Prinsep Ghat (An Renowned Orientalist’s Memorial becomes Oldest Lover’s Point)
On the banks of the river, Hooghly lies Kolkata(City Of Joy)’s one of the oldest recreational spots in the city originally the ghat was built by the British in the year 1841 and the Prinsep Memorial was commemorated in 1843 after the death of James Prinsep, who also was a fellow of Royal Society & his collection of all the ancient coins still lays in the British Museum in London even today. He was what we call a Numismatist meaning a person who studies forms & types of money mainly coins & during that era to decipher & recognize past kingdoms wealth pertaining to their ways of trade & relations with other kingdoms during their reign. The Ghat was used by Britishers for embarking & disembarking on ships for their journey and hence the ghat transformed into a popular spot, shops came up the vendors started selling Ice Creams, there were boats where people could come and enjoy rides on the Hooghly overlooking the Famous Howrah Bridge. The Prinsep Memorial was refurbished in Nov 2001 and now since 24th May 2012, a 2km long riverfront with Illuminations, Parks, landscaped Gardens, and fountains along with an array of shops serving a variety of comfort foods has been developed. Nowadays you can even hire a boat for not more than 400 INR for 30 mins and enjoy the sunset overlooking the new Vidyasagar Setu Bridge adjacent to the old Howrah Bridge. So next time engage in this old tradition of chilling in the banks of Hooghly with your friends & loved ones in this the amazing city of Joy.
Categories: Tourism India