Hidden from public eyes, Barrackpore Park treasures another majestic Governor House within 20 km of Kolkata.

Route Set your car tripmeter to 0.0 at Shyambazar 5-point Crossing. Enter Barrackpore Trunk Road (B T Road). Drive northbound towards Dunlop keeping Tala Tank on the right (for Tala Bridge repair, follow diversion, if required). Pass by Indian Statistical Institute to reach Dunlop Crossing. Continue forward by the B T Road passing by Agarpara Jute Mill and Titagarh Fire Station. Follow the left bend on B T Road from BMRC Hospital (on right) and continue for another 1.1 km to find the entrance of Barrackpore Latbagan, formally known as Barrackpore Park on the left - just opposite the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate gate.

Barrackpore PARK

Negotiating through heavy traffic on a weekday morning, Team WHEELS reached Barrackpore in less than an hour. The entry to Barrackpore Latbagan - the campus for State Police Academy, is restricted without formal permission (given in the Infobox).

Negotiating through heavy traffic on a weekday morning, Team WHEELS reached Barrackpore in less than an hour. The entry to Barrackpore Latbagan - the campus for State Police Academy, is restricted without formal permission (given in the Infobox).

With prior appointment, we quickly passed through the security check and drove towards the office of Debabrata Das, IPS, Inspector General (Training) of the Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy (SVSPA). Over tea, he narrated the compelling history of Barrackpore Park.

The light grey monsoon clouds above were gently willowy and mild breezes wafted us along on this gorgeous day. IG Debabrata Das along with DSP Hemanta Banerjee accompanied us to present the aweinspiring Governor's House inside the SVSPA training site.

The Evolution

Lat Bhaban or the Governor House at Barrackpore, formally known as the Government House, is a twin of its counterpart in Kolkata. The Barrackpore Government House was built between 1801-1823, when Calcutta was the Capital of India and served as a vibrant weekend country retreat for the Governor Generals. The palace has passed through several hands from the Governor Generals to Viceroys of India. Thereafter, with the rise of Shimla it went into obscurity till the last year of British rule. It languished in despairing neglect initially and then slowly passed out of the public memory.

Post-independence, the 200 acres of land surrounding the Government House was divided into three parts by the State Government. One-third with the Flagstaff House was handed over to the Governor of West Bengal. The other two parts were presented to the West Bengal Police for the State Police Training Academy and State Armed Forces respectively. The huge mansion was then used as a makeshift Police Hospital that slowly fell into disuse, while police quarters and dingy houses mushroomed inside the once-exclusive estate.

In 2013-14, a citizen of Kolkata, Amitava Karkun, wrote to the Governor of West Bengal, requesting for the renovation of the Government House. Luckily, Soumen Mitra, IPS, the present Commissioner of Police, Kolkata Police, was posted at Barrackpore during his tenure as the Additional Director General of Police (Training) between 2016-20. His keen appreciation of heritage was instrumental in initiating a mammoth restoration with financial help from the West Bengal Heritage Commission. The hospital was shifted to a nearby bungalow and the resurrection of the Government House began. The ambitious plan entailed restoring it to its old glory.

The Government House Moving inland, as the River Hooghly takes a north-west bend at Barrackpore, the northerlies hit the land at the turn. The location boasting a grand house where the pleasant river breeze blows all year round was a natural choice as weekend retreat for British rulers. The chirping of birds, evening sunset by the bay, boat ride on a moonlit night, were other sublime attractions of the Englishmen. It was Lord Richard Wellesley who conceived and initiated the construction of the massive Government House in 1801 at Barrackpore. The palace was completed by the Marquess of Hastings in 1823. Standing on the lush green manicured lawn, we felt minuscule before the Colosseum of the Government House. This house was once inhabited by Amherst, Auckland, Canning, Curzon, Dufferin, Dalhousie, Hardinge and Minto. It has history and colonial political intrigue burgeoning, bursting out at its seams.

The imposing mansion is built in classical style in two levels with an elegant colonnaded portico facing the river Hooghly. It is surrounded by large manicured gardens, a few smaller bungalows and a huge banyan tree.

The first level of the house is rather low and accommodated the servants' quarters. It was at the second level that the Governors were put up. This floor is presently under renovation. The high ceilings, grand ballroom with delicate chandeliers and wooden flooring, huge dining hall, and the large private rooms left us in awe.

Barrackpore Trunk Road

By an order of 1801, Wellesley also acquired land for paving a 20 km straight road linking Shyambazar in North Calcutta to Barrackpore - named Barrackpore Trunk Road. Trees were planted on either side and carts were forbidden to ply on the sides of the road lest the newly planted trees were destroyed. Wellesley had decided that once the Government House was completed, all public offices would be shifted from Calcutta to Barrackpore for the duration of the Governor General's residence. However, the Government House boasted such ostentation that it went against the austerity policy of the East India Company. It is believed that Lord Wellesley was abruptly recalled from his service to England in 1805 at least in part because of this extravagance.

The Museum The first level of the Government House (originally the servants' quarters) has been beautifully converted into a museum. Entering through the lounge we take in elegant decor, then are escorted to the Buchanan Audio-Visual Room. Buchanan incidentally was Lord Wellesley's doctor. After this comes the Wellesley Gallery, with its fascinating archive of old letters, photographs, paintings and copies of important documents showcased on display boards. The boards are laid in a zig-zag pattern, giving visitors barely adequate room to move. This dark Barrackpore for the duration of the Governor General's residence. However, the Government House boasted such ostentation that it went against the austerity policy of the East India Company. It is believed that Lord Wellesley was abruptly recalled from his service to England in 1805 at least in part because of this extravagance. Arms gallery at the museum chamber of secrets has spotlights over all the displays to allow comfortable reading. Going through the enticing history of Bengal during the English rule would need hours. This room has more fodder for the aficionado to dig his clams into than perhaps many well equipped libraries do.

Adjoining is the Arms Gallery, which has pistols of various makes and models of the British Raj on display. Coming out of the gallery we saw the ice chamber, where ice brought from England was stored to produce a cooling effect inside the house during summer.

Lotus Fountain

In front of the Government House lies the fascinating Lotus Fountain. CP Soumen Mitra calls it “a tiny bit of Shahjahan in Barrackpore”. The stark white marble fountain was brought here from Agra Fort by the Marquis of Hastings, after he assumed office as the Governor General. In 1814 Francis Rawdon Hastings had made a voyage to Kanpur with 220 boats, sailing through the waterways. From there they marched on land to Delhi. The entourage stopped at various places connecting with the local Nawabs while spending leisurely time with them. He had brought a lot of Mughal artefacts from Agra in a barge including the fountain, most of which were sent to England. The fountain was however retained and installed at Barrackpore. For decades the marble fountain lay submerged under the soil. It was unearthed by Soumen Mitra, the then ADG Training. We were astonished to find this 500 year old beauty from the era of Shahjahan, fully restored, sparkling with radiance.

The Lady Canning Terrace

We then marched over a laterite walkway surrounded by trees leading to the river in front of the Government House. We were told that it is a special terrace, for it was here that the lonesome Lady Canning spent a lot of time walking along the river. Apparently she also often stood here quietly enjoying the cool breeze and watching the maritime activities of the river.

The Banyan Tree

Close by, we saw the famous grand old Banyan Tree, older than the one in the Botanical Gardens in Howrah with similar large roots spread over a huge area and forming a huge canopy. It is this Banyan Tree which makes the title of CP Soumen Mitra's exemplary book on Barrackpore Park 'Under the Banyan Tree' co-authored by his wife Monabi Mitra, a must-read for history lovers. The banyan tree in the south garden served as a centre of recreation for the Viceroys and their families. Lady Canning enjoyed sitting under the tree and making her sketches. This tree is often confused with the one in the Cantonment where Mangal Pandey, sepoy of the 34th Regiment Native Infantry, was hanged for initiating the sepoy mutiny. A battery car was then arranged to give us a guided tour of the entire property for unravelling the forgotten story of Latbagan. Accompanied by DSP Hemanta Banerjee, we boarded the all-side-open battery car. As it rolled on, we passed by young trainees undergoing training at different bases.

Lady Hardinge Bridge and Moti Jheel Rolling by the car, we marvelled at the sight of the balustrade overpass called Lady Hardinge Bridge. Built over Moti Jheel, a moat-like water body, the bridge is picturesque.

Lady Canning's Tomb & Lord Canning's bronze statue We arrived at Lady Canning's tomb and Lord Canning's statue. Both these monuments are installed inside a huge fenced lawn by the pathway along the river. Lady Charlotte Canning died of malaria. Her tomb on the lush green lawn is stark in white marble. The tomb was designed by her sister Louisa Waterford, 3 years after her death in 1873. Later it was moved to St. John's Church in Calcutta. The one at Barrackpore is a replica of the original tomb, but contains her remains. Lord Canning died seven months after his wife. Of the several British statues that were removed from Kolkata after independence and banished to the lawns of the Flagstaff House adjoining the Government House, it was only the Lord Canning's statue that was placed at Barrackpore Park, overlooking his wife Charlotte Canning's tomb. It is a beautiful piece of bronze sculpture of a kind rarely seen in Kolkata.

West Gate We then visited the West Gate, one of the very first monuments restored inside the property. It had been completely ruined and was brought back to its original form with great effort.

Gandhi Ghat Inside the Barrackpore Park, close to South Gate is the famous Gandhi Ghat, a beautiful embankment by the River Hooghly. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi have been preserved here. A while spent at the ghat by the river makes for a memorable experience

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Police Training Academy DSP Banerjee showed us around the sprawling campus with its many training centres and hostels for the trainees joining the West Bengal police force. At various places inside the campus, the young cops were seen undergoing vigorous exercises including shooting sessions. As we passed, we were thrilled at the sound of a battery of gunshots being fired, a part of their training programme.

After the memorable drive around the park, we finally bid adieu to the senior officers and made our way out. A visit to the resplendent Barrackpore Park would be incomplete without digging into Dada-Boudi's biriyani near the Barrackpore Railway Station. After gorging on the lightly spiced, flavourful rice with the jumbo-sized succulent meat, we eased ourselves back into the airconditioned comfort of our faithful metal steed. More than happy with our daylong experience we freewheeled our way back home. Going around Barrackpore Park was a travel back in time. Every monument was reminiscent of the colonial culture, hidden so close to Kolkata yet not known to us!