Oct 29, 2018

Reaching Chottelal Durga Prosad Ghat at Kolkata

We are here now at Chottelal Durga Prosad Ghat situated at Kolkata of West Bengal just within   150 meter south of Howrah Bridge.    So far most of the WebPages states lots of fictitious fabricated    story about  the  Chottelal   Durga   Prosad Ghat, but   the real facts   are somewhat different.


Chottelal Ghat
From the very inception of the journey of Calcutta, history of city associated with the different heritage ghats as there is in-depth relation between the social, economic and religious aspects of lives. After the advent of East India Company what we get to see from different periodicals maps, ghats on the both bank were pre-existing and names of the ghats was renamed in different times. But there may be very few ghat which constructed afresh. In the late nineteenth century, at the era of official starting of Port of Kolkata, Kolkata riverfront land was handed over to Calcutta Port Commissioners and becomes important for port activity and port related business. Then it was difficult to get permission to build a new ghat. But history of Chottelall Durga Prosad Ghat tells different story. Before going deep into history, which comes foremost, who was Baboo Chottelal? Documents say Baboo Chotelal Durga Prosad was a merchant carrying on business in Radhabazar Kolkata. He also had business in princely state Furruckabad, now in the state of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. After his death, in 1872, heirs and executors intimated their desire to the then Calcutta Port Commissioners to expend a sum of one lakh rupees to construct a bathing ghat in memory of deceased Baboo. Commissioners gave a general sanction upon condition that structure should occupy the site of existing bathing ghat where there is previously no steps or pacca building.


At first, the site of Juggernath Ghat was selected by the Port Commissioners for the erection of the contemplated structures but objection given by the agents of Baboo Chotte Lal on the ground that it would be offensive to the religious principle of Hindu Community to appropriate a site for contemplated new ghat which is known as Juggernath Ghat. The Port Commissioners issued a letter on 10th Sept 1872 to the Chairman of the ‘Justice of the Peace for the Town of Calcutta’ to ascertain the exact feeling of the Hindu community on the matter. In reply R. Turnbull ESQ Secretary of the ‘Justice of the Piece for the Town of Calcutta’ informed “that there would be objection on the part of many Hindus to either building on the site of Juggernath Ghat and calling it by another name ,.. 2. Whatever is done, the Juggernath Ghat should not be interfered with in any way”. Then Port Commissioners sanction the place south of the then Meerbohur Ghat. Baboo Pannah Lal, Baboo Ram Nath agents of Baboo Chotte Lal agreed with that place to build the memorial ghat.

In 1873, with the consent of heirs and executors of Baboo Chotte Lall, Port Commissioners invited best design for bathing ghat from the designers and offered a prize of Rs. 500 for best design. Mr. Richard Roskell Bayne (1837–1901), an English architect won the prize as design was chosen by agent of the deceased Baboo and subsequently approved by the Port Commissioners. Who was Mr. Richard Roskell Bayne? An Architect and employee of the then East Indian Railway. Apart from his regular work as railway engineer, he also designed monumental buildings such as Sir Stuart Hogg Market (Kolkata, 1874), Thornhill and Mayne Memorial Library (Allahabad, 1878), Mayo Memorial Hall (Allahabad, 1879), East India Railway Offices at Fairlie Place (Kolkata, 1881), Husainabad Clock Tower (Lucknow, 1881). Not only Chotte Lal ghat, Bayne also designed another bathing ghat of Kolkata. Do you know the name of that ghat? If yes please write in comment.

Decorative Column
However, in 26th Jan 1874, Baboo Ram Nath agent of Baboo Chotte Lal informed Port Commissioners that heirs and executors of Baboo Chottelal always stay at Furruckabad, the place of their business. It’s not convenient and practicable to take responsibility of building and completing the ghat and that would be great detriment to their business at Furruckabad. And they beg to engage a respectable contractor by the port commissioners to building the ghat as per design at a cost of Rs. 95,000. Messers. Makintosh, Burn & Co. was chosen as a contractor for the building of the ghat by the Port Commissioners. The Memorial Ghat was constructed on 1875.



Structure designed by the Bayne was single storied European classical style adorned by an ornate cuppa resting atop. How was that? There are few photographs available online of different times which arranged  with available caption.

Taken by Johnston and Hoffmann c1885
Curtesy BL
Chottelal Ghat 1912-14
Curtesy : RCAHMS
Photographer:Hensley Glenn. 1944.
Courtesy: Lib. U.Penn

Build on 1875 and surely Chottelal Ghat gone through various transitions on his journey. It’s very sad that beautiful edifice was modified and ornamental roof top was destroyed just to making a new floor in 1987. But the beautiful dome is still exist today. Original riverside stairs in front of ghat as shown in the old pictures was destroyed and filled up by sand to making a pucca platform for additional space in 1974. From the illustrations it’s very clear that how Chottelal Ghat structure was modified and ornamental top was destroyed.


Additional floor erected over original structure.

Document say on south corner of steps of S. arch of entrance to ghat on strand road there is a Great Trigonometrical Survey Bench Mark at Chhotte Lal Durga Prosad ghat. But mark was not found during visit. Entrance from strand road side is blocked by the Flower market stalls.


Dome interior  from inside

Marble plaque 


Though there is no link with the Chotttelal Ghat, but an almost invisible marble plaque engraved on the wall on the right of the stairs leading down to  Chottelal Ghat,  telling a sad tale. The English version like this : 

“The stone is dedicated by a few English women to the memory of those pilgrims, mostly women, who perished with the Sir John Lawrence in the cyclone of 25th May 1887.”



In absence of any rail line up to Puri, steamships caring pilgrims from Kolkata to Chandrabali was became popular business that time. Like many others, McLine and Company ran a regular service on its steamship ‘Sir John Lawrence’ from Kolkata to Chandrabali.  On 25th May 1887, ‘Sir John Lawrence’ left Calcutta to Chandrabali though there is storm warning by the Metrological Department. Though steamship was allowed to carry 735 passengers but was over crowed. Faced a cyclonic storm in sea and lost near Palmyra Point with passengers. However these steamships was moored in the middle of the river  at the Koila Ghat not in Chottelal Ghat.  Passengers was used to onboard by the small boat/dingi from shore. Then question is why marble plaques engraved in the Chottelal Ghat? May be because of  popularity, easily accessibility, locational importance of this ghat memorial plaques is engraved.

City of Calcutta Published from 
SOI Calcutta  Februrary 1910

Plan of Calcutta 1857 by Fedrick Walter Simms, 
Con. Engr. to Gov of India


Just beside of Chotttelal Ghat there exist a flower market which is known as Mullick Ghat flower market. But at present there is no Mullick Ghat in the vicinity of Chottelal Ghat except Nemi Charan Mullick ghat. There is a Mullick Ghat Pumping station on strand road and area popularly known as Mullick Ghat. So where was the Mullick Ghat? An old map of 1842 depicts the location of Mullick Ghat just south of erstwhile old floating Howrah Bridge where at present Mullick Ghat Pumping Station Jetty Exists. In a map of 1910 of City of Calcutta Published from Survey of India Calcutta  under Direction of Colonel F B Longe RE Surveyor General of India,  location of Chottelal Ghat shown is just north of erstwhile old floating Howrah Bridge, presently where ghat exists. So there should not be any confusion on existence of   Chottelal Ghat and Mullick Ghat, is different entity.

Movie Barfi : A scene on roof of the Chottelal Ghat, top of dome. Curtesy filmmapia.com

Presently Chottelal Durga Prosad Bathing ghat is under maintenance of  Ganga Seva Samity. Ghat has a wrestling ground / akhra.  Since Ghat is located in picsque location with Howrah Bridge background, it’s treatwise to the photographers. In recent years, ghat used as a shooting spot for famous bolllywood movie ‘Barfi’ staring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra. Chottelal Ghat can surely be your next weekend destination.


Information Sources :
  • Buckland, C. I. E. (1901). Bengal Under the Lieutenant Governors; vo.2.  Page 839-40.
  • The Calcutta Gazette 1887.
  • Documents on Maritime Archives of KoPT 1873, 1874, 1875.

4 comments:

Asok Mukhopadhyay said...

I am amazed, Animesh babu, to see the wealth of materials you gathered on Chottelall Durga Prasad whom I almost gave up as unrelated outsider. You reinstate his identity and his connections in a revealing story. Since I have no access to the exact sources you used, I would request you to look for the name of the old ghat upon which the memorial pavilion of Chottelall constructed ‘within 150 meters south of Howrah Bridge’. I am sure you will be equally interested in identifying the ghat, as it appears one of the rare exceptions that a Ghat and its Pavilion are built by different families with different motives. The identity of the old ghat, I believe, should also help you finding the missing link between the ghat and the 1887 shipwreck memorial plaque. I thank you and wish you success and happiness in work and life. Regards

Animesh Kundu said...

Thanks for your comment and wishes. I am fond of your website https://puronokolkata.com/.
Actually Strand Road was the riverside bund of old Kolkata. Some wooden piling of this bund was found recently during digging at erstwhile strand warehouse area by Kolkata metro rail corporation . Earlier beside Strand Road there was number of ghat which was removed during development of Strand Bank area and Strand Bank Road. Strand Bank road in front of Chottelal ghat was constructed around 1870. Some Ghat like Motilal Seal Ghat, Jagannath ghat was retain in new riverside beside Strand Bank Road but many more ghat was removed. When river was in font of Strand Road there was Casseenath Baboo Ghat, Rooplall Baboos ghat, Rammohon Mullick ghat and Raja Daby Singh Ghat etc in the vicinity of present Chottelall ghat. A map of 1847-49 showing that Casseenath Baboo Ghat was replaced by Raja Burdwan Ghat, Rooplall Baboos ghat replaced by Burrah Bazar ghat etc. What I mean to say that finding old ghat upon which Chottelal ghat was constructed is tricky because topography of land and location was changed.

Kimsuk Ray said...

Darun laglo , koto kichhu janlam

Animesh Kundu said...

Thank you.