Calcutta Town Hall - Kolkata

built in 1813 by the architect and engineer Maj.-Gen. John Garstin (1756–1820) with a fund of 700,000 Rupees raised from a lottery to provide the Europeans with a place for social gatherings. It was considered an elite place for public gatherings by the Europeans. Nowadays, many functions of the Government of West Bengal are held here.

Beautiful palace made by British...Kolkata Town Hall in Roman Doric style, was built in 1813 by the architect and engineer Maj.-Gen. John Garstin with a fund of 700,000 Rupees raised from a lottery to provide the Europeans with a place for social gatherings.

Newly renovated place for Hangouts and check out the old cinema posters and emotions of kolkata.

Kolkata Town Hall in Roman Doric style, was built in 1813 by the architect and engineer Major General John Garstin (1756-1820) with a fund of 700,000 Rupees raised from a lottery to provide the Europeans with a place for social gatherings. At first, the hall was placed under a committee, which allowed the public to use the hall under such terms and conditions as were fixed by the Government. The public could visit the ground floor hall to see statues and large size portrait paintings but they were not allowed indiscriminate access to the upper storey. Applications for the use of the upper storey were to be made to the committee. In 1867, Town Hall came under the custody of the Calcutta Municipality (later the Kolkata Municipal Corporation). In 1897 the Town Hall was partly renovated. After independence in 1947, indiscriminate interference with the structure inevitably took its toll, but was stopped in 1998 by timely intervention. The town hall was featured on the 6th leg of The Amazing Race 18, when the teams had to compete in a tea-drinking roadblock.

The imposing colonnaded cube of the former Town Hall Building dates from 1814...the funds for constructing this building was raised from a lottery to provide the Europeans with a place for social gatherings... It now hosts Kolkata Panorama, an introduction to the city’s heritage through a lively collection of working models, videos and interactive exhibits. It’s interesting if you have an hour to spare, but as you must be accompanied by a guide it can be hard to ‘escape’ quickly...this is also a touristy spot of Kolkata... There is a huge library and a musuem inside the hall... Ticket price: ₹10 on weekdays... ₹15 on weekends...

Calcutta Town Hall in Roman Doric style, was built in 1813 by the architect and engineer Maj.-Gen. John Garstin with a fund of 700,000 Rupees raised from a lottery to provide the Europeans with a place for social gatherings. Entry Fee for Tuesday to Friday is Rs. 10 per person which goes up to Rs. 15 per person for Saturday, Sunday and other holidays. However for school children it is Rs. 5 per person.

One of the oldest, finest and historical place in Kolkata. Must visit. Well maintained. There is a museum also. It's amazing.

Built in Roman Doric style, Kolkata Town Hall was built in 1813. Major General John Garstin was its architect and engineer. A sum of Rupees Seven Lacs was raised by a lottery to provide Europeans a place for social gatherings. Access to the upper storey was restricted and was subject to the approval of a committee set up for the purpose. In 1867 Town Hall came under the management of the municipal authority, the Justices of Peace for the improvement of the town of Kolkata (later on the Calcutta Corporation). In the 1870s, at the time of the Chief Justice Richard Couch, when the present building of the High Court was being built, the Town Hall was temporarily used for judicial purposes. In 1871, one of the Puisne Judges, John Paxton Norman was assassinated by a fanatic Muslim of the Wahabi sect, while coming down the steps of the Town Hall. This was a setback and a decision was made to renovate in 1897. In 1914 most of the statues were shifted to the newly built Victoria Memorial. By 1919 the interior of the Hall was remodelled to suit the needs of the Bengal Legislative Council. The President of the Council had his chamber in the Town Hall. Subsequently, the Legislative Council moved to its new building in 1931 and during World War II, the government temporarily opened a Rationing Office in the Hall. Post Independence, the Town Hall Building was largely neglected. Many offices found temporary accommodation in various parts of the Hall. Paintings and left over statues were shifted to Victoria memorial. Gradually this magnificent building with rich heritage was sunk into oblivion. In 1998 by timely intervention of the ASI and the Calcutta High Court this heritage building was saved from further damage and destruction. And was later renovated to its former glory, and is now used for public gatherings and functions. The Kolkata Museum : This was set up in the Town Hall in 1995 by a joint initiative of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and West Bengal Government. It depicts the History of the City of Kolkata, and the adjoining metropolis. It was made by the Kolkata Museum society, members of which included renowned historians, musicologists and administrators of this metropolis. Kolkata Museum is a story-telling media exhibit on the history of Kolkata.