Page 293 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

WEST BENGAL & SIKKIM  291

The Hooghly River
Bansberia

Bandel
Hooghly
0 km 5
0 miles 5 Chinsurah
Chandannagar

Hooghly

Visitors praying at the Church of Our Barakpur
Lady of Bandel
established transformed the Shrirampur
river banks into a mini Europe
– the remnants of which can Kolkata
be best explored today by
taking one of the river cruises.
Up river from Kolkata is Chandernagore, a library and of Our Lady of Bandel,
Shrirampur (Serampore), a museum, and contains an consecrated in 1599, is the
Danish colony until 1845. Dr interesting collection of French- oldest in Eastern India. After
William Carey, the first Baptist era documents and artifacts. being refaced in granite, it has,
missionary in India (see p283), The Église du Sacré Cœur has however, lost some of its charm.
set up the earliest printing press a statue of Joan of Arc and a People of all faiths still pray at
here in 1799 and translated Lourdes grotto. the statue of Our Lady of Happy
the Bible into several Indian North of Chandannagar is Voyages, an icon with an
languages, including Chinsurah (Chunchura), an interesting history. In 1632, while
Bengali, marking the Armenian settlement, taken the city was being sacked by the
beginnings of modern over by the Dutch in 1625 Mughal emperor Shah Jahan,
Bengali prose. He also and later by the British. the icon was lost in the river, but
founded the first The Armenian Church later reappeared miraculously on
theological college, was built in 1697, the banks in front of the church.
today Shrirampur though the steeple was Further north is Bansberia, site
College, in 1818. added a century later. of several terracotta temples. The
Its library houses a The town of Hooghly, Ananta Vasudeva Temple, built
priceless collection to the north, has an in 1679, has a panel of warriors
of 18th- and 19th- Armenian Church, impressive imambara carved above the entrance, while
century books. Chinsurah (mosque) built in the Hanseshwari Temple, built
On the east bank is 1836. Further upriver in 1814, has a fabulous array of
Barakpur (Barrackpore), the is Bandel, founded by the Kremlin-like onion domes and
site of the British viceroys’ once- Portuguese in 1580. The Church an elaborately carved façade.
gracious country house. The
mansion, locally referred to as
Lat Bagan (“Governor’s or Lord’s
Garden”), was built by Lord
Wellesley, the governor general
in the early 19th century.
Chandannagar (Chander-
nagore), a French settlement
from 1673 until 1952, still retains
a Gallic ambience. The public
benches on the waterfront
(previously Quai Dupleix) are
replicas of those found in Paris
parks. The elegant Administrator’s
Residence, built in the 18th
century, is now the Institut de The French Administrator’s Residence in Chandannagar
For keys to symbols see back flap

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