Experience the Wonders of Kolkata Story Tours's Guided Tours

Kolikata (+Sutanati & Gobindopur) -> Calcutta -> Kolkata (as we call it

today).

This is a Story Walk & one of our most popular tours, certified by so many

travelers through the years!

If you like listening to stories about the Raj days and Kolkata then this is your

tour! It is a very interesting story of how the British started trading in this

part of the world rivalling earlier European entrants. Many a booming cannon

later, they became the leading traders. What followed was a small fort, a big

port, a great battle, many changing fortunes and lots of colonial cunning &

politics.

The East India Company & later the Flag of the Empire gave a lot of

importance to Calcutta for its trading, political and administrative clout. She

was after all the Capital of British India for a long time & arguably the second

most important city in the Empire. Naturally, a lot of important centres of

power were built in the emerging city. Along with Defense & Administration

came institutions for Entertainment, Education & Emancipation. The light of

European renaissance came as an ambient source & later cascaded into its

own indigenous, self generating brightness.

During The Raj Heritage Walk, we take you to the then-centre-of-power,

show you the colonial buildings (which in many cases are fine examples of

European Architecture with eastern influences in some instances) & the River

Front where trading took place and the Royal Navy Exercised. We also tell

you the fantastic stories, some of which cause goose bumps for their

incredulous ferocity and adventure and yet some may sound outright

hilarious today in hindsight. Sipping the organic packaged drink in the form of

tender coconut water right from the fruit, be refreshed, enthralled, amused

and entertained. Be enlightened about the Comany and the Raj days.

The tour is centered around the Dalhousie Square (the names have changed

but the Raj hangover continues and sometimes we still call places in their old

names. Names that were usually given by the British Empire in Honour of

their successive Governors General, Viceroys and similarly important people).

The formal name today is B.B.D. Baag, in honour of the bravery 3 of India's

freedom fighters. Oh, that's another thrilling story, should you want to hear

it!

We will look at the Writers Building, which originally served as the office for

writers (intrigued?) of the British East India Company, hence the name.

Designed by Thomas Lyon in 1780, it received its impressive Corinthian

façade, an example of the Neo-Renaissance style, in 1889.

The Royal Exchange Place, A one-time residence of Robert Clive and now the

office of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The General Post Office (G.P.O.): A heritage building right in the heart of

Dalhousie Square, Kolkata housing the general post office. This two-storied

Victorian style building with an impressive dome is a key landmark for

Kolkata. This is the site where the first Fort William built by the British East

India Company once stood.

St. John's Church's yard has the Mausoleum of Job Charnock. The building is

supposedly the oldest piece of masonry in Calcutta.

Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of West Bengal. Built in

1803 it was known as the Government House in the pre - independence

days.Later after the transfer of power from the British East India Company to

the British Crown in 1858 it became the official residence of the Viceroy of

India.

The Ochterlony Monument as it was formerly called (The Shaheed Minar or

Martyrs' Monument is it's new name) was erected in 1825 by Major General

Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company, to the

victory of the East India Company’s forces over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-

Nepalese War. The monument was constructed in his memory.

The Raj Heritage Walk has two versions. The short one would be of a

duration of 2.5 hours with possibility of 1/2 an hour spill over to account for

your extra time for photography, etc. (only where ever it is allowed and if

other group members are ok with it). We usually conduct this tour in the

early mornings between 6.30 a.m. - 9.30 a.m. local time as it helps you to

walk comfortably in the pleasant mornings and in time to go for a hearty

breakfast at your chosen place for you are sure to build up a massive

appetite after the tour. There is a 5 hour version of this walk meant to be a

private tour for people interested in greater details.

The usual starting point of the walk is the Esplanade Tram Depot and the

tour may end there too. However, we can make special arrangements to pick

you up from your hotel in Airconditioned Cars and drop you off at the same

place or any place within 1 km of your pick up point.

For our honorariums for steering the tour and extra expenses for facilities

required by you beyond the scope of this tour, please contact us directly. We

usually go ahead with a minimum of 2 explorers.

Wishing you a Very Happy, Informed & Entertained Exploration Memory!