Chowringhee was just a jungle filled with tigers in the 17th century, beyond which there were swamps and rice fields. It was in 1758, after the Battle of Plassey and the construction of Fort William, that several people living in Kalikata moved to and around the present Maidan area. It was the centre of European Calcutta once with gas lamps and a string of magnificent stores and hotels. Then came the war years when Allied troops marched down its stretch to ward off the Japanese.
In the mid-18th century the English began to build grand structures along the stretch, soon earning Kolkata the title of City of Palaces. By 1857, Chowringhee was lit up with gas lamps stretching from present day AJC Bose Road to Dharmatala. Historically however, Chowringhee is not a ‘road’, but a locality and what we call Chowringhee Road, is actually what was marked as the ‘Road to Chowringhee.’
Check out some lovely old pictures of the road here and here.
