Of the many famous landmarks that the city boasts, there is one quay which stands out as an important landmark of the capital city of British India. A popular name among denizens, it yet shuns the public eye. This jetty ghat which once stood witness to most important river trade and transport is Kolkata's iconic Outram Ghat.

ROUTE
Travelling northbound from Prinsep Ghat by the Strand Road, drive till you reach the crossing of Goshto Paul Sarani (Eden Garden) Crossing with the statue of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at the crossing. Right behind the statue is the gate to Outram Ghat on River Hooghly, lying towards the south of Baboo Ghat. Park your car on Strand Road and go through the gate crossing the Circular Railway tracks to find yourself standing before Outram Jetty Ghat. 

Entrance of Outram Ghat

THE GHAT
Outram Ghat, a household name amongst Kolkatans, was named after Sir James Outram, a famous General of the British Army. 
The ghat is basically a Jetty-ghat with no distinct pavilion. The Outram Ghat jetty is a riveted structure and not a nut-bolt one. It was made by Lancashire Steel Co. and assembled by Martin Burn Co. 
The colonial style gate-like structure with ‘Outram Ghat Landing Stage 1911’ etched on the top renders its distinct character. At the ghat is the office of the River Traffic Police.

Riverside view of Outram Ghat with River Traffic Police Headquarters

View of River Hooghly from the jetty

HISTORY
Outram Ghat was a prominent gateway to Kolkata, a key port and the main anchorage for ships to East Bengal and Burma during the British regime. It was also a preferred terminal for many foreign cargo vessels. 
The ghat was built in the late 19th century by British authorities in memory of Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram. Born in 1803, in Derbyshire, this Englishman showed such immense strength and determination that it made him rise in the British army from mere foot soldier to General. He came to India in 1820 and earned several accolades and finally returned to England in 1860 when sculptor Matthew Noble erected his statues both in London and Calcutta to honour his contributions towards the British army. He died at Pau, France in 1863. His grave at Westminster Abbey bears the epitaph ‘The Bayard of India’. 
Outram Ghat saw major river traffic during the British raj. Huge cargos loaded with textiles, jute, foundry, cast iron would arrive at the ghat. Since the anchorage of the cargos near the bank was difficult, these goods were brought to the banks with the help of dandi majhis, who helped navigate the ships to the ghat.
With the Outram Ghat gaining popularity, river traffic on the eastern banks of the Hooghly proliferated, finally growing unmanageable. It was imperative to establish control over the area. Thus, in the year 1968, the River Traffic Police Headquarters was set up at the Outram Ghat. Today, the jurisdiction of the River Traffic Police extends from Konnagar in north to Budgebudge in south of River Hooghly around Kolkata. From managing the river traffic, saving drowning people to preventing pollution of the river by the locals or drug peddling, helping fishermen during storms to protecting the riverine – the River Traffic Police has assumed the garb of a saviour.  

Outram Ghat entrance from Strand Road

LIFE AT THE GHAT
More often than not, people confuse Outram Ghat for Baja Kadamtala Ghat, where immersion of most of the large idols takes place that actually lies to the north of Outram Ghat. 
Entry to the Outram Ghat jetty is prohibited being the headquarters of River Traffic Police. However, standing on the Hooghly walkway, you can see numerous speed boats anchored at the jetty. The River Traffic Police keeps the place under strict surveillance. 
Sometimes, when one stands at the ghat, the mysterious dark waters may beckon – a reflection of your despondency. At others, the flaming reds, pinks and purples of the twilight sky leave you amazed, in awe. And then there are those moments when, as the whispering wind tugs playfully at the tendrils of hair escaping from protective headgear, you want to run, and laugh and stretch your arms out to embrace the elusive Vayudev. 
Outram Ghat, named after the brave General of the British Army, Sir James Outram, makes an elegant statement for those times when personal courage was a thing to be lauded and eulogised. Not a quality which might land you in a darker place than those murky waters before you today. Outram Ghat – an epitaph to the soul of a city lost and floundering perhaps, but still proud, struggling, rearing its head in determined refusal to give in.