There are many old and popular buildings places in Kolkata where tourists especially come to see.
Kolkata, being one of the most historic cities in India, has still retained its heritage till date. The stunning architecture of the city can be seen in the many structures located here. Initially it was the capital of the British Empire, and some of the best structures, built during their regime, are still present here. So today let us tell you about some old buildings of Kolkata, knowing which you will be surprised.
Writers Building
This iconic building was first opened in1780 for the public. Formerly it was known as Dalhousie Square, located I B.B.D garden. The building was the house and the office of the Chief Minister of West Bengal with other officials of the state. Now it has been converted into secretariat building of state government and earlier it was the residence of the junior clerk of the East India Company and now most of the important offices have been shifted to a new building. A statue of the Roman goddess Minerva, is on top of the building is.
Marble palace
is beautiful and elegant building embedded with marble walls and floors, was built by a Bengali merchant Raja Rajendra Malik. It has been built in neoclassical style with an open courtyard, which is common in traditional Bengali architecture. Today it consists of many Victorian paintings and much more. Being a private residence, one must has to seek permission first, before entering the building.
Jorasanko thakur bari
This posh styled home of the Tagore family, has now been converted into a museum. Rabindranath Tagore was born in this house. At that time, most of the members of the Tagore family were artists to high officials, thinkers, intellectuals and writers. Satyendranath Tagore, the second eldest brother of Rabindranath Tagore, had an honor to be the first Indian to join the civil service whereas, his father, Devendranath Tagore, was a religious reformer and philosopher, as well as the founder of Brahmo Dharma.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
This three-storey building was purchased by Raja Ram Mohan Roy for Rs 13,000 around 1815 from Francis Mendes. At that time it was called Simla House as the area, where it is located, is called Simla. Roy never lived in this house but his son and his family lived here till the 1960s, after his death. Ram Mohan College acquired the building along with adjacent properties In 1972, and founded the memorial.
Belur Math
Belur Math works as the headquarters of the Sri Ramakrishna Math and Mission which is located on the west bank of the Hooghly River. This was founded by Swami Vivekananda in the 19th century, where he spent the last remaining years of his life. The place, where he took Samadhi, still exists inside the premises. Apart from this, the temple of Ramakrishna, Sharda Devi and Swami Vivekananda is also present here.
Star Theater
It is one of the first commercial cinema halls in Kolkata which was built in 1883. It has got the honor for screening the first Bengali motion picture. Due to broke out of the fire, half part of building was destroyed but the most of its parts have been restored by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The interior of the building is quite contemporary. Theatrical performances are still held here twice a week.
