Growing up, I have always been in awe of my hometown.
Around 40 kilometres north of Kolkata lies the town of Chandannagar. Chandannagar, or Chandernagore as one may call it, has been one of the unknown treasures of Bengal. People believe that the C-shaped structure of the river banks has given the town the name Chandannagar or Chand er Nagar (the village of the moon). Previously known as Farasdanga, this city has witnessed Rabindranath Tagore’s countless stories and poetry in Patal Bari, the childhood and youth of Rash Behari Bose, and a historic battle in 1757.
So much to explore!
What is the history of Chandannagar?
Three villages, Borokishanpur, Khalisani, and Gondalpara, combined to form Chandannagar in 1698. It soon became Bengal’s primary hub for European trade. Business thrived in this town. Boats anchored here for rice, wax, saltpetre, indigo, jute, and rope. The first European to grow indigo here was Louis Bonnaud. Dinanath Chandra developed the first tincture factory in the area, while Batakrishna Ghosh owned a cloth mill, the first established in Bengal. Indrakumar Chattopadhyay published the first Bengali map.
Moreover, Chandannagar was known as the “Granary of the East.” The town’s Lakshmiganj Market was once the largest marketplace for rice in Asia.
Becoming a French colony
After purchasing the territory from Ibrahim Khan, the then Nawab of Bengal, the French had founded a colony in Chandannagar in 1673. In 1688, they settled permanently in the area. Years later, Joseph Dupleix was appointed mayor.
Siege of Chandannagar
Plan of Chandannagar Siege by British Troops
The siege of Chandannagar occurred when the British force led by Robert Clive and Charles Watson successfully attacked the French-held town on March 23, 1757, as part of the Seven Years’ War campaign. Up to the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, which ended the war, Chandannagar was under British military control. Clive and Watson bombarded Chandannagar and destroyed the French fortress of Fort D’Orleans.
The Nandadulal temple, built by the dual efforts of Joseph Dupleix and Indranarayan Chowdhury, still bears the marks of canon used during the siege.
The Nandadulal Temple
The Sacred Heart Church in Chandannagar
French architect Jacques Duchatz created the Sacred Heart Church. On January 27, 1884, Paul Goethals inaugurated the building. Chandannagar had at least 4,000 Catholic residents already by the year 1753. The church, shaped like a cross, has beautiful glasswork in its windows, skylights, and other appealing architectural features. Founded by Augustinian monks around 1688, the church was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As a result, it is a congregation with a sizeable Catholic population.
The Institut de Chandernagor, an Indo-French Cultural Center
The horseshoe-shaped town was divided into an inland native Villé Noire (Black Quarter) and a French Villé Blanche (White Quarter). The Institut de Chandernagor, an Indo-French Cultural Center holding one of the oldest museums in the area, was once a naval godown and the home of Governor Joseph Dupleix. The magnificent collection featured French artifacts such as cannons from the Anglo-French War, Shola crafts from Bengal, items connected to Dupleix and Tagore, rare paintings, and furniture from the eighteenth century.
The structure today contains the Ruplal Nandy Cancer Research Centre, which was once a Portuguese trader’s gala or shellac storehouse, hence the name gala kuthi or shellac house.
The Chandannagar Strand
The Strand was bordered by historical structures and reminded one of Pondicherry’s Promenade. The Hotel de Paris, erected in 1878 (currently Sub-divisional court), and the Thai Shola Hotel, built in 1887, originally served as markers for the northern end (presently Chandernagore College).
The French enclave was the ideal haven for freedom fighters like Kanailal Dutta, the revolutionary leader Rash Behari Bose, and social reformer Sri Harihar Seth.
After Independence
After India gained independence on August 15, 1947, the French authorities declared that the colonies would decide whether to stay with India or be a part of the French colonies.
On June 19, 1949, the French government held a referendum, and an overwhelming 97% of voters supported joining forces with India. As a result, Chandannagar was given to the Indian government as part of a pact that France and India concluded on February 2, 1951, in Paris. This agreement was called the Treaty of Secession of the Territory of the Free Town of Chandernagore. The city was de jure handed to India on June 9, 1952. On October 2, 1954, Chandannagar finally merged with the state of West Bengal through the Chandannagar Merger Act of 1954.
Chandannagar is a counterculture, moving against time and convention. The once-French colony is famous for Jagadhatri Puja, an event celebrated with vibrance and enthusiasm.
It has, as its citizens, held back the tide of monoculturalism time and time again. It is also an inseparable part of what it means to be Bengali, much like the Durga pandal lighting tableaus that have gained international acclaim.
References
Perrier, Jean-Claude, and Kishore Gaurav. Travels in French India: Mahé, Pondichéry, Karikal, Yanaon, Chandernagor. Calcutta, India: Sampark, 2017.
Mukhopadhyay, Kanchana. Chandernagore and Its Dependencies: The Unfulfilled Dream of Dupleix (1674-1731). Kolkata: Bingsha Shatabdi, 2017.
Bose, Lina, and Jenia Mukherjee. “Understanding Heritage Conservation from Project Management Perspectives: Case Study Chandannagar.” Journal of Heritage Management, 2022, 245592962211143. https://doi.org/10.1177/24559296221114387 .
Walia, Sumit. “Exploring Chandannagar History & Present.” Stories n Tales, May 12, 2022. https://traveldreams.live/chandannagar-history-present/experiences-travel-n-beyond/2022/ .
“Chandannagar – a Small France in India | Neline Mondal | History of Jagadhatri Puja! | Bonjour India.” YouTube. YouTube, November 5, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwB-ZEu5yNM .
. “Chandannagar – Former French Colony of West Bengal.” Techulator, May 4, 2011. https://www.socialvillage.in/resources/44571-chandannagar-former-french-colony-west-bengal
Credits: Robert Barker
Source: “RCIN 732007 – Plan of Chandannagar, 1757 (Chandannagar, Bengal, India) 22°5209N 88°2238E.” RCIN 732007 – Plan of Chandannagar, 1757 (Chandannagar, Bengal, Accessed August 27, 2022. https://militarymaps.rct.uk/the-seven-years-war-1756-63/chandannagar-1757-plan-of-chandernagore-with-the.
Picture 1 – Source: “RCIN 732007 – Plan of Chandannagar, 1757 (Chandannagar, Bengal, India) 22°5209N 88°2238E.” RCIN 732007 – Plan of Chandannagar, 1757 (Chandannagar, Bengal,… Accessed August 27, 2022. https://militarymaps.rct.uk/the-seven-years-war-1756-63/chandannagar-1757-plan-of-chandernagore-with-the
Picture 2 – Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nandadulal_Temple-Chandannagar-West_Bengal-DSC_3223_00001.jpg
Picture 3 – Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sacred_Heart_Church-Chandannagar-West_Bengal-DSC_4328.jpg
Picture 4 – Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duplex_Palace._%28Institute_de_Chandannagar%29.jpg
Picture 5 – Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dourgachorone_Roquitte_Souvenir_-_Strand_Road_-_Chandan_Nagar_-_Hooghly_-_2013-05-19_7898.JPG
Picture 6 – Source: https://www.getbengal.com/
Archi Biswas
A history nerd at heart and a holocaust researcher, I take on life as an explorer. The charm of heritage speaks to me, and I strive to be a curator of the same. I am a doggo loving, documentary watching bibliophile who really listens.
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