Governor's Estate (Kolkata)

India / Bangla / Barabazar / Kolkata / Government Place North
 residence, monument, office of the governor
Raj Bhavan is the official residence and office of the Governor of West Bengal, located in the state' capital city Kolkata. Built in 1803, it was known as the Government House in the pre-independence days. Raj Bhavan estate is spread over an area of 27 acres.
Modelled on the Kendleston Hall in Derbyshire, England, this beautiful heritage building built in 1803 is considered to be the best example of Georgian architecture in the country. Adorned with Georgian pediments are porticos, an imposing sweep of stairs lead up to the entrance of the place, which is crowned by a majestic dome. The interiors of this 137 room place are lavishly decorated with antiques and art pieces collected by the Viceroys who resided here. Among the objects of interest here are the the marble hall with busts Caesar, apair of Egyptian spinx sculptures, the throne of Tipu Sultan and a wrought iron lift which is now operated by power. This is now the official residence of the Governor of West Bengal.
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Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raj_Bhavan_(West_Bengal)
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Coordinates:   22°34'0"N   88°20'50"E

Comments

  • Until the move to Delhi, this was the Viceroy's palace; since then, it's been the residence of the governor of West Bengal. Begun about 1800 by the Marquess of Wellesley, it cost so much that the directors of the East India Company angrily recalled him in 1805, dismissed him as governor-general, and sued him for unauthorized extravagance.. A century later, George Curzon moved in. He must have felt right at home, because the building by remarkable coincidence was largely copied by Charles Wyatt from the design made earlier by Robert Adam for Curzon's his family seat, Kedleston Hall, near Coventry. Kedleston was built of sandstone; this palace, of plastered brick. It wasn't a cozy place in any case: viceroys and their wives deplored the vast spaces and the mice. It's closed to the public, but you can tour most of Kedleston Hall and find many bits of viceregal Curzoniana.
This article was last modified 7 years ago