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.
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| 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 10
th
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.
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| Decorative Column |
However, in 26
th
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.
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Taken by Johnston and Hoffmann c1885
Curtesy BL |
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Chottelal Ghat 1912-14
Curtesy : RCAHMS |
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Photographer:Hensley Glenn. 1944.
Courtesy: Lib. U.Penn
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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.
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| 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.
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| Dome interior from inside |
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| 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.
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City of Calcutta
Published from
SOI Calcutta Februrary 1910
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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.
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| 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.
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