The Nordic-Ville of Bengal – Serampore of Hooghly
Serampore or erstwhile Fredriksnagore appears to be just like any other Bengal town, but there is another side to the place which is truly unique and this can be found in its history. The colonial history of this place is particularly fascinating though the history of the place pre-dates the arrival of first Europeans in the subcontinent. The quiet little village on the banks of Ganga drew the attention of the Danish East India company in 1755 and it sparked the beginning of an exciting time, filled with richness and grandeur.
History of Serampore
Unlike the British who were busy enjoying a lavish life on the other side of the river, the Danish contributed immensely in improving the lives of Serampore and turned the place into one of the beautiful towns in the world between 1755 -1845.
It is said that 18th century Serampore was a favourable holiday and getaway destination for the Europeans due to its uncanny similarity with towns of Denmark. During the colonial era Serampore grew into prominence as trade and commerce flourished and it became a major centre for cultural renaissance.
The Danish also actively involved the locals in the administration which increased prosperity of the place manifold. The practice was in fact way ahead of its time and this moulded Serampore in a positive way.
Though the place has changed a lot, a glimpse of the past can be seen today. There are major historical landmarks which can take you to the good times, which the place experienced under the Danish rule.
Explore Serampore: Places to visit
Situated just 25Kms from Kolkata, the town is well-connected by road, train and water, but to explore maximum, it is advisable to book a personal car.
Serampore Court
A major landmark of the place is the Serampore court compound. At the first look, it would seem like any other bustling bus terminus of West Bengal, but it is a hidden gem for the travellers who love to explore history from the least expected places.
The locals are quite friendly, so a little inquiry will land you to a semi-ruined arched gate. On entering you will see standing the courthouse or the old court as the locals call it. The building used to be the major seat of Danish power in Bengal and one could easily imagine what it would have looked like during the glorious era of the place.
The building overlooks a big ground which once might have been a garden with pathways and parking spaces for horse carriages of the Danish colonists.
A little walk from there will take you to another major landmark of Serampore, the St. Olav’s Church. Built around 1806, the church has been recently renovated as a part of a joint restoration initiative by the Government of West Bengal and the Government of Denmark.
The project has been awarded with The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction for Cultural Heritage Conservation for 2016.
The church is of major historical significance and is said to be among the oldest Danish heritages of Serampore. If you stand facing the church and look rightward, you will see some small rooms with sheds. These were the original guardroom which is still standing there from the colonial times.
Serampore Rajbari
A similar interesting historical landmark is the Serampore Palace. Popularly known as the Serampore Rajbari, the magnificent structure was built by the Goswamis who used to be the affluent Brahmin Zamindars of erstwhile Serampore.
It is said that when the Danish were planning to sell Serampore to the British in 1845, the Goswamis offered to pay 11,00,000 rupees to buy the entire town. The Danish refused, but later they sold it to the British East India Company for 12,00,000 rupees.
Today only a part of the palace is inhabited by the descendants of the Goswamis. The other portions serve as a school and a space for organizing marriages and other functions. The famous Bengali movie ‘Bhooter Bobishyat ‘ was shot here and the plot itself revolves around the palace.
As a traveller, you will surely be intrigued to take photos of the magnificent building and explore every nook and corner of the palace, especially if you have seen the movie, but be aware of some local people and neighbours who can create a problem. So it is better if you take prior permission from the family after convincing the guard with some friendly chats.
Besides all these, Serampore is practically studded with many other historically interesting places. To cover everything the ideal time to start from Kolkata is 6:00 am and by 3:00 pm you will be done.
Some notable places which you should visit are Henry Martin’s pagoda, Serampore College & William Carey’s cemetery.
Even if you miss to visit the above two, Serampore College is a must-visit for many reasons. The grand gothic structure with wide lanes flanked by greenery and lawns started as a major centre of education for entire India.
As the second oldest college in the country, it is the first institution to offer a degree. It was King Frederick VI of Denmark who originally granted a Royal Charter to give the college status of the university to offer a degree. Still today, the College enjoys the privilege of conferring its own degrees in theology under the power vested by the Royal Charter.
For a refreshing one-day tour, Serampore is a great place to explore. The authorities should work harder to make it a popular destination since there is no organized tour available for the place.
The place has a lot of potentials to be developed as an educational tour destination and various govt supported photo walk engagements with media influence can really give a boost to the tourism of Serampore.
Kolkata has been always the center of heritage. Lovely to know about this place.
Looks like an an amazing place to chill out with friends and family, would definitely plan to give a visit here
I have been to kolkata when I was a kid. I would love to visit sometime to see the places.
Our country has such nice heritage, from self and also from the invaders. These historic places are so gallant and huge. Definitely once in a lifetime visit.
Oh my. I never knew Bhooter Bhobishyat was shot here! But your pictures remind me quite a lot of the similarity. I’ve heard so much about Serampore, and now I must make it a point to boost it at least once!
We were quite intrigued by the movie so we started looking for the shoot location. Later we found that the Darpo Narayan Choudhury house is the Serampore Rajbari. Since we are like the biggest fans of the movie, we had to go there and check it out ourselves. Check it out whenevr you are in Kolkata next, you wont be disappointed!
Wow. Such a rich history this place has. I had no idea. I have been to Kolkata quite a few and would definitely visit it during my next visit.
You won’t regret it! These places in and around Kolkata has a lot to offer!
The place is looking so calm and peaceful. Beautiful place to visit.
I’ve been meaning to making a visit to Kolkata for the immense history it has to offer. Putting this on my bucket list too!
Winters would be the best time to visit Kolkata. I hope you visit soon….
So deep history if the place where I haven’t gone till date. The place is so calm, peaceful and no fanciness but beauty of its place is natural
Exactly. Places like Serampore has such rich colonial history, yet quite unknown to a large number of tourists.
Wow, Such fascinating history! These are the kind of places I love spending time in. They have so much history….And so many stories!
We also love exploring such hidden gems of the cities.
Kolkata is full of architecture structures, recently i have been to Kolkata and saw the amazing old structures i loved the photos of bhootar
I am glad you liked Kolkata.
The place is just so beautiful. And the old church is the attraction
I love to explore places… it was such a pleasant virtual tour. Thank you very much
Serampore looks like great place for a weekend visit .The Rabari looks stunning.
Wow, thanks for sharing such great information about the place. Will surely visit 👍
Wow so beautiful place. I went there a long ago. Feel nostalgic.
I live in howrah and I didn’t know about it.. i will surely visit this soon!
That’s very classic place to visit indeed India place full of gems
The place is really beautiful… Will plan a trip someday… I like the church..
Very Beautiful review.. I will surely visit there sometime
I wasnt aware about any place like this before . Seems amazing and wonderful place in pictures that you clicked. Really want to visit this place now. Thanks for sharing information about it. I like to explore new places.
Serampore, looks like a vintage place. There is so much hidden and yet to be explored. Loved it
This Is Looking So Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this with us..
This place looks so different and beautiful… was absolutely not aware of it… thanks for sharing
Such a beautiful place. So glad you wrote about it as many including me hardly knows about an existence of such a place. Hope this reaches everybody and tuts out to gain some eyes
There are so many beautiful and historically important places in our country that we never even hear of. Thanks for sharing Serampore in such detail. I would love to visit it someday.
This place is beautiful and looks peaceful! Loved your photos! 😍
Thanks for making me feel that I am travelling with you
I was literally transported there reading this writeup… Awesome
Serampore college looks such a royal one, would love to have studied here 🙂
I hope it gets more publicity because sadly I didn’t even know about it 🙁
Hey, thanks for letting us all know about this beautiful vintage place! Will surely take a visit someday!