Author Amit Chaudhuri’s campaign to save
Calcutta’s old residential buildings, its old neighbourhoods, seems to have
caught on. It is sparking discussions in social media and articles about it are
getting written and shared. But the houses that he wants to save are not what
Calcuttans call “heritage buildings”. They are not colonial, and are not homes
of famous people or zamindars, Bengal’s fabulously wealthy landlords. They are
family homes of nameless, faceless Bengalis mostly from the middle-income
group. What makes these buildings unique and interesting is their often
eccentric and unique architecture. A colonial building in Dalhousie Square in
Calcutta will find echoes in London, Rangoon and even Australia. But these
buildings in Dover Lane, Puddapukur, Bhowanipore and Lansdowne Road are unique,
and they are unique to Calcutta. Even more interesting are the few features
that almost all these houses share. Two of them in particular have caught Amit
Chaudhuri’s eye.
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| A building near Northern Park being demolished |
