Fort William - It Is Now Owned By Indian Army With Ten Thousand Army Personnel Accommodation

FORT WILLIAM

AT

KOLKATTA

Fort William is a must visit tourist attraction place of Calcutta. Situated at the banks of river Hooghly, it was named after King William III of England. Fort William of Kolkata, India, was established during the tenure of British Raj in 1696. 

It was the guardroom of this two-storied building, where the black hole tragedy took place. During the Plassey war in 1757, Siraj Ud Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal attacked on the fort and defeated the Britishers. This paved way for the construction of a new fort by British. 

The new fort was initiated by Robert Clive, which got completed by 1780. The basic purpose of setting up Calcutta Fort William was to prevent attacks from Muslim invaders. The area that was cleared around the fort became maidan, where several exhibitions and fairs take place. The foundation of the old fort is still intact. Till date, it is a military area and the Arsenal inside it is worth watching, but for that prior permission of the commanding officer is required.

In 1928, St. Peter Church was constructed inside the fort. Today fort, which has been taken over by the Indian Army is well equipped with swimming pool, boxing stadium, firing range and other necessities. 

The Fort also has a provision to accommodate ten thousand interns and has a huge archway, popularly known as “Plassey Gate”. There are six gates which are entry points inside the fort namely Chowringhee, Plassey Calcutta, Water Gate St Georges and the Treasury Gate.Visit Fort William and take a peak into the history of India when it was ruled by the British Empire.

At present, this fort is owned by the Indian Army and has a capacity of accommodating up to 10,000 army personnel. It also serves as the headquarters of the Eastern Command. For the convenience of military personnel who reside at Fort William, many facilities have been provided. These include a swimming pool, shopping mall, cinema hall, laundry, restaurants, outdoor playground and a post office. There is also a 9-hole golf course within the complex.

Today the fort is the property of Indian Army and headquarters of eastern command is based inside the Fort St. William and has a formidable Arsenal inside. Of course to visit the Arsenal, prior permission of the Commanding Officer is required.

Address : Khidirpur Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700021, India 

Mandala Pooja - Sabarimala Temple Opens For 42 Days In This Season

Mandala Pooja at Sabarimala

Start date: 16-11-2016
End date: 26-12-2016

Venue: Lord Ayyappa Temple

District: Pathanamthitta

Located in the dense, pristine forests of the Western Ghats, the Sabarimala Temple is one of the most famous pilgrim centres in India. The temple in the Sabari Hills, towards the east of Pathanamthitta district is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.

The Mandalakala season, the annual pilgrim season to Sabarimala, commences usually in the months of November-December. This is followed by the Makaravilakku season during December-January. During the Mandala Pooja period the Sabarimala Temple will remain open for 42 days continuously.

There are several routes via which the temple can be accessed with Pamba serving as the main halting point. From Pamba the devotees have a 5km trek through the forests to reach the temple. A dip in the sacred river Pamba is believed to cleanse the pilgrims off their sins. After the holy dip, they proceed to the sannidhanam (sanctum sanctorum) of Lord Ayyappa.

Situated amid verdant forests and grasslands, the Sabarimala Temple is visited by thousands of devotees each year irrespective of caste or creed.

Nearest railway station: Chengannur, about 53 km

Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport, about 180 km