The Great Houses of Kolkata 1750 – 2006
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UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES THE GREAT HOUSES OF KOLKATA 1750 – 2006 JOANNE LEA TAYLOR A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of the Built Environment by Research Faculty of the Built Environment © Joanne Lea Taylor Sydney. New South Wales August, 2008 ILLUSTRATIONS All photographs are by the author unless otherwise acknowledged below. The copyright is retained by the author. CHAPTER 1 page Figure 1.1. A staircase, the Andul Palace in 2004. 6 Figure 1.2. A courtyard, the Datta’s Great House in 2006. 6 Figure 1.3. Fraser, A View of Government House.1819. Source, Losty 1990. 7 Figure 1.4. T. and W. Daniell, View on the Chitpore Road, 1792. Source, Losty 1990. 10 Figure 1.5. Fraser, A View in the bazaar, 1819. Source, Losty 1990. 11 Figure 1.6. D’Oyley, Esplanade, c.1835. Source, Losty 1990. 11 Figure 1.7. Daniell, Views of Calcutta, 1788. Source, Losty 1990. 12 Figure 1.8. Solvyns, A Man of Distinction, 1810. Source, Hardgrave 2006. 13 Figure 1.9. Solvyns, A Woman of Distinction, 1810. Source, Hardgrave 2006. 13 Figure 1.10. Solvyns Hindoo Buildings, 1810. Source, Hardgrave 2006. 13 Figure 1.11. The house of Firingi Kamal Bose (1830). 15 CHAPTER 2 Figure 2.1. Map of Kolkata 1690-1757. Source, Losty 1990. 22 Figure 2.2. D’Oyley, Esplanade, c. 1835. Source, Losty 1990. 25 Figure 2.3. Simpson, View of Chitpore Road, 1867. Source, Krishna 1990. 25 Figure 2.4. Map of Kolkata showing boundaries, 1792. Source, Chattopadhyay 2006. 26 Figure 2.5. An artisan of Kurmatuli, 27 Figure 2.6. Apotter of Kurmatuli. 27 Figure 2.7. Map of Kolkata, locations of the Great Houses. Source, Chaudhuri 1990. 29 Figure 2.8. Contrasting morphologies. Source, Drakakis-Smith 2000. 30 Figure 2.9. R.B. Smart’s ‘Survey of Calcutta, 1887-1990’. Source, K.M.C. 31 Figure 2.10. Smart’s plan with boundaries of Great Houses. Source, K.M.C. 31 Figure 2.11. Map of Kolkata, 1798-1858. Source, Losty 1990. 33 Figure 2.12. D’Oyley, Chowringhee Road. Source, Losty 1990. 35 Figure 2.13. D’Oyley, View of Calcutta c.1835. Source, Losty 1990. 35 Figure 2.14. D’Oyly, View in Clive Street, c.1835. Source, Losty 1990. 35 CHAPTER 4 Figure 4.1. Van Den Broucke’s Map of Bengal, 1660. Source, Ray 1998. 49 Figure 4.2. B. Solvyns, A Banian, 1794. Source, Calcutta 200 years. 52 Figure 4.3. Prinsep, Entertainment during the Durga Puja’ c.1840. Source, Losty 1990 60 Figure 4.4. Solvyns, Nautch, 1810. Source, Losty 1990. 60 Figure 4.5. A longcase clock, the Mullick home, Pathuriaghata. 61 Figure 4.6. An English bracket clock, home of the Roy family. 61 Figure 4.7. Portrait of Maharajah Mohan Tagore. Source, Campbell 1907 63 vii Figure 4.8. Portrait of the Maharaj of Burdwan, 1907. Source, Campbell 1907 63 Figure 4.9. The canon of the Andul Raj. 63 Figure 4.10. Kalighat painting of a babu, 1845. Source, Calcutta Heritage 1990. 70 CHAPTER 5 Figure 5.1. Kolkata’s Government House or Raj Bhavan. 74 Figure 5.2. Keddleston Hall, Derbyshire. 75 Figure 5.3.The Lohia Matri Sewasadan. 75 Figure 5.4. Ground plans of Kolkata’s Government House, 1803. 76 Figure 5.5. Ground plans of Keddleston Hall, Derbyshire, 1761. 76 Figure 5.6. The ‘throne room’ of Government House, Kolkata, in 2005. 77 Figure 5.7. The Marble Hall of Government House, Kolkata, in 2005. 78 Figure 5.8. Belvedere House, now the National Library, in 2005. 79 Figure 5.9. The General Post Office (1843-8), B.B.D.Bag in 2004. 79 Figure 5.10. The courtyard of the Indian Museum (1875). 79 Figures 5.11, 5.12. The entrance to the Indian Museum in 2006. Courtesy A. Louth. 80 Figure 5.13. The Bishops Palace. Source, Mukherjee 1991, p.21. 80 Figure 5.14. James Fraser, A View of Writer’s Buildings, 1819. 81 Figure 5.15. The Writers Building in 2004. 81 Figure 5.16. The Hazar Dwari (1837), Murshidabad. 82 Figure 5.17. Palladio’s Four Books of Architecture (1570). 84 Figure 5.18. Palladio’s exterior elevations. 85 Figure 5.19. Original plasterwork of the Andul Palace in 2004. 85 Figure 5.20. Detail of the construction of the Andul Palace in 2004. 85 Figure 5.21. The Prasad during colonial times. 86 Figure 5.22. The Prasad in 2004. 86 CHAPTER 6 Figure 6.1. The Andul Palace (1834). 92 Figure 6.2. An entrance to the Andul Palace. 92 Figure 6.3. The gateway and wall of the Andul Palace. 92 Figure 6.4. The courtyard of the Andul Palace. 93 Figure 6.5. Pradeep Mitra of the Andul Palace. 93 Figure 6.6. Detail of the condition of the Andul Palace. 93 Figure 6.7. The Palace of the Maharajah of Burdwan. 95 Figure 6.8. The entrance to the University of Burdwan. 95 Figure 6.9. The Burdwan coat of arms. 95 Figure 6.10. A mansion on the Burdwan estate. 95 Figure 6.11. The Golabag, the Burdwan estate. 95 Figure 6.12. The original entrance gate, Bansberia, (1670). 96 Figure 6.13. The later entrance gate, c. early to mid-nineteenth century. 96 Figure 6.14. Views of the palace moat. 96 Figure 6.15. The Temple of Vasudeva. 97 Figure 6.16. The Hangseshwari Temple. 97 viii Figure 6.17. The ‘Garhbari’. 97 Figure 6.18. The Maheshadal Palace, c. 1900. 98 Figure 6.19. The entrance to the Palace of Maheshadal. 98 Figure 6.20. The verandah of the Maheshadal Palace. 99 Figure 6.21. A reception room in the Maheshadal Palace. 99 Figure 6.22. The Radhagobindo Temple. 100 Figure 6.23. The original Palace of Maheshadal, c. 1757. 100 Figure 6.24. A mansion, the Palace of Maheshadal. 100 Figure 6.25. Housing for priests, the Palace of Maheshadal. 100 Figure 6.26. The Somra Palace. 102 Figure 6.27. Detail of the entrance to the Somra Palace. 102 Figure 6.28. The courtyard of the Somra Palace. 102 Figure 6.29. The courtyard walls, the Somra Palace. 103 Figure 6.30. The Somra Kali Temple. 103 Figure 6.33. Conceptual image of the Palace of Nabakrishna. Source, Deb, 2004. 107 Figure 6.34. Drawing, the Palace of Nabakrishna. Source, Chattopadhyay 2005. 107 Figure 6.35. The entrance gate to the Palace of Nabakrishna. 108 Figure 6.36. The northern entrance gate to Government House. 108 Figure 6.37. The loggia, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 109 Figure 6.38. Cast iron lamps, The Palace of Nabakrishna. 109 Figure 6.39. The courtyard, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 109 Figure 6.40. The thakur dalan, Palace of Nabakrishna. 110 Figure 6.41. Carved wooden beams, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 110 Figure 6.42. The thakur dalan, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 110 Figure 6.43. Wall plaque, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 111 Figure 6.44. The natmandir, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 111 Figure 6.45. Side elevation of the natmandir. Source, Chattopadhyay 2005. 112 Figure 6.46. A photograph of the natmandir, 1901.Source, Battacharyya 2002. 112 Figure 6.47. The carriage-port, the natmandir, Palace of Nabakrishna. 112 Figure 6.48. A pinnacle, the natmandir, the Palace of Nabakrishna. 112 Figure 6.49. The interior of the natmandir, Palace of Nabakrishna. 113 Figure 6.50. The interior of the natmandir from the thakur dalan. 113 Figure 6.51. A plan of the natmandir. Source, Chattopadhyay 2005. 114 Figure 6.52. A street plan of Shovabazar. Source, Chattopadhyay 2006. 114 Figure 6.53. Entrance to the Laha Bari. 115 Figure 6.54. Laha mansions. 115 Figure 6.55. Two houses of the Laha family. 115 Figure 6.56. Portico of the Laha home. 115 Figure 6.57. The double staircase, the Laha home. 116 Figure 6.58. The interior of the Laha home. 116 Figure 6.59. Aloke Laha in the courtyard. 116 Figure 6.60. The ‘new’ and the ‘old’ Laha homes. 117 Figure 6.61. The Marble Palace. 118 Figure 6.62. A Drawing of the Marble Palace by F.Valich. Source K.M.C. 118 Figure 6.63. The Marble Palace. 119 Figure 6.64. The side bays of the Marble Palace. 119 Figure 6.65. The courtyard of the Marble Palace. 120 ix Figure 6.66. The billiard chamber, the Marble Palace. 121 Figure 6.67. Interior furnishings in the Marble Palace. Source, Moore 1997. 121 Figure 6.68. The western façade of the Marble Palace. 122 Figure 6.69. The Marble Palace in it’s hey day. Source, Campbell 1907. 122 Figure 6.70. The façade and entrance to the Jorosanko Rajbari. 123 Figure 6.71. Plan of the Jorosanko Rajbari. Source, Bhattacharyya 2002. 124 Figure 6.72. The courtyard of the Jorosanko Rajbari. 124 Figure 6.73. Inside the thakur dalan, the Jorosanko Rajbari. 125 Figure 6.74. The courtyard from the thakur dalan, the Jorosanko Rajbari. 125 Figure 6.75. The courtyard of the Jorosanko Rajbari. 125 Figure 6.76. A drawing of the Jorosanko Rajbari by F.Valich. Source, K.M.C. 126 Figure 6.77. The Great House of the Mullick family. 127 Figure 6.78. The secluded entrance to the Ghariwallah. 127 Figure 6.79. The courtyard of the Mullick house. 128 Figure 6.80. A verandah in the Mullick house. 128 Figure 6.81. A bedroom in the Mullick house. 128 Figure 6.82. The lane leading to the Basu Bari.