BBD Bagh


When Kolkata was the administrative centre for British India, BBD Bagh was the centre of power. It is a square area built around the old Lal Dighi tank which exists till date. It was later called the Tank Square and then the Dalhousie Square. Now it was renamed after Benoy, Badal, and Dinesh, three freedom fighters who were hung by the British during the protests against the partition of Bengal in 1905. The tank in the centre, fed by natural springs, is said to have supplied Charnock with drinking water.

BBD Bagh and its surrounding roads and areas like Netaji Subhash Road, Biplabi Trailakya Maharaj (formerly Brabourne) Sarani, Lyons Range, India Exchange Place, Mission Row, R.N. Mukherjee Road and Fairlie Place form the older commercial hub of the city.

Historical Buildings Near BBD Bag
There are many historical buildings, offices, business centers and banks which surround the square.

On the north side of the square stands the huge Writers' Building, which dates from 1880. The East India Company's writers have now been replaced by modern-day ones employed by the West Bengal state government, and this is where all the quintuplicate forms, carbon copies and red ink come from.

To the east are commercial houses and the West Bengal Government Tourist Bureau.

On the southern side is Raj Bhavan, residence of the Governor. Beside that are the State Legislative Assembly House and the Calcutta High Court. St John's Cathedral, which close to Raj Bhavan is the oldest church in Calcutta.

On the western side is the imposing white domed General Post Office, next to which is the Reserve Bank of India building. Netaji Subhash Road is the centre of the onetime English commercial houses which today flourish in Indian hands. Lyon's Range stock exchange, behind Clive Street, is worth a visit for a glimpse of the frenzied dealing in shares, periodically erupting onto the street.

Further west of BBD Bagh, with a superb position on the Hooghly River taking in the magnificent expanse of the Howrah Bridge, is Millenium Park - a glorious place to enjoy a sunset, kick back and absorb life on the river ghats.

Banks like the Allahabad Bank, UCO Bank and the UBI have their headquarters in this area. Giant public sector undertakings like Andrew Yule, Balmer Lawrie and Coal India also have their offices here.

BBD Bagh and its adjoining areas are home to establishments like the Calcutta Stock Exchange, the Eastern railway offices at Fairlie Place, Tea Board, the Calcutta Improvement Trust and the various chambers of commerce.

Location
BBD Bagh (Dalhousie Square) is located just south of Howrah Bridge.

There is also a Tourists Office - West Bengal Tourist Bureau, 3/2, BBD Bagh.

Nearby Attraction
Writers' Building, Raj Bhavan, St John's Cathedra, Indian Museum