City of Palaces-Part I

Much before Calcutta was given the somewhat-mocking sobriquet of the “City of Joy”, There was a time when it was known as the “City of Palaces”, because of the sprawling mansions built by the British as well as wealthy Indian landlords. The latter preferred to combine native architectural traditions with European neo-classical styles. Marble sculptures were used often as decorative pieces while Corinthian columns were popular. A walk in Pathuriaghata area during the Puja holidays offered me an opportunity to click the pictures of a few remnants of a bygone era. The photo of the temple is from Baghbazar in north Calcutta.