Kolkata: Three walks in seven days to help you know your city better

KOLKATA: Calcutta Heritage Collective (CHC), a platform of individuals interested in conservation of the city’s legacy and heritage, will hold three walks, a bus tour and a cruise between November 18 and 25 to celebrate the Heritage Week. On November 20, the walk with Shahenshah Mirza — the great-great grandson of Wajid Ali Shah — will recreate the opulent era of Wajid Ali Shah and his scions.The attempt will be to rediscover the legacy of the Nawabi era, in what is known as the ‘Chhota Lucknow’ in Kolkata, Metiabruz.
Located on the fringes of the city, Metiabruz was once the home of the last Nawab in Kolkata. According to history, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah who had arrived in Kolkata in 1856 was deeply homesick. To re-establish a connection with his homeland, he converted Metiabruz into a place resembling Lucknow. His desire to recreate Lucknow in the city did cost him his annual allowance of Rs 12 lakh and gave all a piece of history to treasure.

The following day, heritage enthusiast Pradeep Chopra will lead the ‘Mercantile Walk’ down Burrabazaar and twists and turns of the Marwari legacy to discover where Indian enterprise was born. The area is home to offices of Marwaris who were the premier businessmen when the British left India.
At the end of the walk, participants will partake of the famous share market tea 'n toast. The next day, November 22, historian Anthony Khatchaturian will lead the ‘The East India Company Walk’ in Dalhousie. The architectures and buildings of the East India Company also remain a testimony of its dark past when the enterprise took control of two-thirds of the country’s economy and brought it down from 23% of global GDP to a woeful 3%. The walk will explore many historic sites like Belvedere, St. John’s Church, Government House, the Black Hole of Calcutta, Writers’ Building, South Park Street Cemetery and Lower Circular Road Cemetery.
On November 23, heritage enthusiast Navpreet Arora will undertake the revolutionary walk ‘Romance of Cornwallis Street’. The week will end with a sunset cruise down the Hooghly to look at ghats, jute mills, bungalows of sahibs and settlements that were once trading hubs. Separate, guided tours and quiz contests will also be organised for schoolchildren during the week.
“Our objective is to restore and reuse our heritage. This can only happen if we spread awareness about the importance of preserving these edifices. If children can appreciate our antecedents, they can truly become heirs and guardians of our legacy,” said CHC member and architect Mukul Agarwal.