On 20th August 1700, the British East India Company named their fort in Bengal after the then King of England, William III. Fort William, a symbol of British colonial power in India, encompasses two structures – the old and the new forts.

While building a fortified settlement near the mouth of the river Hooghly had been in the offing since Job Charnock settled at Sutanuti, the construction only began when the Nawab of Bengal permitted the Company to defend its settlements in 1696.

The selected spot was Dihi Calcutta, the highest ground on the right side of Hooghly. By 1707 the four bastions and the enclosure wall were ready. The fort was in the shape of an irregular tetragon and was divided into two unequal sections by a block of low buildings running from east to west. It contained structures such as the Governor’s Mansion, an old tank, a magazine, an armoury, a dispensary, a wharf, and a military prison (later called the Black Hole).

In 1756 the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, captured the fort and destroyed some of the inner buildings. After the recovery of Calcutta by the British (1757), they decided to build a new fort. 

Completed in 1773, what we know today as Fort William, located near Maidan (the largest ground in Kolkata) is in fact the new fort. Built of brick and mortar, this fort is star-shaped and has structures inspired by Gregorian and Gothic styles. After independence, it serves as the Headquarters of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.

Famous for its iconic palatial mansions of the colonial era, Kolkata is popularly known as the “City of Palaces”. However, only a few have managed to survive today and one of the best examples is the Marble Palace. 

Situated in the narrow nondescript lane of Muktaram Babu Street in the Chorbagan neighbourhood of North Kolkata, this white structure is a spectacular building with lavish architecture. Built in 1835 by Raja Rajendra Ram Mullick, this extravagant mansion resembles a mix of European and Oriental architectural styles.

Rajendra Mullick though born in a family of Bengali merchants was brought up by an English guardian - James Weir Hogg. Naturally, he developed a strong European taste seen in his art collection. Built in the neo-classical style with strong baroque influences, this mansion has an imposing edifice with open verandahs and colonnade porches having Corinthian columns.

With more than a hundred different varieties of marble used on its walls and floors, the Marble Palace was aptly named by the then Viceroy, Lord Minto. Resplendent with colourful Venetian glass panes and Belgian glassware, antique vases and furnishings, the Palace is one of the richest art galleries with artworks from all over the world. It also has several rare and exquisite sculptures by Joshua Reynolds and Peter Paul Rubens along with other elegant statues adding to the splendour.

Spread over a total area of twelve acres, the Marble Palace is a unique treasure trove of art. With perfectly manicured verdant lawns, a menagerie of animals and an aviary of rare birds, the Marble Palace is also said to be Kolkata’s first zoo and altogether this site is a spectacle to behold.

Located in Esplanade, in central Kolkata, the towering monument - Shahid Minar was once referred to as the “Cloud Kissing Monument” by Mark Twain. Standing tall amidst the green grounds of the Maidan - the largest open ground of the city, the Shahid Minar’s history goes further back in time than the date etched on it.

Constructed in the year 1828, this Minar was previously known as the Ochterlony Monument. Dedicated to Major David Ochterlony who commanded the British forces in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816), the British erected this structure to honour his efforts in winning a decisive victory. It was in commemoration of this event that this monument was built here, in the middle of what was then the bustling “white town”.

This 165 feet tall tapering Minar is a unique amalgam of different architectural styles. While its grooved shaft is identical to the Doric columns of ancient Greece, the base of the Minar is compared to the Egyptian style. The Minar also has two viewing galleries that are reached by a spiral staircase. The tip of the Minar is adorned by a metallic cupola, Turkish in fashion.

On 9th August 1969, the Ochterlony Monument was rechristened as the Shahid Minar or the Martyrs’ Monument to honour the sacrifices of the Indian freedom fighters who lost their lives in the long struggle for independence against the British.

The once opulent Babu culture of Kolkata has largely waned due to the vicissitudes of time. However, its remnants continue to linger on in the remains of Kolkata’s numerous palatial mansions, locally called ‘Rajbaris’ and the Sovabazar Rajbari of North Kolkata is one of the prominent examples. Famous for its tradition of Durga Puja celebration, the Sovabazar Rajbari has left an indelible influence on the culture of the city.   

This house built in 1757 by Raja Nabakrishna Deb - an affluent Bengali zamindar and a Persian tutor to the officers of the British East India Company - is known to have hosted Kolkata’s first Durga Puja. After the decisive victory of the British in the Battle of Plassey, it is said that Robert Clive had expressed his wish for a thanksgiving ceremony. Since all the churches in the city had been destroyed in a battle with Siraj-ud-Daula, it is said that Nabakrishna had invited Warren Hastings and Robert Clive to the Durga Puja that was to be celebrated at his Rajbari. 

Similar to the other palatial mansions of the city, the Sovabazar Rajbari has a spacious courtyard or the thakurdalan, where the Durga Puja is held every year. The corridors surrounding the courtyard have ornamental arches and pillars at regular intervals. The double-storeyed building is connected to a naach ghar, where lavish arrangements were made for Robert Clive and Warren Hastings when they attended the Durga Puja.

The Sovabazar Rajbari is a place that witnessed some of the landmark events that add to Kolkata’s rich history. From having one of the oldest elementary schools for women to having been graced with the presence of personalities like Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda, the Sovabazar Rajbari stands today as one of the oldest and most well-known edifices of Kolkata.

Prinsep Ghat is dedicated to the memory of James Prinsep, the famous European scholar and antiquary who deciphered the edicts of the Indian emperor Ashoka. Located between the Water Gate and the St George's Gate of Fort William, the Ghat was designed by the architect Captain W. Fitzgerald and was built in 1843 with money raised by the people. 

The Prinsep Ghat’s main attraction is a pavilion with steps descending into the water of the River Hooghly. This masonry structure is built in the neo-classical style, embellished with Greek and Gothic inlays. The pavilion has six sets of tall Ionic columns, making this structure the grandest and the most beautiful of the different Ghats of Imperial Calcutta. In its initial years, it served as a point of embarkation or disembarkation for Royal British visitors. 

Over the years, the westward shift of the Hooghly and the construction of the Howrah Station led to the Ghat falling into disuse and decay. However, the restoration work by the Public Works Department (PWD) of the West Bengal Government between 2000 and 2012 has resulted in beautifying the riverfront and the construction of illuminated landscaped gardens, fountains, and pathways. The Ghat also has a railway station named after it. Besides being used for boating, conducting ceremonies, and immersing idols, the Ghat also offers a magnificent view of the Vidyasagar Setu.

The Kalighat Temple is said to have gained popularity only in the eighteenth century but the history of this temple is steeped in legends from the Puranas. It is said that when Daksha, father of Sati (consort of Lord Shiva) conducted a sacred yagna, he invited all the gods, except Lord Shiva. When Sati asked about the reason for his act, Daksha criticised Lord Shiva for his appearance and manners. Sati, who could not bear the humiliation of her husband, Lord Shiva by her father, immolated herself. Then, an angered Lord Shiva lifted the burning body of his wife and performed the Samhaara Tandava - the dance of annihilation. To save the world from destruction, Lord Vishnu flung his Sudarshan Chakra (disc) that cut Sati’s body into fifty-one pieces. The area where the toes of her right foot fell, close to the course of the Bhagirathi River (today known as Hooghly), came to be known as Kalikshetra. Hence, the name ‘Kolkata’ is often believed to be a corrupted version of Kalikshetra. 

The original temple, among the fifty-one sacred Shakti Pithas, is said to have been first established in the Posta Bazaar area in North Kolkata, which later shifted to Bhabanipur in the sixteenth century, and then to where it stands today, in Kalighat. The present structure dates back to 1809, built by Santosh Roy Chowdhari, a descendant of the zamindari family that sold the rights of the three villages - Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur to the British in 1698. 

The temple is built in a typical Bengali architectural style, where an incomplete roof is surmounted by a similar smaller roof, further adorned by a pinnacle. In Kalighat, Kali is worshipped as Dakshinkali - the fierce form, and is believed to be the presiding deity of the city of Kolkata, often known as Kali Kalkattawali. Within the temple complex are temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, making this site sacred for both Shaivites and Vaishnavites

The Park Street Cemetery was a non-church cemetery built in Kolkata in the 18th century. It consisted of the South Park Street and North Park Street cemeteries; the latter levelled off in the 1950s. It was part of a European necropolis that consisted of Tiretta’s Burying Ground, the French cemetery, and the Lower Circular Road cemetery.

Built to relieve the pressure on the burial ground of the St. Johns Church, the Park Street Cemetery today stands in a busy part of Kolkata. In stark contrast, at the time it was built, this area was a marshy and isolated piece of land away from the White Town, especially chosen to avoid contamination of the water sources. It was accessible through a dark and dangerous road called the Burial Ground Road, which was renamed Park Street after the establishment of a private deer park.

The Park Street cemetery contains graves of colonial civil and military officials, merchants, and the common folk, including women and children, who died naturally, or in wars and epidemics. While some of the graves are marked by huge canopies supported by giant pillars, others are simple and consist of obelisks set on square bases. Family burials are covered by marble slabs that have names engraved on them. A large amount of masonry work is seen on graves of those who died of contagious diseases.

Among the notable graves are those of William Jones, the famous Indologist and the founder of the Asiatic Society, the poet and educator Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, an army officer and Indophile Major General Charles Stuart (also known as Hindu Stuart), among others.

After a long gap following the consecration of St. John's Church on 24 June 1787, the British residents of Kolkata felt the need for a new and spacious cathedral.

After the strenuous efforts of Daniel Wilson, the fifth Bishop of Kolkata, a site in the southeast corner of Maidan was allocated by the State for St. Paul's Cathedral, and the foundation stone was laid in October 1839. British Army Engineer, Major William Nairn Forbes, took inspiration from the Norwich Cathedral, England and designed this architectural marvel in an Indo-Gothic style. After eight years of intensive work, St. Paul's Cathedral was consecrated on October 8, 1847. It is the first episcopal Cathedral of the Orient. 

Inside the Church, there are several memorial tablets honouring British soldiers who died in the 1857 uprising. The original plan consisted of a large nave with intrinsically carved wooden pews and chairs, frescos created in the classic Florentine Renaissance style, Gothic-stained glasses, and murals vividly recording the life and work of St. Paul (one of the disciples of Jesus Christ). 

Unfortunately, the Cathedral saw extensive damage during the earthquake of 1897 in which its original tower collapsed. This tower was replaced by an imitation of the Bell Harry Tower at Canterbury Cathedral, England. The site endured another earthquake in 1934 and a cyclone thirty years later. Nevertheless, the ravages of time failed to take over this tranquil space, filled with luscious green trees and making it a pleasant space for religious services and celebrations.

In 1926, Abdul Rahim Osman, the leader of Kolkata's Kutchi Memon Jammat laid the foundation of the Nakhoda Mosque. The Kutchi Memons are an affluent Muslim trading community that migrated from Gujarat to Kolkata during the nineteenth century to expand trade relations. As they became a part of this region's ethos, the Nakhoda Masjid emerged as a significant outcome of this community's philanthropic work. It also became a point of convergence and growth of Kolkata's Muslim culture. 

The Masjid’s name ‘Nakhoda’, meaning the master or commander of a ship in Persian, and its boat-shaped exterior aligns with the community’s mercantile history. Made of red Dholpur sandstone, this Masjid represents an amalgamation of Mughal and contemporary architectural principles. The Masjid’s design is similar to that of Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra and has typical Mughal features such as the elaborate main entrance, that resembles Fatehpur Sikri’s Buland Darwaza. Unlike the Mughal courtyard-style mosques, Nakhoda Masjid can accommodate up to 10,000 devotees in four spacious levels which makes it the largest mosque in eastern India. In contrast to the tranquil interiors, the south-facing loggias with large open windows on each storey also give a view of Zakaria Street’s clutter and chaos.

The St. John's Church complex is strewn with various monuments, memorials, tablets, and plaques. Each constituent narrates the most exciting tale of Kolkata's earliest British structures and alliances. Before the Battle of Plassey (1757), British officials used this land as the Old Powder Magazine Yard, and the adjoining area is believed to be the oldest burial site for British residents. After the battle, the affluent zamindar, Maharaja Nabkrishna Deb Bahadur of Sovabazar, purchased a fragment of this complex, which was later returned for the church's construction. Besides its religious significance, this complex is a treasure trove for historians, artists, and music enthusiasts.

 On 6 April 1784, Warren Hastings, Governor General of Bengal, laid the foundation stone of St. John's Church. The construction took three years to complete, and the Church was consecrated on 24 June 1787 in an elaborate ceremony attended by influential British officials. It served as Kolkata's first British public building. Designed by the British architect James Agg, St. John's Church resembles St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Locally, it is also called the Pathura Girja (Stone Church) as it is made up of local chunar stone and brick. Another interesting account mentions that the building material consists of ruins from Gaur (a medieval city of Bengal).

Various memorial tablets, statues, plaques, and other items associated with several British officials and soldiers can be located in the interiors; they are testimonials of the foreign lives that ended in Kolkata. The chair of Warren Hastings is a preserved artefact and tells us that back in time, one of the Church's chambers served as his office. Another attraction of this Church is "The Last - Supper," a marvellous painting presented as an altarpiece by the celebrated artist John Zoffany in 1787. However, the awe-inspiring list does not end here; the sizeable pipe-organ said to have been installed in the nineteenth century, will also leave you spellbound.

Job Charnock, famously called the founder of Kolkata or the first English settler, died on 10 January 1692. He is said to have adopted the local culture and established interracial relations. In a land unknown, Job Charnock returned to his eternal home by being buried in the St. Johns Churchyard, which served as the oldest burial site for British officials and their family members. A mausoleum was erected in 1697 by his son-in-law-Charles Eyre, who commemorated him as the most worthy agent of the English in Bengal. This mausoleum also commemorates Job Charnock's daughter and the revered British surgeon Hamilton, as evident from the black stone epitaphs inscribed in Latin, English and Arabic. The octagonal structure was built on a low plinth, and its double dome is believed to be one of the oldest pieces of masonry in Kolkata. It consists of arched doorways with entrances from three sides. 

Furthermore, Job Charnock was posthumously honoured by the British geologist Thomas Holland by naming the material used for the tomb as Charnockite rock shipped to Kolkata from St. Thomas Mount, Chennai.

On the night of 20th June 1756, the troops of Siraj-ud-Daulah (the then Nawab of Bengal) imprisoned several Englishmen in a small room at Fort William. Heat and suffocation killed many, and the deceased were unceremoniously buried. The Black Hole incident was used as a moral excuse for India's colonisation. John Holwell - a survivor - established the first commemorative monument at the site of the Black Hole tragedy that does not exist today.
However, in 1902 George Curzon, Viceroy of India,  commissioned the existing marble obelisk to valorise the victims of the Black Hole Tragedy. The design includes an octagonal base with inscribed tablets on six sides and a floral frieze on the other two.  It was initially installed at the corner of Dalhousie Square (now B. B. D. Bagh) and during the 1940s, amidst the national struggle, it was relocated within the Church complex.

Lady Charlotte Canning, the first Vicereine of colonial India, died on the evening of 18 November 1861. Soon after her husband's instructions, the burial took place in her cherished self-designed garden at the governor's retreat, Barrackpore. A temporary brick vault was constructed to mark the grave. Later, a marble tomb was erected with a rustic canopy surrounded by an ornate iron fence that deteriorated owing to extreme weather conditions. 

In 1873, her cadaver remained at Barrackpore. However, her tomb was constructed at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was designed by George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic style, featuring fine jewel-like inlays of marble and detailed decoration. Further, for the third time in 1913, due to inadequate space at St.Paul's Cathedral, Lady Canning's tomb was relocated to its present location, at the St. John's Church complex.

Interestingly, a local confectioner named Bhim Chandra Nag also immortalised Lady Canning in Kolkata through a local sweetmeat. It is a dark-brown spherical fried delicacy made from milk and sugar syrup, locally referred to as ledikeni.

In 1794, the Second Rohilla War was fought between the Rohillas (residents of a region in the north-western Uttar Pradesh)  and the British. The victorious British forces then installed a war memorial in the St. John's Church compound. The memorial is a 15m tall structure covered with a hemispherical roof and consists of twelve doric pillars. A plaque affixed to the surface of the structure commemorates the fallen soldiers. 

The circular temple-like tomb of Begum Frances Johnson (1725–1812) is located at the far end of St. John's Churchyard and next to Job Chranok's tomb. Begum Frances is believed to be the oldest British female resident of Kolkata, who lived up to the ripe age of 89. She was a lady of considerable reputation and authority who spent a luxurious oriental-styled life. Although the burial ground was closed in 1767 due to lack of space, Begum Johnson managed to obtain a plot of land in the St. John's Churchyard from the Marquis of Wellesley, the then Governor General of Bengal. In 1812, her desires were fulfilled, and she received a ceremonial burial by affluent members of the society.

BBD Bagh, the erstwhile Dalhousie Square, is a significant historical and commercial area of Kolkata. It has also served as an administrative centre during British colonial rule.

The Writers' Building, the General Post Office (GPO), Metcalfe Hall, and the Town Hall are prominent structures in this area. BBD Bagh has witnessed many historical events and movements. It was the epicentre (in Calcutta) of India's struggle for independence, with various protests, demonstrations, and political gatherings taking place in the area.

Post-independence, it was renamed after three freedom fighters: Benoy, Badal, and Dinesh. Today, BBD Bagh remains a vibrant commercial district with numerous government offices, banks, and business establishments. It continues to be an essential part of Kolkata's identity and a significant tourist attraction, drawing visitors who wish to explore the city's colonial history and architecture.

In a public meeting held on 21 February 1804, it was decided to construct a Town Hall in Calcutta for social gatherings. Since the British were unwilling to bear the funds for its construction, it was decided to raise the amount for its construction through a public lottery. Colonel John Garstin, the then Chief Engineer of Bengal, was given charge of its construction.

Completed in 1813, the Town Hall is a two-storey structure with massive stairwells leading to a Doric-style entrance. The building was largely renovated in the 1990s. Prior to its renovation, the building also had an entrance at the back for carriage arrivals. The lower floor was paved with marble and was adorned with statues and paintings of famous personalities. The upper storey had a hall divided by a double row of pillars into the centre room and two aisles. The Town Hall was mainly used to host meetings, dinners, concerts, and balls. It also included a music gallery, a card room, and a supper room. The management of the Town Hall passed through various hands till it came under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Currently, it houses a library and a museum named ‘Kolkata Panorama’, which depicts the story of Calcutta.

Metcalfe Hall is a building which was constructed in memory of Lord Metcalfe, the Governor General of India (March 1835 - March 1836). It is located at the junction of Strand Road and Hare Street and stands in the busy central business district of Kolkata. It was constructed between 1840 and 1844 with public funding on a piece of land granted by the Government.

The two-storeyed brick building was designed by architect C. K. Robinson and built by Messrs. Burn and Company. Its design was an inspiration from the Temple of the Winds entrance at Athens. The Metcalfe Hall consists of thirty beautiful neo-classical columns, 36ft in height, that arise from an ornamental basement and run almost around the whole building. The main entrance on the west, or the river-facing front, was accessed through a broad flight of steps. This entrance is now closed, and in its place, the covered colonnade entrance on the east is in use. It leads to a flight of steps that opens into the Central Hall. The two floors, connected by a beautiful flight of steps, have halls that initially housed the Agri-Horticultural Society (ground floor) and the Calcutta Public Library (first floor). Presently, the ground floor houses the Asiatic Society’s rare foreign journals and manuscripts, the oldest journal being the Philosophical Transactions of 1669. The Archaeological Survey of India has offices, exhibition galleries, and a sales counter on the first floor.

The Writers’ Building is situated amidst the bustling office para (the neighbourhood of offices) i.e. BBD Bagh in central Kolkata. This red-coloured building which today houses the Secretariat of the State Government was once the office of the writers or the junior clerks of the British East India Company.        

In 1770, Thomas Lyon constructed this three-storey building, which underwent several transformations over the years. After the uprising of 1857 when the British Crown took over the reins of the Empire, this building was converted into the Secretariat building. In 1880 work began to expand and the earlier simple-looking white building was refashioned into a more elaborate and ornate office of the British Crown. The outer edifice of the building is influenced by the Italian Renaissance architectural style and consists of Greco-Roman statues.
Over the centuries it has largely been a place of administrative work. But, it has also witnessed one of the historic acts of the Indian freedom struggle. In December 1930, three young freedom fighters- Benoy, Badal and Dinesh had entered the quarters of the Writers’ building and shot the Inspector General of Prisons, N.S Simpsons. It is also believed that while escaping after the attack, they shot other European officers on their way. Following Independence, the erstwhile Dalhousie Square was renamed after these freedom fighters.

The General Post Office (GPO) of Kolkata is a magnificent structure designed by a British architect, Walter Granville in 1868. It represents the neo-classical architectural style, and its dome is believed to be a conspicuous landmark of Kolkata. The premises of the GPO are also believed to occupy some part of the site where old Fort William once stood. It was once said to be the capital of communications in this region with up-to-date postal facilities. 
At present, it consists of various counters devoted to the sale of stamps, enquiry and postal services.