Standard Life Assurance Building being illuminated by the Kolkata Restorers.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
These days, when darkness descends on the City of Joy, a part of its history gets lit up, and of late, on certain nights, heritage enthusiasts even get to walk back in time as they gaze at illuminated old buildings. They must have driven or walked past the same structures in broad daylight countless times, but at night those buildings and their stories come alive.
The illumination is a project being driven by entrepreneur-activist Mudar Patherya, well known in Kolkata for livening up several public spaces, whose target is to light up as many as 500 heritage structures by 2030. The drive, entirely crowdfunded, began in November 2023 and he has illuminated 35 buildings so far, the most recent being St. Paul’s Cathedral and the next in line being Chowringhee Mansions.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
According to Mr. Patherya, the singular objective of this programme, called The Kolkata Restorers, is to make Kolkata “one of the most wondrous cities” in the world. This is what he has in mind: “One, illuminate Calcutta. Two, mobilise donations from private citizens; at no cost to property owners. Three, keep all private donations anonymous. Four, negotiate aggressively with lighting vendors. Five, account and report transparently. Six, enhance Calcutta’s pride. Seven, turn projects around with speed. Eight, embroider [city] with lights. Nine, aim big. 500 illuminated facades by 2030. Ten, adopt clocks, gongs and domes. Eleven, extend this model to other cities of India.”
According to him, the idea could become the seed of urban regeneration and enhance livelihoods. The idea has already inspired two men to start heritage walks under the banner Calcutta by Night.
Calcutta by Night
“Mr. Patherya’s initiative ignited a thought in us: why not showcase these illuminated versions to the people of Kolkata and also to visitors? Cultural heritage of a city when presented properly not only educates tourists but also the local community and helps in conserving it for future generations. It is important for socio-economic reasons too,” said Sudipto Lahiry, who, along with Kunal Guha, started Calcutta by Night recently.
They led their first walk on June 8 and a second one on June 29, and the places they covered included St. Paul’s Cathedral, New Market, St. Thomas Church, Free School Street, St. John’s Church, GPO, Royal Insurance Building, Jewish Synagogue, and Burhani Masjid.
“The night has a different energy, a different composure. The absence of crowds and hawkers gives us an opportunity to enjoy historic buildings in a better way. The walks also dispel the notion that nights are dominated by vampires and thieves and rabid dogs. Thanks to the illumination, Kolkata begins to sparkle as the sun goes down,” Mr. Lahiry said.
The next walk will be held on the night of August 14 when, in 1947, India became free from British rule. “We aim to bring alive faded memories so that they serve as inspiration for the younger generations. We will have guided walks to places, buildings, and streets used by revolutionaries and intellectuals during the freedom struggle,” he said.
Calcutta by Night also plans a walk around white heritage buildings on a moonlit night, possibly in November, and subsequently another event related to the city’s connection with Bangladesh’s war of liberation.
“Stories somehow become more powerful at nights. For example, the story of Maharaja Nandakumar, who was hanged at Kidderpore and the verdict was given in the Old court. The court building was demolished and today the Scottish Church stands there,” Mr. Lahiry said.