CHANDANNAGAR, West Bengal Shramona Poddar Travel Influencer (@mishti.and.meat)
With a French colonial heritage, Chandannagar in West Bengal (about an hour away from Kolkata) seems to be caught in a time-warp. Traditional Bengali life meanders past museums, churches and old homesteads with French names!
Why visit: Relics of the long French occupation stand tall Institut de Chandernagore, also known as Dupleix Palace, which displays cannons used in the Anglo-French wars and antiques, and the French Fort, now a court. The town is also where St. Joseph’s Convent, my alma mater, is. Equally popular is Patal Bari, where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore used to stay. The building's underground floor is submerged in the waters of river Ganges and it is said that it was used to secretly transfer freedom fighters before our Independence. Try ghoti gorom, a popular street food made with heated sev, spices, chopped onions and lemon juice. Do not miss out on the indigenous smoked Bandel cheese!
Photo: Anil Vohra
Must: One of my favourites is the Strand, an ornate riverside promenade, dotted with old French homes and monuments.
Note: Chandannagar is famous for Jagaddhatri (an avatar of Goddess Durga) Puja, held in autumn. During this time, the city decks up with twinkling light décor that is famous all over the state!
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