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Fort William

Location: Fort William

Time to Visit: During Office hours (10 A.M.-5.30 P.M.)

Preferred timing : 10 A.M. - 12 P.M.

Admission Fee : Nil

How to reach : Fort William being located in the heart of Kolkata, local buses and metered taxis are available from various parts of the city.

Photography / Video charges: Being headquarters of Indian Army's Eastern Command Photography is strictly prohibited.

Nearest Railway Station: Howrah.

Nearest Metro Station: Maidan.

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Maidan.

Nearest International Airport : Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport

Time required for sight seeing : 2 Hours.

Fort William is one of Kolkata's most enduring Raj era edifice. This is a fort of stupendous dimensions and is spread over an area of 532 bighas. It was built by Robert Clive in the year 1781. Fort William has the dubious distinction of being the only fort in the world from where not a single shot was fired.

Today this magnificent fort located in the periphery of the lush green Maidan is the property of Indian Army. The headquarters of Eastern Command is based at Fort William and it has provisions for accommodating 10,000 army personnel. A trip inside this impregnable fort has history written all over. From the time you enter Fort William till the time you are inside, you will be transported to an altogether different era. An era when the British ruled supreme in India. An era when the East India Company was a mega rich corporation with military and trading posts around the globe. Today, a visit to Fort William will enable you to rekindle that unmistakable Raj era charm. A charm which still lingers on in Kolkata even after five decades of independence from colonial rule.

Much of Fort William is unchanged except for the fact that the St.Peter's Church which used to serve as a chaplaincy center for the British citizens of Kolkata no longer exists.

Inside the Fort as you walk through the main boulevard, you will come across disciplined and impeccably dressed Indian Army personnel carrying out their military duties in the true spirit of patriotism. The tall and sturdy jawans manning the fort are always very courteous to visitors and tourists alike.

For the welfare and relaxation of the 10,000 odd military personnel who are residents of Fort William, the army has provided every kind of facilities within the the Fort premises like the emerald blue swimming pool, cinema hall, shopping mall, laundry, outdoor playground, restaurants and even a post office.

If one digs up the history of Fort William, one will be amazed to know that this colossal fort was built out of "fear psychosis" of the British East India Company. The Britishers became vulnerable after their defeat at the hands of Siraj-Ud-Daula in the year 1756 and the British East India Company for the first time in many years were showing signs of wear and tear.

The very thought of loosing Kolkata which had a very high strategic value to the Britishers to the marauding Nawab was something the East India Company could never come to terms with. Thus, they chalked out a grandiose plan and the plan was to build an impregnable fort, octagonal in shape with three sides facing river Ganges. Adequate provisions were made for reservoirs surrounding the fort so that there was no water scarcity. Underground tunnels were constructed linking the reservoirs to river Ganges, which speaks volumes about the architectural brilliance of the farsighted Britishers.

Special Event / Annual Event

Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Maidan, Esplanade, Park Street, Victoria Memorial and Sahid Minar.

Nearby places to eat

The Chowringhee-Park Street Esplanade stretch is by far the most happening place in Kolkata and a wide variety of restaurants are located here where you can truly indulge in mouthwatering Bengali, Mughlai, Chinese, Italian and continental spread. A visit to Tangra which is Kolkata's version of Chinatown is especially recommended which is an exclusive Chinese bastion in Kolkata and lots of authentic Chinese restaurants are available here.The Chineese delicacies available at Tangra is lip smacking good.

As far as traditional Bengali dishes are concerned, Peerless Inn and Oh! Calcutta are great options. Aminia, Rahmania and Shiraz are fabled for their Mughlai spread. Mainland China, Marco Polo, Chung Wah and Golden Dragon offer delicious Chinese cuisine. Drop in at Domino's at Russel Street and Pizza Hut at Camac Street for Italian delicacies. Celebrity restaurants like Indian Cricket icon Saurav Ganguly's signature restaurant Saurav's- The Food Pavilion is a top draw.

Barista, Cafe Coffee Day and Flury's are irresistible as far as beverages are concerned. A visit to Flury's is highly recommended which is one of Kolkata's most enduring Raj era restaurant. The ambience is very British and the service is of a very high standard.

Nearby shopping venues

Kolkata is a shopper's delight. The Park Street Esplanade stretch has all kinds of shops selling everything from Tibetan Thangkas to Ray Ban goggles. The stretch from The Oberoi Grand located in Esplanade to Park Street is one of the most fashionable places to shop. The flea market is especially very popular with tourists. Baluchuri sarees and Vishnupur clay idols vie for attention alongside up market brands like Nike, Adidas, Westside and Pantaloons. For handloom and handicraft items, The Cottage Industries Emporium at Chowringhee is well worth a visit. You could also explore New Market, Vardaan Market at Camac Street, Central Cottage Industries Emporium at 7, J. L. Nehru Road, Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan at 24, Chittaranjan Avenue, Priyadarshini at 14/C, Lindsay Street and Manjusha at 8/2 Jagamohan Mullick Lane, Barabazar. All of them offer a fabulous shopping experience.