction, with a large pavilion for waiting passengers.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair
dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The
copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
On the opposite side we note Nilamber Mukerjee
Street running eastwards and joining Raja Dinendra Street in front of the main
entrance of Deshbandhu Park.
This Park, named after the late Deshbandhu
Chittaranjan Dass, is one of the largest in northern Calcutta; it is well laid
out with wide gravelled paths, smooth lawns and a large variety of plants and
shrubs, and is adorned with the bust of Dr. Suresh Chandra Bhattacharya. The
Park contains a swimming pool, a physical culture enclosure, cement and grass
tennis courts, and recreation grounds where football and cricket are played in
season. The northern half of the Park, containing a picturesque pavilion,
swings and basket-ball grounds, is reserved for ladies. The Park is
occasionally used for civic and political gatherings.
(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non
commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)
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