Windows Calcutta

Charu slightly parts the slatted windows to look at the world outside with her opera glasses. The outside life that is otherwise shut to her, is available only through the gaps of the windows. She moves from one window to another, moving the slats to zoom in on the people walking down the street. This is how she looks at the world outside- through the slatted windows. (Charulata, 1964)



The iconic scene from Charulata is by far the best shot ever showing an inside view of the lazy city of Calcutta through the eyes of a commoner. Somehow sharing similar notes of isolation either out of too many things to do or boredom out of nothing to do at all, we all are trying to zoom in at real life through slatted windows. When it gets too claustrophobic for us to handle the pressure, we part the slats to take a view at life passing by and pause to muse on it. Yet, being distant observers, we are far away from touching life and thus the image is slatted. Life in Kolkata on a hot, sunny day or a waning afternoon turns you philosophical as you watch the trams passing by on the streets, ringing their bells, a horde of school goers returning home in merriment, or simply stare at the trees shaking themselves to offer you some fresh air, while you stand quietly in front of a window for a few minutes.

Apart from the Howrah bridge and the Victoria Memorial, if there is one thing among many others that marks the identity of the city, it is the slatted windows of Calcutta. It marks the signature style of the old heritage houses of the city and is a part of its identity . With everything vintage being replaced by multi-storey buildings, only a few localities in the North and the South are preserving the remnants of Colonial architecture. Without them Calcutta is just another city with the same kind of concrete apartments that you see in every metropolitan city. Just like Jaipur is incomplete without the jaali windows and jharokhas, Calcutta is known for these shuttered windows. What gives life to brick and cement is the architectural brilliance and vintage aesthetics that connect to your soul. Calcutta, even though a city of brick and concrete, had that soul deeply rooted within her. Trapped behind airtight glass panes in air conditioned buildings, the soul struggles to breathe today.  

From the inside of an old Calcutta house.
Picture courtesy :- Satarupa Mitra

The city will be unimaginable without vintage red or yellow houses and the sleepy green wooden slatted windows. Fitting in perfectly with the mysterious character of the city, these give the huge houses a note of mystery. You always have a subconscious urge to know what's lying behind these half open shutters. It is also interesting how the insiders can lift the shutter to look at the busy streets whenever they please or let the rays of the sun heat the room in winter and also shut them down to isolate themselves in darkness on a bright, sunny afternoon in summer.  Half the houses are in a state of decadence today but one can well imagine the architectural excellence even from what remains. The DNA of the city is locked within these architectural nuances, giving Kolkata the old world charm that has intrigued filmmakers from Satyajit Ray to Shoojit Sircar. If Lucknow and Old Delhi has a Mughal hangover, Calcutta has a colonial feel to it and a unique old world charm that blends in European influence seamlessly with untainted Bangaliana.

Calcutta

Venice
Source:- Internet

The influence of European architecture exists not only in the historical buildings like the Raj Bhavan, St.Paul's Cathedral, Princep Ghat, Victoria Memorial, Town Hall, etc., but also dwells heavily upon the house of the commoners as well. The use of the Corinthian pillars and Doric columns is very evident if you come across any old Calcutta house. These tall windows with stained glass designs within a curved arch and shuttered windows are a direct influence of the Venetian blinds. Old Venice has windows very similar to those of Calcutta. This is precisely how European architecture has blended in with our history and culture and it is this conglomeration of influences that makes the city an artist's delight.

These dreamy painted glass panes in an arch pattern still exist in only a handful of houses. Most houses are just left with the iron frame and faded, broken panes speaking of lack of maintenance. Once upon a time these must have given a magical lift to the huge rooms on sunny afternoons when the light came in through the coloured panes.

Coffee House

The use of the shutters were not just an aesthetic addition due to European influences in the Colonial era but also a necessity. Those tall windows letting in too much of sunlight would make life difficult for the people in a humid city like Calcutta. Thus, to screen the windows from too much of heat and sunlight and regulate the amount as per wish, the shuttered screens served the best purpose and were the perfect mix of necessity and aesthetics. Windows lined along the long verandahs sometimes even had extra screens made of a kind of mat called "shital pati". It kept the interiors cool during the hot summers and could be pulled up and down using a string attached.

It is indeed sad to see such state of decadence as you move around the city. Lack of maintenance has brought out the skeletal remains of some of these magnificent architectures. The inevitable fate of such decadent houses is thus in the hands of the promoters and businessmen. In a city already having too many new apartments and housing complexes coming up here and there, most of the old paras are losing the old houses one by one and have started looking alien with apartments having not an iota of aesthetic sense. May it not be too late before people start repairing and reusing the houses instead of breaking them down and replacing them. If development is done keeping the character and heritage of the city alive, it would actually be a real step towards development. With the eyes too used to demolition, it is at times good to see some conservationist approach taken in renovating and converting old Calcutta houses into boutiques, restaurants, home stays and galleries instead of breaking years of history and art for something new. This is a city where we cannot afford to let go of the past to step into the future. The 'new' has to co-exist with the 'old' to let the city have a bright future. 

Byloom, Hindustan Park

Kolkatar Barir Pujo- (Part 3)

The favourite Goddess of the Bengalis is treated with pomp and grandeur when she comes home, just like a daughter who is returning home after long. She stays far away and only gets to visit her maternal home once a year, thus she deserves such grand treatment, doesn’t she? This is the best aspect of our culture that we give a humane form to our Gods and Goddesses. Maa Durga is as mortal as she is divine. On one hand, she is the slayer of demons and on the other hand a simple girl, a simple wife who longs to go to her parents. Bengal has folk songs recalling Uma telling Mahadev,

“বিদায় আমায় দাও গো হর,
দেখিতে যাব জননী,
আমায়ে বিদায় দাও তিন দিনের মতদেরি হবে না না তো”

(Uma, the homesick bride, bids farewell to her husband Mahadev because she wants to visit her mother. She wants a leave for three days and promises to return soon.)

So when the daughter comes home, she is welcomed by the family with the beats of the dhaak and the blowing of the conch and ululation, the typical markers of auspiciousness in a Bengali household. She is then placed on the Thakurdalan, kept especially for the worship of the Goddess. It’s like an elevated portion of the courtyard where the Goddess is kept and worshipped for four days, similar to an altar. Even the sight of the thakurdalan brings a feeling of reverence in the mind.

The bonedi households of Calcutta usually had huge thakurdalans, especially those houses which worshipped Durga and Jagaddhatri. Thakurdalans have a specific structure that gives them a character. A flight of wide stairs lead to the elevated altar which is supported by huge columns decorated usually with stucco floral patterns on the top. As you descend down the stairs, you land in a massive square courtyard with rooms on all sides. Usually, the main entrance opens into the courtyard with the thakurdalan facing you, so that when you enter the house during the celebrations, you come face to face with the Goddess seated in all her grandeur. That is truly a sight to behold.

As soon as you enter the courtyard from the main entrance, the Goddess seated in the Thakurdalan greets you.
Picture taken at Dutta Bari, Girish Park

The 300 year old city has a long history of culture and architecture which is a result of several influences on the city. Before the foreigners started coming in, Kalikata was only a village. Portuguese taders, Dutch traders, Armenian traders started coming here for trade followed by the British East India Company. Three villages of Kalikata, Sutanuti and Gobindapur were joined to create the city and trade centre of Calcutta. Gradually, settlements started flourishing and naturally, the architecture of the colonial period had several influences.

The thakurdalan was a part of this characteristic architecture of colonial times. In even earlier times, the village houses of elite families had a separate temple meant for the worship and celebrations. This was the first time it was made inside the residential complex. It was also a sign of the elite class to mark a separate area for grand celebrations inside the house to show off their status. The structure had a very European feel to it which was a direct influence of the rulers and it was also a mark of their affinity to them to uphold their financial as well as social status. 

But what about the times when there was no celebration taking place? Yes, thakurdalans were not only used for religious purposes but had social significance too. Several elite families had dramas, jatras and debates held on the thakurdalans for private enjoyment. While the men were direct audience to these dramas, jatra palas and kobigaan, the womenfolk watched from behind the screens in the balconies surrounding the courtyard. The thakurdalan of the Tagore household witnessed many performances by then contemporary stalwarts as it served as the perfect stage for private entertainment. Several music conferences have also been held time and again in the palatial thakurdalan and courtyard of Babu Khelat Ghosh’s house at Pathuriaghata. Thakurdalans of some famous families also witnessed historic events like the speech by Surendranath Banerjee condemning the Partition of Bengal on the thakurdalan of BasuBati at Baghbazar, the arguments placed by Raja Ram Mohan Roy for the abolition of sati on the thakurdalan of Sobhabazar Rajbari of Radhakanta Deb.

Thakurdalan of the Jorasanko Tagore household

Architecture of the Thakurdalans

Notice the columns, the arches and the elaborate stucco work of the thakurdalan raised from the courtyard by a flight of stairs.
Picture taken at Sobhabazar Rajbari (ChhotoBari)

Floral work in stucco

Elaborate designs made in stucco

If you visit some of the bonedi households of Calcutta, you can see that most of the thakurdalans are similar in structure with slight differences. While some houses have separate wide pillars or columns supporting the entire structure, some houses have Greek Corinthian pillars with elaborate floral stucco work usually depicting lotus petals. Some houses like the Sobhabazar Rajbari has columns made of a bundle of pillars which is starkly unique. Then you spot the typical arch between the columns that joins them. These arches are mostly circular, semi-circular or pointed in shape. They are adorned by impeccable designs made of stucco or iron filigree. The motifs usually range from lion heads, birds, lotus petals, floral patterns, angels and figures. Dawn Bari at Jorasanko has some wonderful specimen of arches made of iron filigree which is rarely seen. 

Arches of iron at Jorasanko Dawn Bari

Another example of fine iron filigree work

Four pillars supporting the entire Thakurdalan at Bholanath Dham, Beadon Street

Bundle of thin pillars clustered together to make a column
Picture taken at the house of Manmatha Ghosh, Pathuriaghata

Corinthian pillars

Though very few of such palatial architecture are in good form these days, yet even the decadent grandeur is spectacular to look at. One can well imagine how marvelous they must have looked 100 or 200 years back. Standing in front of a thakurdalan or sitting on its stairs gives you a unique feeling of awe and pride for your city which houses such fine specimens of architecture. With several houses falling under the axe of “promoter-raj” and being converted into lavish hotels and apartments, the families who are still trying to uphold the pride of Bengal by maintaining the houses as well as the tradition of Durgotsav are doing a commendable job.

No wonder Uma longs to come back every year to enjoy a few days of such grand celebrations in her maternal abode! Who wouldn’t love to be seated in such a spectacular thakurdalan?