HISTORY OF KOLKATA

EVOLUTION STAGES OF KOLKATA

• IN 1690 JOB CHARNOCK A COMPANY AGENT AND CHIEF OF ENGLISH FACTORY
ESTABLISHED THE IMPORTANT CENTRE FOR TRADE AND COMMERCE IN SUTANUTI
VILLAGE ON THE EASTERN BANKS OF THE RIVER HOOGHLY

• THIS WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE CITY OF CALCUTTA

• DURING THIS TIME THE VILLAGES WERE CONNECTED BY A ROUTE FROM CHITPUR IN THE
NORTH TO KALIGHAT TEMPLE THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 15TH CENTURY IN THE SOUTH.THE
ENGLISH BOUGHT GOBINDAPUR , KOLKATA AND SUTANUTI VILLAGES TO ESTABLISHED
THERE SETTLEMENTS .
• MAJOR STEP; TO SHIFT THE BENGALIS FROM THE AREA AROUND THE PRESENT
DALHOUSIE SQUARE TO FURTHER NORTH BECAUSE OF THIS STRATEGIC LOCATION TO
BUILD THE FORT FOR THEIR SECURITY.
• THE BATTLE OF PLASSEY IN 1757 WAS IN A WAY A TURNING POINT FOR THE GROWTH OF
CALCUTTA
• THE SUPREMACY OF ENGLISH OF ENGLISH IN BENGALI WAS ESTABLISHED.
• IT WAS TRANSFORMING ITSELF FROM PURELY GARRISON TOWN TO AN ADMINSTRATIVE
CUM CULTURE CENTRE.
EVOLUTION OF KOLKATA

ARCHITECTURE
1. PLAN FORM OF THE BUILDINGS WERE MOSTLY SYMMETRY.

RESIDENCY IN SOUTH CALCUTTA HAD LARGE SETBACK ON ALL THE SIDES.

3. BUILDING MATERIALS MAINLY USED WAS BRICK AND LIME SURKL

4. WOODEN BEAMS WERE USED FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORT

5. DECORATED WROUGHT IRON RAILINGS WERE USED IN VERANDAHS FOR

RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

6. THERE WAS LESSER ELABORATION AND ORNAMENTATION OF BUILDINGS

7. DECREASING PLOT SIZES DUE TO FALL IN ECONOMIC CONDITION OF PEOPLE LED

TO VERY LESS SETBACKS

8. CORTYARD HOUSES WITH CORRIDORS HOUSES WITH LONG CORRIDORS GAVE

WAY TO SMALLER HOUSES WITH LESSER SETBACKS
9. THE CONCEPT OF INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP CHANGED TO FLAT OWNERSHIP KIND.

10.COMMENCEMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES THE

BENGAL

11. ENGINEERING COLLEGE AND JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY STRENGTHENED PROPAGATION OF

CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS OF THE WEST .

12. CEMENT REPLACED EARLIER USED LIME SURKI AS BUILDINGS MATERIALS

13. THUS LOAD BEARING STUCTURES ARE REPLACED BY FRAME STUCTURES.

 SPATIAL FORM
• THE MAIN ROAD TO SOUTH IS LEADING TO TOLLYGUNJ PASSING THROUGH KALIGHAT
AND MANOHARPUR THAT HAD VERY SPARSE SETTLEMENT
• THE KALI TEMPLE AT KALIGHAT BUILT IN EARLY SIXTEEN HUNDREDS WAS THE PRIME
FOCUS WITHIN THE AREA AND VISITED BY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE RELIGIONS
PURPOSE
• MILITARY CAMP IN BALLYGUNJ AND A WEEKLY MARKET IN GARIAHAT
• GARIAHAT , KALIGHAT AND JADU BA BU’S BAZZAR LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FULL
–FLEDGED MARKETS IN THESE AREAS.
• DEVELOPMENT MAINLY OCCURRED IN AREAS OF BHOWANIPUR . MANOHAROUR ON
EITHER SIDE OF RASBEHARI AVENUE AND BALLYGUNJ
• NEW ROAD LAYOUT WERE ALSO LAID OUT DURIN G THE PERIOD.
• DENSIFICATION ALONG THE MAJOR ROAD LIKE RASBEHARI AVENUE , LANDSDOWNE
ROAD , HAZRA ROAD, GARIAHAT ROAD AND ASUTOSH MUKHERJEE ROAD
• COSTRUCTION OF HIGH RISE APARTMENTS ALONG SOUTHERN AVENUE AND OTHER
MAJOR ROADS LED TO DENSIFICATION .
 PEOPLE
• MOSTLY COMPRISED OF EUROPEONS AND PARSIS NEAR THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE
LOWER CIRCULAR ROAD

• THE BHOWANIPUR AREA HOUSED UPPER MIDDLE CLASS BENGALIS , WHOSE

LIFESTYLE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE EUROPEANS .
• UPPER MIDDLE CLASS BENGALIS STARTED MOVING INTO THE NEW AREAS
• A MIXED LIFESTYLE THAT WAS INFLUENCED BR BRITISH EDUCATION WAS REFLECTED
IN THE COUTYYARD HOSES OF SOUTH CALCUTTA
• EVOLUTION OF NEIGHBOURING THROUGH ACTIVITIES LIKE BAROAN DURGA , PUJA,
INVOLVED GREATER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
• THE CALCUTTA ROWING CLUB , FOOTBALL STADIUM AND PARKS FOR RECREATION
THAT CAME UP DURING THIS PERIOD SHOWED AN INCREASING INFLUENCE OF
EUROPEAN LIFESTYLE
 PLANNING PROPOSAL
• SHIFT OF THE CAPITAL FROM THE CALCUTTA TO DELHI IN 1911
• FORMATION OF CALCUTTA IMPROVEMENT TRUST TO PREPARE SCHEMES FOR
IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING AREAS AND FOR PLANNED FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS .
• WILDER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OT SCHEMES PREPARED IN 1913
• NORTH EDGE OF RABINDRA SAROBAR WAS THE LAST CITY MUNICIPALITY PROPSED
• NO NEW PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES WERE FORMULATED FOR SOUTH
CALCUTTA . GREATER PART OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES WAS CONFINED TO THE CENTRAL
CALCUTTA.
• CALCUTTA WAS ALSO AFFECTED BY THEW COUNTRY WIDE INTERVENTION IN
PLAANING
• IN 1961 THE CALCUTTA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANISATION WAS FORMED.