Stephen House Kolkata

Location: Benoy-Badal- Dinesh Bagh (B.B.D.), West Kolkata

Higlights of B.B.D. Bagh

 Famous as: Biggest commercial hub of the city

 U.S.P.: Cultural Heritage Site by the World Monuments Fund (W.M.F.)
 Spirit of the place: A menagerie of administrative, commercial, cultural and
colonial heritage.
 Promotion of the place: Heritage walk.

Dalhousie Square: An Insight

An epicenter of Kolkata’s most prosperous cultural and colonial heritage. Dalhousie Square is
the administrative heart and the Central Business District of the city, named as a Cultural
Heritage Site by the World Monuments Fund, New York. Dalhousie Square, Kolkata is a classic
specimen of the architectural marvel built with a close resemblance to London reflected through
the Colonial Architecture and accounts as one of the adequate models of colonial heritage city
centers all over the world. It is the spot where the largest number of British colonial heritage,
monuments and constructions are found[ CITATION Dal1 \l 1033 ] . The Square is located close to a
tank, named Lal Dighi that served as the source of drinking water till the mid-nineteenth century
for the European residential areas in Calcutta

A sprawling area of over two square kilometers, Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh was

formerly known as Dalhousie Square, offers a retreat at the heart of modern Kolkata. The piazza
consists of charming historic architecture and encloses the Lal Dighi, or “Red Tank,” a body of
water reflecting the buildings above. The place finds its nomenclature after James, Marquess of
Dalhousie, who served as the Governor-General of India from 1847 to 1856. During the British
uprising in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Calcutta was the capital of British India.
Dalhousie Square was the nucleus of the city’s financial, social, and political seat. Calcutta’s first
parish church, St. John’s, faces the Square with its classical exterior and early nineteenth-century
steeple, modeled after Gibbs’s St. Martin’ s-in-the-Fields in London’s Trafalgar
Square[ CITATION Dal \l 1033 ] . After the shift of capital from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1911, the
buildings surrounding Dalhousie Square were mistreated over time and occasionally abandoned
and demolished. In more recent years, local preservation groups have begun to advocate for the
restoration and revitalization of the area[ CITATION Dal \l 1033 ].

Refer Aneexure-1 for figures

Once a bustling hub and Central business district is under distress.

According to Namrata Acharya of Business standards news channel says:

“Dalhousie is no longer considered to be the CBD area in Kolkata. It is losing sheen because of
lack of modern facilities. In an interview with a city-based real estate developer Pradip Chopra
said “New age start-ups want their offices to be situated in areas like Sector V, which is near the
airport,” according to informal estimates, in Sector V alone, about 5,000,000 sft of office space is
available[ CITATION Nam15 \l 1033 ]. “The CBD area in Kolkata is undergoing a shift and there
persists issues such as car parking and traffic and a change in model of business [ CITATION Nam15
\l 1033 ]. Dalhousie square, spread over two square km, the area, which the World Monument
Fund described as one of South Asia’s few surviving colonial centers and also one of the 100
most endangered sites in the world, has close to 55 historic landmarks, the biggest restoration
project on Dalhousie Square — the renovation of Writers’ Building at a cost of nearly Rs 200
crore — was taken up by the Trinamool Congress government, which roped in departments of
architecture of Bengal Engineering and Science University and Jadavpur University to execute
the project[ CITATION Nam15 \l 1033 ]. The square is crowded by hawkers and is intertwined in
ownership problems, the several other buildings are relegated to obscurity and they thrive for
attention. Especially the Eastern part of the BBD square containing Stephen House isn’t much
highlighted that houses approx. 50 offices in its building.

Why Stephen House?

Stephen House, being more than a century old, is a landmark building and a hub of more than 50
offices in Dalhousie Square. Numerous Offices, Banks, Travel Agents, Foreign Money
Exchangers, Share Brokers, Chartered Accountants’ Firms, and others function in this building.

Square is being restored following the fire, which broke out a few years back.

Position of Stephen House in Dalhousie Square

The northern, southern and western sides of the Dalhousie Square consists of built up structures
of prominence which are witnessing measures and availability of funds for their conservation,
which is in stark contrast to the built spaces on eastern side [ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ]. The eastern
side has the BBD Bagh bus station and various commercial establishments like the Federal Bank,
Stephen House West Bengal Tourism Centre, Anglo SwissWatch co, and the old building of
RBI[ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ] . The state of building on this side of Lal Dighi is easily understood
by the series of figures.

More than a century old, this landmark building housing more than 50 offices in Dalhousie
square is being restored following the fire which broke out a few years back. Numerous Offices,
Banks, Travel Agents, Foreign Money Exchangers, Share Brokers, Chartered Accountants' Firms
and others are functioning in this building[ CITATION Ste1 \l 1033 ].

 AnandRathi,Dalhousie
  Electrosteel Castings Limited
 Yes Bank
 WBTDC Booking Office (3/2 B.B.D Bag East)
 Indiabulls
 B.E.Pumps Pvt Ltd.
 Vodophone Store
 HDFC Bank
 Allahabad Bank, Stephen House Branch, (R..Banerjee)
 Samsung Service Center
 EDiGICOM
 ICICI Bank ATM
 Indusland Bank
 Jammu and Kashmeer [J&K] Bank
 KOSC Indstries Pvt Ltd
 Samsung Service Center
 Radio Suply Store
 Central Bank Of India
 Unian Bank Of India
 ICICI Bank

Refer Aneexure-2 for figures

Arathoon Stephen, Armenian trader

Arathoon Stephen (1861 – 14 May 1927) was an Armenian hotelier and real estate developer
based in India was from Armenia, amongst other properties, he owned and developed the
Kolkata institutions: the Empire Theatre and the Grand Hotel [ CITATION peo \l 1033 ]. Stephen
arrived in Calcutta from Isfahan (A city & province in Iran) sometime in the early nineteenth
century where he first began selling jewelry from a wheelbarrow and later, he opened a jewelry
and antique shop at 18 Chowringhee Road and the Theatre Royale at No. 16. In 1911, he bought
out a run-down boarding house run by Mrs. Annie Monk and built the Grand Hotel,
consequently, Stephen also owned several other properties in Calcutta, many of which now have
heritage status, including Queens Mansion (which houses the Armenian Club of Calcutta),
Stephen Court, Stephen House, Empire Theatre and the Everest Hotel in Darjeeling [ CITATION
peo \l 1033 ].

Armenians journey in India : A rise and fall

Armenia is situated on the crossroads of West Asia and East Europe, strategically located for
trade, and consequently, a constant battleground [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ] . Between the 16th
and 19th centuries, Christian Armenia was caught in a series of conflicts between the Ottoman
Turks and the Persians, later, part of it was conquered by Russia and eventually absorbed into the
former Soviet Union in 1922 as well. It was during these tumultuous years that, many Armenians
moved out and like the Parsis who had fled from the same region centuries before them,
Armenians too found refuge in India [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ]. The splendour of the Mughals
made India favourable for trade, and Armenians received a warm welcome in Akbar’s secular
court, settling in Agra, Delhi, Surat and Lahore, among other cities, and it is believed that one of
Akbar’s queens was Armenian, because of their connections with the Mughals, that the East
India Company began cultivating a relationship with them and, more and more Armenians came
to India [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ].But with the decline of the Mughal empire, Armenians spread
to other parts of India, settling in large numbers in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. Bombay was
already dominated by the Parsis, so Armenians couldn’t flourish in Bombay [ CITATION Sau141 \l
1033 ]. Their exact year of coming to Kolkata is obscure its estimated that they arrived at least 60
years before the British. The oldest Christian grave in Kolkata, marked 1630 CE – Rezabeebeh,
‘wife of the late Charitable Sookias’ – is of an Armenian [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ]. The last
round of settlers came in the years following the outbreak of the First World War, in 1915, in
fact 2015 is the centenary of what historians call the Armenian genocide, the systematic killing
of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman empire. Many fled the region—and about
2,000 found refuge in India [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ].

The late 16th century CE marked the heyday of Armenian trade in Calcutta and they first settled
in Chinsurah near Calcutta, where the jute trade was centered and later, they established
themselves in Calcutta and the city became home to the largest Armenian community in India., it
was in 1715CE, the Armenians heped the British establish themselves in Bengal and make
Calcutta the new commercial centre, as they prospered their community grew and more
Armenians church were constructed across India [ CITATION Kri171 \l 1033 ].

Present Condition of Armenians:

Once the prime trading community that ran the city of Kolkata has depleted in its count and
Kolkata is the last surviving home to Armenians in India. Less than 100 Indian Armenians live in
Kolkata and the Armenian Street has lost its charm once a long meandering quarter of
Burrabazaar. Today the area is enshrouded by the big, bustling wholesale market, clustered with
shops and labourers, warehouses and packs of customers, where Marwaris and Muslims,
Bengalis and Biharis dominates the area. The people there carry ‘no knowledge’ about the
Armenian Community that once, along with the Portuguese and the Jews, thrived here
[ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ]

A 19th century historian ‘Mesrovb Jacob Seth’ in ‘Armenians in India from the Earliest Times
to the Present Day’ describes that; seven centuries before Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama
arrived on the Malabar coast and Armenian merchant Thomas Cana landed on the same south-
western coast in 780 CE, But it was only in the 16th century that Armenian settlements began in
the country.

‘Hindustan Times’ in conversation with an Armenian named Adam at the Sir Catchick Paul
Chater Home for the Elderly in Park Circus speaks about the largely empty building of the
vanishing world of Armenians, there being only 8 residents of Armenians.

Adam explains Hindustan Times that during early and mid-20th century Park Street was the
throbbing pulse of an otherwise conservative city; The Anglo-Indians mixed with the Bengali
elite, the Armenians and the Parsis [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ]. Park street during those times had
cabaret in the mornings, sensual singers crooning to entertain diners at Mocambo and lots of
parties, they owned trading companies, shipping lines, publishing houses, they had big
businesses – indigo, shellac, jewelry [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ]. Their European heritage and
enterprising attitude made them natural allies of the British – and like the Anglo-Indians, they
had coveted government jobs, owned prime real estate too.

When the British left, there were approximately 3000-4000 Armenians in Kolkata and
“Armenians were being isolated”. People who were very well established, they all left,” says
Peter Hyrapiet the caretaker of Armenian Church in conversation with Hindustan Times.

Hindustan Times mentions “Until the 1960s, nearly all Indian-Armenians studied here. But as
the community shrank and as the world moved on, they began to integrate themselves into the
mainstream – children were sent to more established schools in the city” [ CITATION Sau141 \l
1033 ]

Facilities for Armenians:

According to the Armenian General Benevolent Union news magazine, the number of students
dropped from 206 in 1961 to just six in 1998. The school had always welcomed immigrant
Armenians as residential students, but it now became necessary to bring even more Armenians
from abroad. (Education for all Armenians, anywhere from around the world is free at the school
– including boarding, lodging and a trip back home every three years. They even give financial
aid to students after they finish school). At the moment, there are only two Indian-Armenian
students in the school. The other 58 are from Armenia, Iran and Iraq. But the school has
improved, tremendously – is the general consensus.

Eminent Armenians:

In the early 20th century, the race course magnate Johannes Carapiet Galstaun owned some 350
buildings and 100 racehorses (he supposedly lost his fortunes thrice and recovered them at the
races) and donated Rs 25,000 to the Victoria Memorial building fund at the time [ CITATION
Sau141 \l 1033 ].
The hotelier Arathoon Stephen had come penniless to the city and eventually built The Grand
Hotel (now the Oberoi Grand) and Stephen Court, the building on Park Street where the famous
patisserie Flurys is located [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ]

Realtor TM Thaddeus, who built Park Mansions, owned a Rolls Royce but travelled in rickshaws
because he did not trust a driver with his prized possession [ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ].
Businessman Paul Chater eventually became one of Hong Kong’s top bankers, and – like many
others – bequeathed his estate to the Church in Kolkata, the old home is named after him
[ CITATION Sau141 \l 1033 ].

Hazaar Maliyan, better known in Calcutta society as Huzoorimal –westernized version of the
conventional form of his Armenian name. Armenian Ghat was built in 1734 by Manvel Hazaar
Maliyan, a celebrated Calcutta trader of Armenian origin, this elegant ferry ghat was just one of
the many contributions made by the benevolent Armenian toward developing Calcutta’s
infrastructure and sociocultural rapport, Armenians were involved in spice to jewelry trade, and
this river pier was built specifically to tackle the docking of the merchants of the town. [ CITATION
Arm \l 1033 ]

Historical Background of B.B.D. Square

B.B.D. Bagh was formerly known as Dalhousie Square, created as a trading center for the British
East India Company along the banks of the Hooghly River, with Fort William at its center
between Lal Dighi and the river[ CITATION Dal1 \l 1033 ]. Back in the summer of 1756, Nawab
Siraj ud-Daulah of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa had planned an attack on the British town against
the company’s decision to strengthen the fortifications around it, the survivors of the attack were
all sent to the Black Hole of Calcutta, the garrison within the fort, the British rulers soon
overtook the city after the Nawab retreated from the forces of Robert Clive, including the
Square, which was soon established as the commercial and political center of British
India[ CITATION Dal1 \l 1033 ]. In the next century, the Square grew to become the Dalhousie
Square named after Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor-General of India.

Dalhousie Square, Kolkata grew in commercial importance and cultural influence over the next
one and a half centuries and continues to be among the most prominent commercial and political
center of all of East India, including several business and political institutions that date back to
the colonial era[ CITATION Dal1 \l 1033 ]. The region flaunts its Victorian style of architecture,
exhibiting an old-world charm that attracts the maximum number of tourists visiting the city.
Due to the existence of several offices and commercial buildings in the Dalhousie region has
named the place “Office Para” meaning a locality of offices.
Refer Aneexure-3 for figures

Calcutta culture

It was in 1772 that the first governor-general, Warren Hastings, transferred all important offices
to the city from Murshidabad, the provincial Mughal capital and in 1773 Bombay (now Mumbai)
and Madras (now Chennai) became subordinate to the government at Fort William [ CITATION NKS
\l 1033 ]. The city saw increase in population with an advent of White (British) Town and outside
the British town were built the mansions of the newly rich, as well as clusters of huts. The names
of different quarters of the city—such as Kumartuli (the potters’ district) and Sankaripara (the
conch-shell workers’ district)—still indicate the various occupational castes of the people and
became residents of the growing metropolis [ CITATION NKS \l 1033 ]. Two distinct areas—one
British, one Indian—came to coexist in Calcutta and at that time, it was described as a
pestilential town.

Kolkata was segregated under British rule, the Europeans living in the city centre and Indians
living to the north and south. The pattern of segregation has continued in the modern city,
although the distribution is now based on religious, linguistic, educational, and economic
criteria[ CITATION NKS \l 1033 ]. Kolkata is the most important cultural centre of India, the city is
the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought and of Indian nationalism, the
blending of Eastern and Western cultural influences over the centuries has stimulated the
creation of numerous and diverse organizations that contribute to Kolkata’s cultural
life[ CITATION NKS \l 1033 ]. In addition to the universities, these include the Asiatic Society of
Bengal, the Bengal Literary Society (Bangiya Sahitya Parishad), the Ramakrishna Mission
Institute of Culture, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, and the
Maha Bodhi Society[ CITATION NKS \l 1033 ].

Dalhousie Square – A Foodie’s Paradise

Dalhousie Square offers variety of street food junkies for the food lovers with varied options
available including Luchi, Kochuri and Aloodom, Cholar Dal, Rice with Fish Curry and several
types of sweets. The cuisine ranges from lip-smacking platter of snacks and meals ranging from
typical Bengali cuisine to South Indian and Mughlai dishes and also a variety of Chinese cuisine,
Dalhousie Square, Kolkata is a must visit if you are looking for some delectable food at cheap
rates[ CITATION Dal1 \l 1033 ].

According to the blog “Food walk in Office Para, Kolkata” The culinary offerings in the central
business district of Kolkata, Dalhousie aka B.B.D[ CITATION Dev18 \l 1033 ]. Bag is an experience
that you must have atleast once if you happen to visit the city. The most heartening is the
unnamed, unsaid relationship of camaraderie that gradually develops between a shopkeeper and
his regular customer or a few people who visits a particular stall regularly. Be it a bad day at
office, a squabble with spouse, the fetching percentage of their children in Board exams or
politics and IPL, there is hardly any topic uncovered or under discussed[ CITATION Dev18 \l 1033 ].
Such is the story of Office Para and it’s food culture it’s in Kolkata. The street offers from Muri
Telebhaja ( puffed rice with batter coated veggies) to Brown Bread Sandwich and fruit salad ,
from Roomali Roti and Chicken chap to Jain thali, from Lassi to Cutting Chai and of course
Misti-doi[ CITATION Dev18 \l 1033 ]. During lunch hours, hungry and thirsty patrons from the
thousands of offices in the area throng the food stalls and vendors with their preferences and
demands thoroughly sorted. Here are a few examples

Sandwich normal/brown bread grilled/non grilled

Eggs; hard boiled / half boiled (the runny oozy and delicious ones)/sunny side up/omelette
(with/without onions)

Roti; Tandoori/Roomali/normal (locally known as hath ruti) with a wide choice of vegetable
curries and dal and the best part is people can enjoy a customised meal in less than Rs 50!!
[ CITATION Dev18 \l 1033 ]

Beating Mumbai, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and New Delhi, Kolkata has been deemed as the best
destination for a staggering variety of street food, according to the survey ‘Taste of Travel’
mentioned in a report in The Times of India[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ]. The research was
conducted independently among 56,727 respondents over 30 markets. The results focused on
Indian travellers only, which consisted of 2,023 respondents. Findings by Booking.com suggest
that 67% of Indian travellers base their destination as per the cuisine and food experiences that
the place offers[ CITATION Ray181 \l 1033 ].

The architecture of Dalhousie Square

Buildings belonging to British Raj surround the Dalhousie Square. These buildings boast of the
finest remnants of the colonial culture in architecture and construction. At the center of it lies the
Lal Dighi, the vast water tank flanked by the majestic Writers’ Building in the north, other
buildings like the domed G.P.O. Building, Treasury Office, and the Reserve Bank of India are all
situated at the west, the southern region of Dalhousie Square is adorned with the Dead Letter
Office and the Raj Bhavan located at the end, Coming towards the east, there are Stephen House
and the luxurious Great Eastern Hotel[ CITATION Dal1 \l 1033 ]. Heritage constructions like the
Town Hall, the High Court, St. Andrew’s Church and St. John’s Church are all scattered across
the region.With so many commercial properties and offices swarming the Dalhousie Square, the
place is rightly nicknamed as Office Para.

Conservation of B.B.D. Square; 2004 and 2006 World Monuments Watch

“As mentioned in the website if Word monuments fund, Dalhousie Square”:

In the early 2000s, architects and students from the Jadavpur University completed a survey of
fifty historic buildings on and around Dalhousie Square. Several of these 200-year-old structures
dangered for demolition, and the identity of the entire plaza was under threat by impoverished
development schemes and explosive population growth. Dalhousie Square was included in the
World Monuments Watch in 2004 and 2006 to raise support and funding for the local
conservationists[ CITATION Dal2 \l 1033 ]. Following Watch-listing, the government of West
Bengal pledged to preserve the site; the municipality created its list of landmarks, 55 of them
belonged to Dalhousie Square Heritage Zone. In 2005, W.M.F. arranged a strategy-planning
workshop for stakeholders and also contributed funding for a pilot project: the restoration of St.
John’s Church. W.M.F. coordinated and financed the first phase of work in 2007, which required
stabilizing the church’s foundations and repairing the drainage system[ CITATION Dal \l 1033 ].

Dalhousie Square is one of South Asia’s few surviving colonial centers, and it is unique in India
because much of its peripheral environment remains intact[ CITATION Dal \l 1033 ]. The classical-
style St. John’s Church is just one of 55 municipal landmarks in the vicinity of the plaza, which
has been dubbed the “Dalhousie Square Heritage Zone” by city officials [ CITATION Dal \l 1033 ].
The buildings that line the square range in date from 1695 and 1947, the latter year being the
date of India’s independence from the United Kingdom. The Square and its surrounding
architecture remain a beautiful feature of Kolkata due to a combination of local advocacy and
international support[ CITATION Dal \l 1033 ].

Fire breakout at Stephens House

As mentioned in The Telegraph online, published on 08.09.19, 09:54 PM,

An explosion, possibly caused by an electrical short circuit, reduced to rubble a 20-feet-long

stretch of a pavement in front of Stephen House. Several cobblestones from the pavement landed
on an electrical feeder box at least five feet high while some permanent reinforced concrete slabs
on top of an underground utility chamber’s access pit were broken. Murlidhar Sharma, joint
commissioner (crime), said a preliminary probe revealed that an electrical short circuit
had led to the explosion[ CITATION Ste19 \l 1033 ].

“The area has subsided because of the explosion, be that an electrical short circuit in a
CESC line caused the blast or fluctuation in voltage. Guards posted at a private bank
branch and a telecom service provider store alerted the police on hearing a loud explosion
around 5.30pm[ CITATION Ste19 \l 1033 ]. A bomb detection and disposal unit and a dog
squad arrived on the spot while a police team went around and asked guards at ATMs in
the area to down shutter, the police also called in engineers from the nearby construction
site of Dalhousie Square station of East-West Metro to examine the pit. “We don’t have
anything on this side of the pavement,” an engineer said, CESC sent its engineers to the
spot as well but an official of the power utility pointed out that there was no disruption in
supply in the immediate vicinity. Guards posted in the area said there was no power
outage[ CITATION Ste19 \l 1033 ].

Heritage buildings in Dalhousie Square

During the colonial period, for two centuries, Dalhousie square has been the center of activities
housing important buildings and being the center of trade for the East India Company and
retained it prominence even after the shift of capital from Kolkata to Delhi in the year 1912.
Over the period of time the square which is named as a World Monument Fund site has seen
rapid urbanization, civic apathy and deterioration of the old structures [ CITATION Sun151 \l 1033 ] .
A few buildings are demolished and a few are retained according to the business purposes and
other economic suitability to suit current needs of the growing city and its demands. The state
government of West Bengal has taken several measures to restore the area and its former glory,
despite some positive steps, more than 50 Dalhousie Square buildings remain in very poor
condition like a lack of maintenance, natural weathering, and shortage of funds have threatened
the urban site [ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ]. Social use of heritage structures to fill the gap between
the urbanization and historical core helps preserve the structure and is a catalyst to its
maintenance which would otherwise be neglected. Some of the buildings studied in the
Dalhousie Square are a fine example of how a timely intervention in spite of decades of neglect
has helped in restoring them and preserving the heritage of the city

Writers’ Building Dalhousie Square Kolkata

Writers’ Building lies at the north of the Lal Dighi, and is the center of power and epitome of the
British and current day India housing the secretariat of the West Bengal State Government
[ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ].The structure excels in one of the precise example of British Colonial
architecture and showcases the change in architectural style and the needs over two centuries to
incorporate, the needs of the secretariat. The building was designed by Mr. Thomas Lyon in
1777 as barracks to provide accommodation to the John Company's ‘writers’, the original three
storied structure was the tallest building at the time and later underwent several expansions and
addition at various stages in time both pre and post-independence. The building complex
comprises of five blocks the main building, the rotunda, five other blocks added from 1952 to
1962 and post-independence addition of four blocks in the courtyard.

Except for it long decorative façade adorning the northern side of Lal Dighi most of its
historical and architectural character has been lost, over usage of the building as a secretariat
with ever-growing needs. Alterations of varying degrees have been done in the interior space, the
floor and ceiling patterns, lighting fixtures, wall textures have all been modified to suit the needs
of present day world. The technological advancement which the society has made, has found its
way into the Writers’ Building, without respecting its heritage value[ CITATION Sun151 \l 1033 ].
“In recent past, the urgency for revisiting the whole complex was felt due to series of fire
incident that took place from 2010-2013, this was deemed to be a matter of serious concern for a
public building with a daily footfall of 14000 every day [ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ] . On the news of
reconfiguring the complex in order to facilitate systematic restoration, there was a heightened
recognition of the buildings architectural integrity and historic value and this in turn prompted
the government to undertake the planning efforts to establish a source for future use and
treatment[ CITATION Sun151 \l 1033 ]. In 2013, the Government invited a consortium of academic
institutions to undertake a comprehensive, multi-year master planning and restoration effort.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Jadavpur University have
been selected as consultant for the restoration of this project and the team has recommended for
the preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of significant historic spaces. It has also suggested
the demolition of post-independence blocks and inclusion of structural safety, fire norms, and
historical /architectural languages enabling the increase in life of building by at least 100 years
[ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ].

Refer Aneexure-4 for figures

The General Post Office, Dalhousie Square, Kolkata

The General Post Office, Kolkata or GPO is a prominent landmark located west of Dalhousie
Square and is built on the site of Fort William and the infamous 1756 Black Hole of Calcutta.
The high domed architectural marvel is designed by Walter B. Grenville and built in 1864, the
building is well preserved, performing the very purpose for which it’s commissioned and is one
of the most well conserved structure of Dalhousie Square [ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ]. The 28 Ionic
and Corinthian columns supports the majestic dome The GPO is an example of timeless piece of
an architecture which easily adapts itself to the growing needs of urbanization. The adaptive
reuse serves as a catalyst to its conservation as a heritage structure.

Refer Aneexure-5 for figures

Currency Building (RBI Office), Dalhousie Square, Kolkata:

The Currency Building functioned as the first office of the Reserve Bank of India till the
year1937. Built in 1833 this building is a fine example of the Italian architecture with the cast
iron gates, large brick arches and Venetian windows with intricate designs [ CITATION Sun15 \l
1033 ]. The building houses several storerooms for holding currency, which is evident from the
thick iron sheets covering the walls, the floors and even the roofs[ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ].“The
CPWD had planned to demolish the building and build a high-rise in its place but fortunately it
could be saved in time and the ASI took charge of the restoration project in 2003, declared the
structure a heritage building and a monument of national importance in1998, making it a
protected place[ CITATION Sun15 \l 1033 ]. In the year 2012 the Currency Building was inaugurated
to public after a majestic restoration process.

BBD from Dalhousie Square; Revolutionaries at action.

Benoy Krishna Basu was born on 11th September 1908, in the village of Rohitbhog in
Munshiganj district, now in Bangladesh and post the matriculation exam, he enrolled in the Sir
Salimullah Medical College (erstwhile Mitford Medical School). Influenced by Hemachandra
Ghosh, a Dhaka-based revolutionary, Benoy joined the ‘Mukti Sangha’, a secret society
connected to the revolutionary Jugantar party[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ].

Dinesh Gupta was born on 6th December 1911, in the tiny village of Josholong in Munshiganj
district, now in Bangladesh. While studying at the Dhaka College, he joined the Bengal
Volunteers, a group mobilised by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in 1928, during the Calcutta
session of the Indian National Congress[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ].

Badal Gupta, born in the village of Purba Shimulia (East Shimulia), in Dhaka’s Bikrampur
region was inspired by Nikunja Sen, who taught at the Banaripara School of Bikrampur, he
joined the Bengal Volunteers as a member, and was also influenced by the revolutionary
activities of his two paternal uncles, Late Dharani Nath Gupta, and Nagendra Nath Gupta, both
involved in the Alipore Bomb Case, and imprisoned along with Rishi Aurobindo
Ghosh[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ].

The Bengal Volunteers, organized by Subhash Chandra Bose, came into being during the 1928
Kolkata session of the Indian National Congress. Led by Major Satya Gupta, the group continued
its activities even after the Kolkata session of Congress ended[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ] . Thus the
Bengal Volunteers marched on in their quest to liquidate infamous British officers and
‘Operation Freedom’ launched in 1930 protested against police repression in different Bengali
Jails and the group planned to execute Lowman, the Police Inspector General. Benoy ultimately
shot him, at the Medical School Hospital in Dhaka, escaping to Kolkata soon after. The three
comrades, Benoy, Badal and Dinesh, decided to kill N S Simpson, as well as other British, to
strike terror into the heart of the Raj’s official circles and this was to be an attack on the Writer’s
Building, the Secretariat, in the heart of Kolkata[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ].

It was in December that these three young men dressed in European attire and shotCol N S
Simpson, IG Prison-Calcutta. Although the British managed to overpower the trio, the men
refused to surrender, Badal Gupta immediately ingested Potassium Cyanide, while Benoy and
Dinesh shot themselves point blank with their firearms, of the three brave hearts, only Dinesh
survived. Convicted, he was sentenced to death by hanging for anti-government activities and
murder. He was martyred on 7th July 1931, at the Alipore Jail, aged 19[ CITATION Ray18 \l 1033 ].
Annexure-1

Figure 1 sourcehttp://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/pdfs/seminar_heritage_buildings/Heritage_Conservation_in_Kolkata.pdf

Annexure-2
Figure 2
sorce:https://www.academia.edu/24803538/URBANIZATION_AND_ITS_IMPACT_ON_HERITAGE_CITIES_KOLKATA_A_CASE_STU
DY
Figure 3 Old view of Dalhousie Square source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._B._D._Bagh#/media/File:DalhousieSqCalcutta_1910.jpg

Annexure-3
Figure 4 Stephen house source:http://wikimapia.org/13981217/Stephen-House#/photo/5440315

Figure 5 Stephen House sourcehttp://wikimapia.org/13981217/Stephen-House#/photo/5440315

Annexure-4
Figure 6 Writers building source:https://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/wmward/Image%20Lib%20html/writers.html
Annexure-5

Figure 7General Post Office Source:[ CITATION Sun151 \l 1033 ]

Annexure-6

Figure 8 Currency building source https://www.socialnews.xyz/2020/07/07/kolkata-old-currency-building-reopens-during-

unlock-2-0-gallery/#jp-carousel-2889887

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