Built in 1628 by the Dutch on land given to them by the Nawab of Bengal. By the mid-17th century, Armenian colonies also grew up in Chinsurah. A major tourist attraction is the Octagonal Dutch Church built in 1768. A little to the west of the Church is a Dutch cemetery. The remains of three East India Company barracks can still be seen here.
This was the residence of the great Bengali novelist and poet, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, during his tenure as the District Magistrate of Hooghly. This was where he had composed Bandemataram, the national song of India.
The building is another beautiful example of the advancement in the knowledge of architecture and the aesthetic sense of the people of those earlier days. Its lowest floor is submerged in the river Ganges. The great social reformer Iswar Chandra VidyaSagar and Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore stayed in this house during their visits to chandannagar.
One stormy morning of 1655 a Portuguese ship landed suddenly in the Ghat of Bandel church. It had survived a gail for few days in the Bay of the Bengal. The Captain of the ship prayed to " The Our Lady Of Bandel" and promised to donate his Mast to the first Church he will find in his way. He could see the Church at Bandel and donated one of his Mast to the church. It is still there bearing the testimony.
This clock was purchased from a watch maker of London. It has letters in Arabic instead of Roman and weighs about 3 ton, made of solid brass. It has to be winded once in a week and the key weighs 20KGs!! It is still giving perfect time, we visited the place at 5.09PM and it was showing correct time. The people of Bandel and Hoogly are very fortunate to have this clock for them. It is now more than 100 years old and still perfect. One of the finest examples of British engineering.
Oldest brick structure. Built in 1587 by Bir Hambir is a pyramidal structure in the centre of the town, where the deities from the other temples are brought in a procession on the occasion of the Rasa Festival. There are some cannons of the Malla kings in the area.
Sprawls over 113 acres of land, Sayaji Baug also known as Kamati Baug is a well-known park located on the River Vishwamitri at a distance of 2kms from the city. Built in 1879 by Maharaja Sayajirao III, the garden houses a Zoo, Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, the Museum of Health and Hygiene and the Sardar Patel Planetarium. The major attraction is the floral clock, situated at the center of the garden and is the first of its kind in Gujarat.
Built as the residence of the royal family, the Pratap Vilas Palace spread over an area of 720 acres is an extravagant and flamboyant building in the Indo-Saracenic style. The palace houses a remarkable collection of old armory and sculptures in bronze, marble and terracotta. Designed by Mr. Stevens, the palace is noted for its architectural grandeur, comprising columns and arches, which are a fine blend of South Indian, North Indian and Islamic architecture. The entrance is beautifully adorned with rich carvings and stuffed tigers and within the premises there is a beautiful garden and a golf course. The Darbar hall of the palace has seven domes, 12 chandeliers, intricately sculpted cedar balconies and a silver throne.
Located near Mandvi Clock Tower at a distance of 3 km away from the city center, Nazarbaug Palace is the oldest palace built in old classic style by Malhar Rao Gaekwad in the year 1721 A.D. Earlier, the palace was used by Gaekwad Royal family on their ceremonial occasions. Now it houses the royal family heirlooms and works of old masters such as Raphael, Titian and Murillo. It also has a good collection of Indian paintings, Graeco-Roman, Chinese and Japanese arts. Nazarbaug contains a ‘Sheesh Mahal’, a glass palace that exhibits solid gold and silver guns weighing over 100 kg each.
This royal palace of Gaekwad was built in the year 1870 by Maharaja Khende Rao and was extended and renovated by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Designed in Italian style, the Makarpura palace is now used as a training school by the Indian Air Force. A deer park is located near to the palace and a summerhouse is also there.