They came as rival traders but stayed on to rule India for almost 200 years. Just a handful of Englishmen wrested the power of the Indian masses to control their fortunes. Step by step, phase by phase they seared the country with their power play of ‘Divide and Rule’—yet here India stands, an independent nation, bristling with purpose, persuasion and potential superpower to dominate the world stage.

Kolkata is where the English made their grand stand as an imperialist rival to the petty squabbles of the maharajahs, the nawabs and other regional rulers. The British formally kicked off their rule in India in 1757, after having defeated Siraj-ud-Doula, the Nawab of Bengal, at the Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757; it rendered the Nawab of Bengal a helpless player in the game as he had to cede all his dominions to the British East India Company. Plassey, if you recall, stood between the British bastion of Calcutta and Murshidabad, the capital of the kingdom of Bengal.

The Battle of Plassey was a major watershed in the history of the East India Company as it quickly changed its stance as a commercial trading venture to a political entity, steadily gobbling up vast tracts of the country and eventually going on to ruling all of India. The system of governance was instituted in 1858 when the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the Crown in the person of Queen Victoria.

Calcutta, or Kalikata was just a small fishing village in West Bengal, which was developed into a trading post in 1690 by Job Charnock, an agent of the English East India Company.

In fact, the three villages of Sutanati, Kalikata, and Gobindapore (later merged together as the city of Calcutta) were chosen by the Indian merchants as a base for their maritime activities, as the port of Satgaon, further upstream, had gotten silted up.

Being protected by the Hugli River, the lifeline of the city today, this site was an ideal spot for the British to carry on their maritime business as the access to the sea faced no threat. The settlements of their trading rivals, the Dutch, the French and other Europeans were located higher up on the west bank of the river.

Propelled by the attraction of the growing business the English went on to develop this trading outpost into a full-fledged port city. With the English in the hot seat now this bustling city transformed into one of the most important power centres of colonial rule.

Scattered across the city is a veritable treasure trove of monuments that document Kolkata’s vibrant past in the divisive ‘White Town’ (originally the village of Kalikata) and ‘Black Town’ (the site of the old village of Sutanuti.

An unmissable point of reference of the city’s colonial days is the new Fort William (sited at Govindapur) overlooking the Hugli, and now the military headquarters of Eastern Command. Its foundation stone was laid by Robert Clive in 1757. The original fort was founded by the East India Company in 1696 and has gone down in world history as the notorious ‘Black Hole of Calcutta'. It was later repaired and reopened in 1766 as a customs house.

A guided heritage tour covers the key points including the Dalhousie Barracks; Command Museum; St Peter’s Church, a replica of the Chapel of the Trinity Hall of Cambridge University; the Gothic-style Kitchner’s House, now the officer’s mess.

Star attractions also intrinsic to the city’s architectural character are Victoria Memorial, Writers’ Building, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta High Court, Belvedere House, Calcutta Town Hall, Telegraph Office, Raj Bhavan / The Governor’s House, and St. Andrew’s Kirk, Calcutta’s first Scottish Church. and the Howrah Bridge.

A tour of the Raj-era ‘Black Town’, which served as home to the landed aristocracy, the wealthy ‘natives’ will bring back memories of the halcyon days of the Bengali Renaissance. Top attractions here are Jorasanko, the childhood home of Poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, as well as Shobhabazar Rajbari the bustling hub of Bengali culture and traditions which attracted guests like Lord Clive, Warren Hastings and Rabindranath Tagore. Marble Palace was built in 1835 by Bengali merchant Raja Rajendra Mullick. Burra Bazar was the bustling hub of Black Town.

Board a local boat at Prinsep Ghat at the Hugli, once only set aside exclusively for the use of the British to explore this picturesque riverside setting. Pop into the Indian Museum to explore its maritime history in the beautiful city.

Sign up for a cycling tour the riverside culture at Babu Ghat, Armenian Ghat, the Flower Market and lots more. A sacred tributary of the holy Ganga the Hugli River is one of Kolkata’s most important cultural lifelines. Fifty-four ghats line the river, steeped in the city’s astonishing history and heritage. During the annual Durga Pujo celebrations, Kumartoli, the flourishing nucleus of the clay idol makers, offers fabulous photo ops.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja finds some of its finest celebration at Kalighat, home to the 19th century Kali temple—which inspired Bengal’s Kalighat style paintings. The Dakshineswar Kali Temple or Dakshineswar Kali Bari, located on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River is home to Bhavatarani, the reincarnation of Goddess Kali. A prominent Bengali reformer and freedom fighter, wealthy widow Rani Rashmoni, who was a deep devotee of the goddess, founded it in 1847. The celebrations offer an ideal opportunity to mingle with the flower sellers and clay image makers of Kumartoli, two important riverside communities, who are deeply involved in the spiritual activities of the streams of devotees arriving at the shrine.

Calcutta, or the Kolkata of today, is the sum total of its multi-layered ethnic heritage. As a vibrant port city, it has ancient linkages with China, Southeast Asia, Ceylon, western India, and the Near East, even Alexandria. With the arrival of the Portuguese, Danes, Dutch, French, and British the city offered an unparalleled landscape of cultural splendour.

Calcutta’s vibrancy as cauldron of cross-cultural delights is beautifully illustrated by the many communities, Armenian, Jewish, Chinese, Parsee, Islamic, Jain, Buddhist, Portuguese, the Scottish, the Greek et al, who have made it their home over the centuries. Reflections of this rich heritage have been pivotal to shaping the city’s cultural, political, artistic and literary persuasions.

The city’s Anglo-Indian community holds fast to its spiritual roots. Be here around Christmas to lose yourself in the merriment of the festivities. A big allurement is the brightly lit Park Street and the colourful Christmas parade. Join the crowds for Midnight Mass at the beautifully lighted up Saint Paul's Cathedral, an architectural marvel. Bow Barracks, a thriving hub for the Anglo-Indian citizenry, draws you in with its fairy lights, live bands and choirs and dancing.

Every Bengali worth his/her salt will whisk you away into the fantastic whirl of the annual Durga Pujo. From fasting to feasting, from gifting to shopping and pandal-hopping you’ll get the most immersive exposure to the city’s cultural roots.

The Marwaris who settled in Calcutta, leaving behind their homes in Rajasthan to pursue their interests as merchant princes in this port city have transported their culture across many avenues.

Calcutta is home to two Chinatowns. It has the largest Chinese community in India, with over 2000 families still living in the city. You will love the jollity and joys of Chinese New Year celebrated each year with great verve by all, not just the Chinese alone.

Bengalis love their food and treasure every opportunity to indulge their culinary fantasies. While the festivals are held dear for exploring the vast landscape of Calcutta’s fantastic culinary diversity, even everyday meals are created with care and cunning even with the minimal ingredients for the cooking pot. From the premium hilsa which costs a bomb to the inexpensive, but madly delicious offerings of the eat streets such as jalebis, soota kebabs, dahi papdi chaat, gaathia, dalpuri, chai, chilla, chowmein, bhel puri, jhaal muri, puchkas, pao bhaji, shinghara, aloo puri, fish fry, be prepared to enjoy an amazing gourmet journey in Calcutta’s sumptuous culinary pursuits.

Kolkata’s fantastic heritage, shaped by its vibrant history and culture, demands many trips of immersive exploration by the visitor. Discover, layer by layer, a multitude of richly rewarding experiences to enjoy and share for years to come.