Esplanade, Calcutta
| Esplanade | |
|---|---|
| Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta) | |
Esplanade Row (East) (now Sidhu Kanu Dahar) in 2007
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| Coordinates: 23°48′N 88°15′E / 23.8°N 88.25°ECoordinates: 23°48′N 88°15′E / 23.8°N 88.25°E | |
| Country |
 India
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| State | West Bengal |
| City | Kolkata |
| Ward |
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| Metro Station | Esplanade |
| Elevation | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 700069 |
| Area code(s) | +91 33 |
Esplanade is an area in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. This is not a conventional esplanade in the sense that the place is not exactly situated alongside a waterbody. However, the river Ganga, also known as the Ganges or the Hooghly, flows nearby.
The Esplanade was the name given to the northern portion of jungle, which later formed the Maidan. In olden days, it stretched from Dhurmotollah (now Lenin Sarani) to Chandpal Ghat on the Hooghly River. In the days of Warren Hastings, it formed a favourite promenade for 'elegant walking parties'.
The first pictures of the area is at the end of eighteenth century by Daniell and William Baillie. The old Government House and the Council House were conspicuous objects in each drawing. He slso presented an addition view in the shape of two elephants with a crowd of attendants.
Bourne & Shepherd, photographic studio was established here in 1867 by British photographers, Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd, and still exist here.
The strengthening of British power, subsequent to their victory in the Battle of Plassey was followed by the construction of the new Fort William, in 1758. The European inhabitants of Kalikata gradually forsook the narrow limits of the old palisades and moved to around the Maidan .
The first recorded soccer match in Kolkata was played on the Esplanade in the second week of April 1858 between the Calcutta Club of Civilians and the 'Gentlemen of Barrakpur'. There had been matches earlier but those were not documented.
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Wikipedia