Bank job

The long-neglected, historic ghats of Kolkata are finally seeing a revival

About 300 years ago, a British merchant named Job Charnock sailed through the Hooghly River and landed on its eastern bank. Smitten by the beauty of the riverside and the convenience of the deep-water anchorage for ships, he founded the city of 'Calcutta'. As the city stretched its arms, ghats multiplied along the banks of Hooghly. Today, there are around 19 prominent ghats in Kolkata and 22 smaller ones, most of which have remained neglected for years. But now the civic authorities are trying to rescue these historic landmarks.

ghat refers to the flight of stairs leading to a holy river. Used for religious affairs, the ghats of Kolkata also served as ferry points. "ghats occupy a place of importance in South Asian culture, especially in Indian tradition as rivers constitute an integral part of the religious life of the people," says G M Kapoor, convenor of the West Bengal and Calcutta regional chapters of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). INTACH initiated the process of conservation in Kolkata in 1992. "We identified and restored the Gwalior monument built by the British in memory of the soldiers of the 1850 Gwalior expedition," says Kapoor. The following year, the organisation restored the Prinsep ghat, a monument built by the British in memory of English scholar James Prinsep.

But the other ghats along the banks, stretching from Fort William in south Kolkata to Kashipur in the northern fringes of the city, waited much longer for the authorities to notice them. Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and Kolkata Port Trust are responsible for the maintenance of these ghats. But due to ambiguity of jurisdiction among these three agencies, most of these ghats turned into garbage dumping grounds and dens for gamblers.

The riverfront beautification drive initiated by the West Bengal government has now given the ghats a new lease of life "The project included the restoration of the old ghats. Stone pavements were laid, new light posts were installed and steps of ghats like the Nimtola burning ghat, Ahiritola Ferry ghat, Babughat, Kumartuli ghat, Bagbazaar ghat were repaired," says Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chattopadhay. The cost of the project was Rs 7-8 crore. Besides restoration, the focus was on installing street lights and keeping the ghats clean.

The Prinsep ghat, the earliest one to be restored, came to the notice of the authorities during the construction of the second Hooghly bridge, informs Kapoor. The majestic palladian columns had escaped attention for over 20 years. "We, at INTACH, found it to be an interesting monument as it was probably the only ghat without any flight of stairs leading to the river," says Kapoor. "The roof of the robust structure was repaired and the worn-out walls were plastered using lime mortar. Finally the monument was painted white, its original colour." The restoration project cost Rs 60 lakh. Post restoration, Prinsep ghat has become an important tourist destination and recreation spot. Currently, it is maintained by the public works department.

At Kolkata's ghats, colonial architectural grandeur lies embedded in tradition. "Kolkata is the only city in India which has a colonial riverfront with strand and promenade coupled with numerous ghats," says Kapoor. Most of these ghats are still used for religious ablutions, funeral rituals, idol immersion and as ferry points.

And though the Mayor insists that they are being kept clean, regular visitors hold a different view. Uttara Roy, a resident of Sreerampore who takes a ferry from Howrah launch ghat to Babughat every day, says more effort needs to be made to keep the ghats clean. "The ghats are a major source of water pollution. I was shocked to some people disposing of a dead cow in the river from here," she says. "People bathe, wash clothes and litter the ghats during idol immersion," she adds. Most of the time, there are no guards to prevent people from littering, she says.

Kapoor agrees. "Giving them (ghats) a facelift isn't going to solve the problem. The larger challenge is proper maintenance of these ghats, lest history be eroded with the tide of time."