TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, ARCHITECTURE
Prinsep Memorial — The White Wonder
A Tale of Indian Historical Heritage
On the eastern bank of River Hooghly lies a gigantic white structure standing with elan. It is Prinsep Memorial, one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
I look at the river passing by and then I look at the spectacular monument all in white. The sun seems to be in its brightest best.
The Second Hooghly Bridge or Vidyasagar Setu adds to its charm all the more.
The historic heritage monument was established in 1843 in memory of the versatile genius — an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary, the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal — James Prinsep.
James Prinsep was an officer in the mint of the East India Company. He joined as an Assay-Master of the Calcutta Mint in 1829 and simultaneously took charge of Asiatic Society of Bengal as Secretary.
James Prinsep is best known for
#deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India;
#reforming weights and measures;
#introducing uniform coinage of East India Company’s rupees; and
#constructing circular canal connecting Hooghly river with the Sunderbans delta.
The citizens of Kolkata (the then Calcutta) are believed to have raised fund totalling to around INR 12,000, and the monument came up in 1843 after James’ death in 1840. It was designed by W. Fitzgerald.
Rich in Greek and Gothic inlays, the white monument was built on 6 sets of Ionian columns which held a 40-feet roof.
As a part of the government’s beautification project, the monument was restored by the city’s Public Works department in 2001. Since then, the spot has been maintained.
The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built- Frank Lloyd Wright
Here is a bunch of amazing photo storytellers:
David Acaster| Osan Fernando| Kaori Mitsui| Katie Michaelson| Dunelair| pockett dessert| Christine Graves| James Krallen| The Sturg| Jason Edmunds| Sandi Parsons| Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages| Anne Bonfert| Adrienne Beaumont| Dennett| Ellie Jacobson| Mukundarajan V N| Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles| Penny Grubb| Jan Sebastian| Rhonda Carrier| Allan Rae (alto)| Sherry Kappel| David Montgomery| Indra Raj Pathak| Nancy Blackman
May your capturing the moments and making memories continue!
Love and warmth
