Bow Barracks: A Guide To The Red-Brick Heart of Christmas

Here, Christmas is felt differently. It's a vibe, a slow-burning light, not simply a season. The aroma of soft sugar, warm baked goods, and a family recipe boiling in a corner kitchen permeates the air. Tin stars gleam as if they've been waiting all year to shine, fairy lights drip from balconies, and tinsel catches the breeze like glitter in motion. At Bow Barracks and its apartments, Chinese lanterns illuminate the tinsel Christmas stars while streamers, balloons, silver bells, and paper snowflakes delicately float in the winter air. Bow Barracks smells of delicious cinnamon sweets and strong homemade wines as Anglo-Indian and Christian families return home for Christmas, and the city hums with joy. During this time, the heritage complex of red brick buildings burst with activity from every small flat, serving out roasted goose or turkey, plum pudding, Yuletide logs and spicy mulled wine.

Just to enjoy the contagious joy of life and aromas of baking that would emanate from almost every window, take a stroll around this area a week or two prior to Christmas. For over fifty years, the lanes and quarters of this Anglo-Indian and Christian community have celebrated the birth of baby Jesus annually with food and entertainment for the neighbourhood's less fortunate kids. Every single person of Bow Barracks contributes to organising raffle tickets, street celebrations, goody baskets, and Christmas feasts. Believe it or not, a red-robed Santa arrives on a hand-pulled rickshaw! Enjoy the Yuletide charm of this city, where you celebrate with love, kindness, and festivity, whether you're a first-time visitor or have been coming for a traditional "Calcutta Christmas".

The Christmas celebration at Bow Barracks is the hub of Calcutta's Anglo-Indian population, and if you don't have any plans for Christmas, this is one to put on your bucket list! Originally built during World War I as a complex of barracks or apartments for British soldiers, these seven blocks feature apartments with one, two, and three bedrooms. The British troops were initially allotted these apartments according to their ranks. However, they decided to remain at Fort William, and then the Anglo-Indian population, which had grown to represent a major component of the British labour force in India, was offered these quarters. 

Bow Barracks also houses families of Chinese, Bengali, and Gujarati descent. It is a cosmopolitan area with a diverse mix of cultures. Melodies from Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Elvis Presley reverberate throughout during Christmas celebrations. Halsey Ricardo, who also designed Kolkata's Howrah Bridge, created the designs for the red-brick structures. Two-story homes with green windows and square balconies that evoke memories of bygone times. The style is similar to old Spanish colonial town plans that use a city grid pattern.

The Bow Fest, also known as the Bow Barracks Christmas celebrations, begins prior to Christmas and lasts until the new year. The week-long events take place between the rows of buildings. The fest's schedule is displayed on the walls that surround Bow Barracks. The dates for the events annually are December 23 to December 31. The programme includes a Christmas Ball, Senior Citizen's Day, a two-day floodlight soccer tournament, and a year-end dance held at the SFX church hall. Children between the ages of two and twelve and over 500 local children who happen to be the hopeful changemakers navigating challenging paths are the focal point of the decorated Christmas tree celebration at the grotto. Multiple fun games and pony rides are organised with food packages and gifts given to the underprivileged.

Do you know what the best activity is among the games, musical chairs and senior citizen activities? At 9:30 PM, the year-end dance starts, and it lasts until 6 AM the next day. This time of year, Bow Barracks’ residents who are out of the city return to take part in the annual celebrations, which intensify the friendship as the young and the old dance all night long. The joy of giving, the love, the warmth that permeates the celebration, and the art of kindness are all like a treasure trove of memories you will want to cherish forever.

During Christmas, the place is massively crowded. Your best option is to take a metro train to Chandni Chowk metro station and then walk for 5 mins. If you’re driving your own car, you’ll either need to park your car near the Bow Bazaar police station or some lane at C R Avenue (Chittaranjan Avenue) and walk down. Get down at C R Avenue and walk for 5 mins if you're taking the bus.