These days there are more than dozen parks in Kolkata that serve as the favourite strolling area of the City's residents. Elliot Park, Citizen's Park, Eco Park are only to name a few of the biggies. There are also hundreds of smaller ones scattered around different neighbourhoods. But like many other things we owe the concept of parks too, to the Britishers. In those days, it was the height of gentility for the British East India Company's covenanted servants to take their spouses for an evening stroll or moonlight fete. Almost 300 years ago, the first of its kind Park in the then Calcutta was Captain Perin's Garden in Sutanuti area which was later developed into Bagbazar neighbourhood. The Garden was sold in around 1752 and post Plassey Battle, Laldighi or the Dalhousie Square was advanced and used as the public garden. Later on, two more parks were developed on the surrounding grounds of Fort William commonly known as 'Green before the Court'. Those are Eden Garden and Curzon Park.
When we talk about Eden Garden, in 99% cases we refer to the internationally famous Cricket Stadium but what we ignore is the fact that the Stadium owes its name to the adjacent park, the brainchild of Lord Auckland, Governor General of India during 1836-42.
WANDERLUST brings before you the story of a 150 years old BURMESE PAGODA, situated in the Eden Garden, unfortunately obscured from the public memory due to the never-ending renovation process.
Read on...
Among the sisters, Emily was an Amateur Artist. She was inquisitive and showed her keenness to know the country and made it a point to meet the distinguished people of Calcutta. She wrote accounts of her time in India later collected in the volume Up the Country : Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of India (1867). She had an inborn liking and love for gardens. During their stay in Calcutta, work of Eden Garden started at the initiative of Lord Auckland. Both the sisters were responsible for personally directing and supervising the general layout of this fashionable promenade for the Calcutta Society. The Civil Architect of that time Captain Fitzgerald executed the project. Finally in 1840, the Auckland Circus Garden, later renamed as Eden Garden, in the memory of Eden Sisters, was formally opened to the public.
The decorative structure was built in Prome, Burma (now Pyay, Myanmar) sometime in 1852 by Ma Kin, the widow of Maung Honon who was the Governor of Prome. One estimate puts the original cost of the Pagoda's wood work at Rs.1500 and is said to have taken three months to complete. The Pagoda in the form a 'Tazaung' - a prayer hall or pavilion, has an image of Buddha inside with precious stones encrusted on the forehead. 'Tazaung' is a type of Buddhist Shrine having a multi-tiered roof that becomes smaller as it rises and ends in a spire. Intricate and flamboyant wood carvings can be noticed in a Tazaung. The other ornamental elements include mythical birds, figures and specially in the form of haunches of a wild ox known as 'Saing-Baung'.
In 1853, when Lord Dalhousie visited Prome after the town was taken by the British, he decided to shift the Pagoda to Calcutta. It was dismantled and brought to the City by the East India Company ship, Shway Gong and reached Hooghly on September 29, 1854. At first it was kept in Fort William and later moved to the Garden. It was re-erected in the garden over three months - October, November and December, 1856 by a dozen Burmese artisans for Rs.6000.
The area of the garden is approximately 15.6 acres of land, maintained by the Forest Department. Series of Coconut Trees, vast green lawns, water fountains will surely provide its visitors a pleasant feel.
There is a Band-Stand on the western corner where regimental bands were once used to come from nearby Fort William and played regularly to create the atmosphere of sweet musical evenings almost everyday. But unfortunately, the garden now closes at 5 pm. If everything goes according to the plan then at the initiative of Heritage Enthusiast Anthony Khatchaturian, Kolkatans will soon experience the musical evenings once again, from the same Band Stand. With Orchid House, Cactus House, Nurseries, Butterfly Garden, Japanese Garden it can also be called a mini botanical garden though.
But you would be deprived of the most exotic site of the Garden i.e. the Pagoda. Now it is a shabby, crumbling heap. Once the beautiful red-gold structure is now under the restoration process under the supervision of PWD for the last three years. Caged for months inside bamboo scaffolding the charming monument is a victim of neglect. The entire structure covered by the asbestos-tin wall will prevent you to have a glimpse inside but it can be assumed that the years of neglect has affected the Pagoda to a great extent. Neither the staffs in the garden nor the carpenters working on the monument have any idea about the timeline by which the monument will regain the lost glory. Learned from one of the staff that scarcity of fund has put it in this decayed situation.
I URGE THROUGH MY BLOG POST, TO THE HERITAGE ENTHUSIASTS OF KOLKATA, INTACH, PWD AND THE OTHER CONCERNED AUTHORITIES IN THIS REGARD TO KINDLY CONSIDER THE ISSUE, OTHERWISE A SPLENDID PIECE OF CITY'S HISTORY WILL BE LOST FOREVER.
Acknowledgements :
When we talk about Eden Garden, in 99% cases we refer to the internationally famous Cricket Stadium but what we ignore is the fact that the Stadium owes its name to the adjacent park, the brainchild of Lord Auckland, Governor General of India during 1836-42.
WANDERLUST brings before you the story of a 150 years old BURMESE PAGODA, situated in the Eden Garden, unfortunately obscured from the public memory due to the never-ending renovation process.
Read on...
 |
| (Image Courtesy & Copyright : Indiamike Website) |
LORD AUCKLAND, EDEN SISTERS & EDEN GARDEN -
George Eden, the 1st Earl of Auckland, better known as Lord Auckland, served as the Governor General of India from 1836 to 1842. His father William Eden had six sons and eight daughters. His seventh daughter Emily alongwith one of her sibling Fanny, travelled to India when their brother Lord Auckland was in residence there as the Governor General. As Calcutta was the seat of the Governor General, naturally Emily & Fanny started to live here.Among the sisters, Emily was an Amateur Artist. She was inquisitive and showed her keenness to know the country and made it a point to meet the distinguished people of Calcutta. She wrote accounts of her time in India later collected in the volume Up the Country : Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of India (1867). She had an inborn liking and love for gardens. During their stay in Calcutta, work of Eden Garden started at the initiative of Lord Auckland. Both the sisters were responsible for personally directing and supervising the general layout of this fashionable promenade for the Calcutta Society. The Civil Architect of that time Captain Fitzgerald executed the project. Finally in 1840, the Auckland Circus Garden, later renamed as Eden Garden, in the memory of Eden Sisters, was formally opened to the public.
BURMESE PAGODA -
The prominent attraction of the garden is a picturesque Burmese Pagoda, standing in the northern part of the garden, in an island, almost surrounded by a waterbody. The Pagoda, originally belonged to Myanmar or erstwhile Burma, has a intriguing story to tell. |
| A 1925 British India Post Card featuring the Eden Garden Pagoda (Image Copyright : ebay) |
The decorative structure was built in Prome, Burma (now Pyay, Myanmar) sometime in 1852 by Ma Kin, the widow of Maung Honon who was the Governor of Prome. One estimate puts the original cost of the Pagoda's wood work at Rs.1500 and is said to have taken three months to complete. The Pagoda in the form a 'Tazaung' - a prayer hall or pavilion, has an image of Buddha inside with precious stones encrusted on the forehead. 'Tazaung' is a type of Buddhist Shrine having a multi-tiered roof that becomes smaller as it rises and ends in a spire. Intricate and flamboyant wood carvings can be noticed in a Tazaung. The other ornamental elements include mythical birds, figures and specially in the form of haunches of a wild ox known as 'Saing-Baung'.
In 1853, when Lord Dalhousie visited Prome after the town was taken by the British, he decided to shift the Pagoda to Calcutta. It was dismantled and brought to the City by the East India Company ship, Shway Gong and reached Hooghly on September 29, 1854. At first it was kept in Fort William and later moved to the Garden. It was re-erected in the garden over three months - October, November and December, 1856 by a dozen Burmese artisans for Rs.6000.
 |
| A View of the Pagoda from the other side of the Waterbody. |
GARDEN AT PRESENT -
The area of the garden is approximately 15.6 acres of land, maintained by the Forest Department. Series of Coconut Trees, vast green lawns, water fountains will surely provide its visitors a pleasant feel.
There is a Band-Stand on the western corner where regimental bands were once used to come from nearby Fort William and played regularly to create the atmosphere of sweet musical evenings almost everyday. But unfortunately, the garden now closes at 5 pm. If everything goes according to the plan then at the initiative of Heritage Enthusiast Anthony Khatchaturian, Kolkatans will soon experience the musical evenings once again, from the same Band Stand. With Orchid House, Cactus House, Nurseries, Butterfly Garden, Japanese Garden it can also be called a mini botanical garden though.
 |
| Band Stand |
But you would be deprived of the most exotic site of the Garden i.e. the Pagoda. Now it is a shabby, crumbling heap. Once the beautiful red-gold structure is now under the restoration process under the supervision of PWD for the last three years. Caged for months inside bamboo scaffolding the charming monument is a victim of neglect. The entire structure covered by the asbestos-tin wall will prevent you to have a glimpse inside but it can be assumed that the years of neglect has affected the Pagoda to a great extent. Neither the staffs in the garden nor the carpenters working on the monument have any idea about the timeline by which the monument will regain the lost glory. Learned from one of the staff that scarcity of fund has put it in this decayed situation.
 |
| The PAGODA UNDER BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING |
I URGE THROUGH MY BLOG POST, TO THE HERITAGE ENTHUSIASTS OF KOLKATA, INTACH, PWD AND THE OTHER CONCERNED AUTHORITIES IN THIS REGARD TO KINDLY CONSIDER THE ISSUE, OTHERWISE A SPLENDID PIECE OF CITY'S HISTORY WILL BE LOST FOREVER.
Acknowledgements :
- Hidden Calcutta by Rathin Mitra
- Article Temple of Neglect in the Telegraph by Soumitra Das
- Wikipedia Articles
Marvellously researched and well written! Keep writing, Soham - I want to follow your blog.
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