(I am reproducing a dialogue originally posted on William's Facebook page and written in his own voice.)
This post begins a short look at part of my mission to India in 1852. My descendant Jane Carter - daughter of Tommy Lavan and Kathryn Carter - visited Calcutta and graciously provided pictures of the area in your day. I decided maybe you would like to see these sites from my perspective back in the 1850's. There is most more I could write but this will give you a taste for my travels.
The Ochterlony Monument existed in my day and by climbing to the top I could see the whole of Calcutta and regions around.
From Wikipedia:
The Shaheed Minar (Shôhid Minar; English: Martyrs' Monument), formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument, is a monument in Kolkata that was erected in 1828 in memory of Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company, to commemorate both his successful defense of Delhi against the Marathas in 1804 and the victory of the East India Company’s armed forces over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The monument was constructed in his memory. It was designed by J.P. Parker and paid for from public funds.
The Shaheed Minar (Shôhid Minar; English: Martyrs' Monument), formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument, is a monument in Kolkata that was erected in 1828 in memory of Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company, to commemorate both his successful defense of Delhi against the Marathas in 1804 and the victory of the East India Company’s armed forces over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The monument was constructed in his memory. It was designed by J.P. Parker and paid for from public funds.
In August 1969, it was rededicated to the memory of the martyrs of the Indian freedom movement and hence renamed the "Shahid Minar," which means "martyrs monument" in both Bengali and Hindi, by the then United Front Government in memory of the martyrs of the Indian independence movement. The present government has decided to illuminate the tower during evenings and allow visitors to the top. The last persons who went up there were former governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and his family.
From my journal:
Saturday, April 30, 1853: This morning Brother Jones and I were up in the monument, which is 180 feet high. We had a fair view of the city, river and shipping; and the country around as far as our eyes could extend. It is a very large city and looks very well. There are a great many large and beautiful buildings in Calcutta. The Government house is a splendid building.
 |
| Kolkata Monument today |
 |
| Another Contemporary View of Kolkata |
 |
| Shaheed Minar from William's Day |
No comments:
Post a Comment