The Sprawling Metro of East India
From West to East, from Bombay to Calcutta, Deen Dayal traversed India. In his time Calcutta was the capital of British India, a vibrant metropolis which even today is the most densely populated city in India.
Victorian in its appearance with stately buildings like the Victoria Memorial, the Writers Building, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Museum etc. Calcutta was the hub of British government, trade, theatre and literature. It stands on the river Hooghly with the Howrah bridge, a picturesque landmark with its multifarious vehicular traffic.
Calcutta was built around Fort William which provided the Maidan a large open space used as free field of firing for guns from the Fort. At one end of the Maidan is the 48 metres high Ochterlony Monument now renamed Shaheed Minar. The Maidan is still the focus of all important events in Calcutta. Another monument commemorates the tragedy of 113 people who died of suffocation after being cramped in a single room by Siraj-ud-dowlah the Nawab of Bengal. This was the Black Hole of Calcutta
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