What this tour is about: Old Calcutta was divided into a White Town and a Black Town. The White Town was centred around Lal Dighi, a water tank which provided drinking water to the town. The area around the tank (earlier called Dalhousie Square, now renamed B B D Bagh) is the oldest square in the city. Some of the city’s earliest and grandest buildings are located in this square. These beautiful buildings are still in use, providing a glimpse of Calcutta’s living British heritage. A walk through this area tells the story of the growth of Calcutta, from its early years to modern days.

How it works: We’ll start the walk from the Great Eastern Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in India. From here, we go on a leisurely walk, seeing among other things, the following city landmarks:

• Raj Bhavan, or Government House, initiated by Lord Wellesley who famously said “India should be governed from a Palace, not a counting house”. This is now the residence of the Governor of Bengal
• St John’s Church, which houses the grave of Job Charnock (founder of British Calcutta), and the Black Hole Memorial (a controversial episode in Calcutta’s history)
• Lal Dighi, the water tank that provided drinking water, but was also a popular promenade
• The General Post Office, with its grand dome and Corinthian pillars
• Writer’s Building, which originally served as the offices of the clerks of the East India Company, but now houses the Secretariat of West Bengal
• St. Andrew’s Kirk, a beautiful Scottish Kirk

From here, going past the Old Currency Building, we will finish the walk again at the Great Eastern Hotel.