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Chandannagar
 

Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar (French: Chandernagor), is a small city located 30 kilometers north of Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. Situated along the banks of river Ganga, the city has been able to maintain a separate identity different from all other cities and abide by her own characteristics. The "City of Liberty" has always attracted the people from all over the world due to her indescribable beauty. Though the total area is a meagre 19 square kilometers having a population of only over 150 thousands, she has managed to maintain a distinct place not only the map of India but also that of the world. This small town for over a period of 300 years has a unique blend of culture and heritage which is unparallel in history. Chandannagar is well connected to Kolkata by railways, roadways and river and it takes about an hour to reach the place. The people of Chandanngore have excelled in all the fields varying from literature and education to culture, sports and arts all along the history. Chandannagore hosts many tourist places like Museum, Strand, Church, Temples, Rabindra Sadan, birth places of many celebrities and many other spots some of which are not so well known but nevertheless a treat for the tourists and historians.

Origin of name

The name Chandannagore is possibly derived from the shape of the bank of the river Ganga which is bent like a half moon (Bengali: Chand means moon and Nagar implies city). Others believe it might have been taken from the flourishing trade and business of sandal wood (Chandan) at that time.

History

Chandannagar was established as a French colony in 1673, when the French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the Nawab of Bengal to establish a trading post on the right bank of the Hughli River. Bengal was then a province of the Mughal Empire. It became a permanent French settlement in 1688, and in 1730 Joseph François Dupleix was appointed governor of the city, during whose administration more than two thousand brick houses were erected in the town and a considerable maritime trade was carried on. For a time, Chandannagar was the main center for European commerce in Bengal.

In 1756 war broke out between France and Great Britain, and Colonel Robert Clive of the British East India Company and Admiral Charles Watson of the British Navy bombarded and captured Chandannagar on March 23, 1757. The town's fortifications and many houses were demolished thereafter, and Chandannagar's importance as a commercial center was eclipsed by that of Calcutta just downriver. Chandernagore was restored to the French in 1763, but retaken by the British in 1794 in the Napoleonic Wars. The city was returned to France in 1816, along with a 3 sq. mi. enclave of surrounding territory. It was governed as part of French India until 1950, under the political control of the governor-general in Pondicherry. By 1900 the town's former commercial importance was gone, and it was little more than a quiet suburb of Calcutta, with a population of 25,000 (1901). The European town was noted for its clean wide thoroughfares, with many elegant residences along the riverbank.

Fort d'Orléans

Independence

India became independent of Britain in 1947, and in June 1948 the French Government held a plebiscite which found that 97% of Chandannagar's residents wished to become part of India. In May 1950, the French allowed the Indian government to assume de facto control over Chandannagar, officially ceding the city to India on 2 February, 1952. On 2 October 1955 Chandannagar was integrated into West Bengal state.

Places of tourist interest

  • Chandannagore Strand: A beautiful tourist spot along the banks of the river Ganga. It is a superbly decorated pavement studded with lights surrounded by lushy green trees. It is about 1 km in length and 7 meters in width, and many buildings of historical importance surround the spot. It is very popular visiting spot of the local people and the tourists would love to stroll along enjoying the mild breeze and watching the small boats sail by. Along the strand are present Vivekananda Mandir (a meditation centre) and a protruding structure into the river Ganga. This is supposed to be the best decorated bank of the river along its entire length of 2500 km.

  • Chandannagore Museum and Institute (Institute de Chandernagore): One of the oldest and finest museums of the entire region. It boasts a beautiful collection of French antiques (like cannons used in Anglo-French war, wooden furniture of 18th century, etc.) which are difficult to find anywhere else in the world. The institute still teaches French through regular classes.
    • The Sacred Heart Church of Chandannagar (l'Eglise du Sacré Cœur): The beautiful church stands for over two centuries to mark the beauty of the architecture during the French period - a good place to visit for the historians and tourists alike. The remains of the Church of St. Louis is also an attractive tourist spot.

    • The Underground House (Patal-Bari): The building is another beautiful example of the advancement in the knowledge of architecture and the aesthetic sense of the people of those earlier days. Its lowest floor is submerged in the River Ganga. The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore frequently visited the place and appreciated a lot about the building. He felt that the place influenced him to a large extent and broadened his intellectual capabilities. He mentioned Patal-bari in many of his famous novels. The famous social reformer Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar also stayed in the building.

    • Residences of famous personalities: The place hosts a galaxy of famous personalities who had strong impact not only on contemporary society but also affected Indian History. The revolutionary leader Rash Behari Bose, Kanailal Datta and the great social reformer Sri Harihar Seth belonged to this place.

    • Nritya Gopal Smriti Mandir: Built by Sri Harihar Seth, and donated to the people of Chandannagore. This building still serves as a theatre hall and a library. It was first of its kind in the entire locality.

    Roads and Transport

    • By Road: Chandannagore is 37 km by road from Kolkata via G.T.Road or Delhi road. Taxis and private cars in Kolkata are easily available to approach Chandannagore.
    • By Rail: Local trains from Howrah through Eastern Railway main line run very frequently (peak frequency one train every 10 or 12 minutes). Many important express and passenger trains halt here.
    • By Air: Nearest airport is at Kolkata (Kolkata Airport), which is airlinked with all major Indian and international cities. Chandannagore is only 40 kms by road from the airport. Please check Flight Schedules from the airport.
    • By Water: Government of West Bengal (West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation) operates river services across river Hooghly (Ganga) and also between Chandannagore and Kolkata and Belur.

    Heritage and Culture - Jagaddhatri Pujo

    Jagaddhatri Puja is a major socio cultural event in this region.

    History

    The ancient history of Jagadhatri Puja in Chandannagar is unknown even today. It is believed that Indranarayan Chowdhury introduced the Jagadhatri Puja in Chandannagar in the manners similar to Raja Krishnachandra of Krishnanagore. The time of beginning of Jagadhatri Puja in Krishnanagore was 1762. Indranarayan Choudhury died in 1756. So Indranarayan Choudhury by no means introduced the Jagadhatri puja in Chandannagar. The beginning of Jagadhatri puja in Chandannagar probably dates back earlier than 1750. Indranarayan Choudhury performed the Jagadhatri puja at his own house in Chandannagar, at the time Krishnachandra used to come to borrow money from Indranarayan Choudhury. Perhaps Krishnachandra was attracted to greatness of Jagadhatri at this time.

    Rituals and the idol

    The formal difference between goddess Durga and Jagadhatri lies in Mayatantra and Jagadhatri is mentioned with reference to Durga in Krishnanda's Tantasaar. The rule to perform the special puja of the goddess on the ninth lunar day of the light fortnight in the Bengali month of Kartick has been mentioned in Krityatattarnab by Srinath Acharyachuramoni of the 15-16th century. The fourhanded goddess is carried by the lion everywhere, an elephant lies at the feet of the lion. The idol has an old fashioned shaping, i.e. the face cutting is of a longish pattern; it has large eyes spread upto the years and the four hands display conch, discus, shaft and bow respectively. The snake is her sacred thread. One of the main attraction of Jagadhatri idol of Chandannagar is the ornamental decoration of the goddess with sola (stick) and beautiful canvas of mats with painting at the back of the image.

    Public display

    The number of community pujas in Chandannagar, Bhadreshwar and Champdany Municipal areas cross 190. Of these, 132 Puja committees in different localities in Chandannagar and Bhadreswar are affiliated to the Chandannagar Central Jagadhatri Puja Committee. The Central committee renders all possible assistance to its constituents in getting permissions and clearances for holding Puja. The immersion procession is really memorable and enjoyable sight to witness in which lakhs of people participate from far and near. The beautiful decorated tall images loaded on trucks are taken around the city in a procession.

    Important persons related to this place

    • Sri Aurobindo Ghose: Took shelter in an escape from the British during Indian Independence Movement.
    • Sri Rashbehari Basu: Grew up here, carried on with his activites against the then British Govt. in India from here. He tested an explosive here on the eve of Kali Puja the year before another of the same sort sought out Lord Hardinge in Delhi. His ancestral house at FATAKGORA still stands.

    Education

    It is believed that there was a small school founded by the missionaries for the Bengali boys on the south of Chandannagar where there is a convent now. Bengali and French were freely taught there. The former Dupleix college was also established by the missionaries. Later Dupleix college was known as Dupleix school from 1901. The school was renamed Kanailal Vidyamandir after the name of the revolutionary Kanailal Datta, a student of this school, on May 17, 1948 just before the liberation from the French rule. The Centenary ceremony of the school was inaugurated by Dr. Brajakanta Guha, the Vice-Chancellor of Burdwan University on it's first day. Banga Vidyalaya is another well known school of Chandannagar. It was established on Baisakh 20, 1288 (Bengali calender) with three boys only on roll at a small rented house of Kanailal Khan at Barasat Tematha. There were two primary schools, one established in 1885 by Durga Charan Rakshit after his own name. The other one was founded by Harihar Sett after his father's name as Nritya Gopal Sett Prathamik Vidyalaya. Krishnabhabini Narisiksha Mandir was established in 1926 by Harihar Sett after his mother's name. This was the first girl's high school in the district. Besides there is an educational instituion established and managed by Prabartak Sangha. There was an arrangement for both boys and girls to stay and receive education here. In 1861, the Roman Catholic Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny had founded the St. Joseph's Convent for girls at Chandannagar. It was the oldest educational institution in the area. Through the years the school has retained its excellent tradition of exemplary dedication which is reflected in its excellent result in ICSE exam. The building which first bore the name St. Joseph's Convent has now branded into buildings on every side of the campus. These buildings have been erected to accommodate the sister institutions, St. Anthony Secondary School, the dispensary and its annexe, St. Mary's school, all under the management of St. Josph's Convent. Another English medium school affiliated to West Bengal Board is Sri Aurobindo Vidymandir. It was established in 1973 and is run by Municipal Corporation of Chandannagar. The performance of the students from this school in Madhyamik examination is excellent.

    List of Boys' schools in Chandannagar

    • Kanailal Vidyamandir
    • Durga Charan Rakshit Bangavidyalaya
    • BangaVidyalaya
    • Adarsa Shikshalaya
    • Prabartak
    • Sri Aurobindo Vidya Mandir

    List of Girls' schools in Chandannagar

    • Krishnabhabini Narisiksha Mandir
    • St. Joseph Convent
    • St. Anthony
    • LalBagan Balika Vidyalaya
    • Ushangini Balika Vidyalaya
    • Prabartak
    • Indumati High School

    List of Colleges in Chandannagar

    • Chandannagar College
    • Khalisani Mahavidyalaya

    List of newspapers and magazines published from Chandannagore in French era

    • Le Petit Bengali: The first French newspaper published from Chandannagore. First publication year 1879.
    • Viva la Republique: Weekly newspaper. First publication on 1882. Bengali version named Prajabandhu. Published by Bayas Press, 15 Rue General Martin, Chandernagore.
    • Dhumketu: Weekly newspaper in Bengali. First published in 1886.
    • Chandannagore Prakash: Another weekly newspaper in Bengali. First publication in 1892.
    • Pravartak: Bi-monthly magazine in Bengali. Published by Governor of Chandernagore. First published on January 16, 1916.
    • Nabasangha: Weekly magazine in Bengali. First publication in 1920 from Pravartak Publishing House.
    • Le Matribhumi: Bi-monthly magazine - first appeared on January 8, 1927.
    • Pravartak: Fort-nightly journal in English on constructive nationalism. First published on September 19, 1931.
    • Sevak: Weekly bengali newspaper. First published on March 21, 1932.
    • Prajashakti: Bi-monthly magazine. First appeared on January 13, 1937.
    • Swadhinata: Fortnighty journal. Publication started from May 26, 1945.
    • Jai Hind: Weekly patriotic newspaper. First published on April 13, 1947.
    • Jugantar: Bi-monthly magazine. First appeared on April 19, 1947.

    See also

    External links

    Cities and towns in West Bengal | Kolkata neighbourhoods

    Chandannagar | Chandernagor | Chandannagar | 金德訥格爾

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Chandannagar".

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