Beth El Synagogue, Pollock Street

On Pollock Street, surrounded by shops that sell electrical goods, stands the Beth El Synagogue. It is one of Calcutta’s (Kolkata) three surviving synagogues and is evidence of the fact that the city once had a thriving and rich Jewish community.

Jewish Cemetery, Narkeldanga Main Road

“…Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.

The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed…”

Deuteronomy 28:32-33

Such were the terrible curses that would befall the Jews if they ever strayed from the path of the Almighty. In reality, first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians and finally the Romans forced the Jews from their lands, and they wandered the earth, for many years a stateless people. With their pragmatic and business oriented approach to life, they prospered wherever they went, but I wonder how many of the Jews who came to India from Aleppo in Syria, Isfahan in Iran and of course, Baghdad in Iraq, ever imagined that their mortal remains would be interred in a place called Narkeldanga.

Ezra Mansion, 10 Govt. Place, East

Ezra Mansion

At the corner of Waterloo Street, opposite Great Eastern Hotel, stands a derelict, exposed brick structure. Only the letters I, O and N are visible on it’s façade. Those three letters form the last part of the word mansion, and the name of the building is Ezra Mansion. As far as I can tell, it was constructed by Calcutta’s Jewish real estate tycoon, David Joseph Ezra, in the early 20th century. The portico extending over the pavement originally had cast iron posts which have been replaced with brick piers. The cast iron railings however remain. This is the man who was behind the Esplanade Mansions, Chowringhee Mansions and Ezra Street is named after him.

Though today it is in serious need of repair, in it’s heyday, Ezra Mansion housed Cuthbertson & Harper, one of Calcutta’s best shoemakers, and J.C. Hanhart & Co., jewelers. Cuthbertson and Harper's sign can be seen in the photograph of the building in Intach's book, "Calcutta: Built Heritage Today". It continues to function today as an office block. 

- by Deepanjan Ghosh

Esplanade Mansions

Built in 1910 by Sir Rajen Mukherjee’s firm, Martin and Co., for Calcutta’s Jewish real estate magnate, David Joseph Ezra, Esplanade Mansions is probably the only art nouveau building in all of India. It is located at the crossing of Esplanade Row East and Govt. Place East, opposite the Eastern gate of the magnificent Government House (Raj Bhavan). It is currently owned by the Life Insurance Corporation of India, which owns a number of heritage structures all over Calcutta, and has been, happily, restoring them.

The building originally contained some 24 flats, which were much sought after as they offered a view of Government House’s beautiful wooded gardens. It currently houses the offices of the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Railways, the Railway Claims Tribunal, the Vice Chairman & Member Technical’s offices, along with offices and rest houses of LIC. Several of the flats remain residential. Ex Indian cricketer, Arun Laal had a flat here.

For many years the neglected building was an obnoxious shade of pink. The recent restoration has left it dazzling white and spotless.