The Star Still Shines (Black Town Walk)

Overview

While the British may have confined the Indians of Calcutta to the Black Town (North Calcutta),  these ‘natives’ took heart and reconstructed their world with the sheen of their heritage and culture and business activities. Quite a few of the babus became very wealthy indeed and set up elaborate establishments where they kept up to the life they were accustomed to, from musical soirees to traditional pujas, their artistic pursuits and their customs-rich festivals. Black Town was at the heart of the Bengali Renaissance.  Amongst the palatial villas to be found here are Jorasanko, the childhood home of Bengali poet laureate and Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore and te  Marble Place, owned by the Bengali merchant prince Raja Rajendra Mullick. Even today there villas and mansions are something to talk about. 

Why you will love it

• Discovering the wealthy world of the babus in the Raj era
• Marvelling at the blend of architectural heritage
• Soaking up the rich nuances of  old Bengali culture and cuisine
• Exploring the breaking ground of the Bengali Rennaisance

What you will experience

This vibrant hub of traditional Bengali culture, ‘the natives’ area’, Sovabazar is all this and much more. This area contains a fascinatingly cosmopolitan blend of the seemingly incongruous architectural forms (from Islamic to Baroque, from Victorian to Bengali) which made up the old world dwellings of the city’s wealthier Bengalis. No one who wishes to savour the authentic flavour of Bengali culture and cuisine can afford to miss out on this walk. Join us to learn much more about life in Black Town, to get a glimpse of this time warp called Bengali Calcutta.

Another of its iconic mansions in the Shobhabazar Rajbari dating to the 17th century and commissioned by Raja Nabakrishna Deban ardent supporter of the Brahmo Samaj Movement. A central hub of Bengali culture and traditions it hosted the likes of Lord Clive, Warren Hastings,  Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Rabindranath Tagore.