Chandernagore and Bandel

A city of Hoogly district, Chandernagore was the erstwhile French colony in India under the Pondicherry jurisdiction. The notable sites include-

  1. Dupleix palace- ‘Institut de Chandernagor’: Residence of Joseph Francois Dupleix; Governor of the city in 1730, now maintained as a museum 
    Dupleix Palace

  1. Chandannagar strand – most important pathway along the Ganges 
    Strand Road

  1. Sacred Heart Church – 200 year old church built between 1875 and 1885, with white stone having breath taking architecture and stained glass windows. 
    Sacred Heart Church

  1. Patal Bari- Owned by zamindar and frequented by Tagore, once visited by Vidyasagar
  1. Chandannagar College
  1. Durgacharan Rakshit Ghat
  1. Chandannagar Rabindra Bhavan

  1. Tomb of Susanna Anna Maria

  2. Hooghly Imambara

  3. Birthplace of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

  4. Hangseshwari Temple

  5. Patal bari

  6. Nandadulal temple

  7. House of Harihar Sett

Few buildings from the French period survives in ruins. The Garden house at Ghiretty was used by Governors as country retreat. The residence of Administrator General in Chandernagore is presently the court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate. The police officestill retains a two storied clock tower. All the buildings stand on a wide promenade known as Quai Dupleix. One of the oldest churches here is the Chapel of the Sisters of Cluny constructed in 1720. In 1861, the Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny founded the St. Joseph's Convent for girls, which is the oldest and outstanding institution of convent women's education. French cemeteries still have a number of impressive memorials.

Virtual tour





Strand Road

Strand Road

Ganges

Ghat
The Portuguese are known to have constrcted a fort and a church at Bandel in 1599. The church was demolished during a siege in 1632. It was rebuilt by Joao Gomes de Soto, a wealthy merchant, in the 1660s. The Bandel church is the oldest Christian edifice in Bengal and the second oldest in the East. The 70 feet tall church also served as an observatory for impending enemies. The festival of the Novena was celebrated with great pomp during November.
Murals on Bandel Church walls

Bandel Church on Christmas Day

Bandel Church

When the pandemic has imposed restrictions on travelling, the two best options are recapitulating earlier trips or taking virtual tours. Today’s post is an amalgamation of these.

A trip was made to Chandannagar under the guidance of my friend Sritama Mukherjee while returning from a college excursion to Central Rice Research Institute in October 2019. Preparations of Jagadhatri puja was in full swing at that time.

An online experience of Jagadhatri puja happened in 2020. The addiction to virtual tours organised by Immersive trails was instilled by my friend Piyali Gupta. Fascinating facts are related to the various views on the origin and mythology of the Puja. The grandeur surrounding the idol, pandal decorations, lighting, and immersion procession are a matter of awe. However, the pandemic has vastly curtailed the celebration this year.

Visit to Bandel church was enroute a family trip on Christmas in 2019


Reference: 
European Bengal in the Pre Colonial Era by Om Prakash and Manish Chakraborti

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