Visit ‘Chandernagore’, India’s Lovely But Little-Known French Colony

Nirupama Subramaniam

When we think of India’s colonial past we often forget that it wasn’t only the British that left behind an imprint in our historical archives. Rarely do we look past the Portuguese colonies in Goa or the French quarters of Pondicherry to explore the little secrets that are strewn across India’s coastline. One such settlement lies about 35 kilometres from Kolkata – Chandernagore. Now known as Chandannagar, this erstwhile French colony was centered around three rural settlements – Borkishonpur, Khalisani and Gondalpara. It was officially established in 1688 after the French were granted permission from the then Nawab of Bengal, Ibrahim Khan, to set up a trading post in 1673.

‘Liberte - Egalite - Fraternite’ read the Gates of Chandernagore, constructed in 1937 to mark the fall of Bastille. These were once the entrance to the town perched on the banks of the Hooghly River. As the French gained stronghold of the area, their influence became clear. The three small villages were completely refashioned when Joseph François Dupleix was appointed Governor General of India in 1742. The area’s urban planning now comprised of French motifs and architecture as red brick houses, churches and basilicas soon speckled themselves across the landscape. Dupleix built himself a splendid residential complex which is now popularly referred to as ‘Dupleix Palace/Mansion’, now the Chandannagar Museum & Institute.

Today, many of these institutions continue to stand as historical landmarks of the town’s past. Although the French surrendered the colony to the local residents in November 1947, there was never much hate between the Indians and the French in Chandernagore. In fact, the town served as a safe haven for many prominent revolutionary leaders, social reformers and noted personalities during India’s freedom struggle due to its proximity to the Bengal Presidency, Calcutta. You’ve probably heard of Patal Bari, the Underground House, that Rabindranath Tagore often referred to. Located in Chandernagore, this house hosted the likes of Tagore and Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Walk down the beautiful stretch known as The Strand, along the Hooghly and you come across a number of colonial buildings, each with stories of their own. Sacred Heart Church with its stained glass windows; the Durgacharan Rakshit Ghat built in honor of Durgacharan Rakshit, the first Indian to receive the chevalier de legion d’Honour.

Unlike Pondicherry, in Chandernagore today there is no stark difference or division between the colonial and Indian culture and presence. Here, lies a confluence and intermingling of French and Bengali culture and aesthetics in a town that was once a stronghold of France’s presence in the Indian subcontinent. And as such, their legacy looms in the air, surrounds you in pleasant floral motifs, French signages, and the chance ‘merci bien!’ from the locals.