Fort William Kolkata
History and About the Fort
The Fort William Kolkata constructed in 1696 is now an army head quarter that was built by the British Personnel Robert Clive. It stands upon the banks of eastern India, river Hugli. The place was in Power of the British rule till 1911. According to history there was an old fort that comprises of two storied building and a guard room. This Old Fort William was attacked by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah during the battle of Plassey and destroyed it. It is this place where the black hole theory was applied to kill the prisoners. Then when Robert Clive came to power he rebuilt the new Fort William in the year 1758 which took 23 years to complete. The fort is well defended and never got besieged till then. The fort William Kolkata has six gates, the names of which are water gate, St. Georges, Treasury gate, Plassey, Calcutta and Chowringhee.
It is to say that tourists are not allowed inside but you view it from outside, see the perimeter wall and the gate. Inside the premise it is like a small city that houses everything required to live. The fort is an area of the soldiers, and they live there with their officers and their families. Shopping centres, club, cinema hall, officers’ mess, guest houses for the invited army officials or guests are there. The palace also includes swimming pool, canteen, badminton courts and bars. Entry of foreigners and civilians are strictly prohibited. It also has got a temple, a church and a Gurdwara for the army to practice religion belonging to different castes. The fort is large enough to hold 10 thousand interns and serves as a source of Indian Armed Forces. Named after King William III the fort was mainly built to defend against the cannon fire.
Location and timing
It is situated on Khidirpore road and the opening time is 10:30 am and the closing time is 5:30 in the evening. Buses are there numbered C-7 and S-3A & B and the name of the stoppage is Princep Ghat. KFC, Fire and Ice, and Teej are the nearby restaurants where you can have your meal. Photography is not allowed.
Overview Fort William Kolkata
It is one of the best attractions in the city of Kolkata. The place is well connected with all major cities and can be easily reached. It is located along the banks of the river Hugli. The fort has an octagonal shape, three gates of which face the river and the other five faces the beautiful maidan, a garden of lush greeneries. A moat encloses the fort that can be systematically filled with water if required. Presently there is an arsenal inside the fort and reaching the place requires permission from the commanding officer. The place is not open for everyone but you can visit the area around to gain knowledge of the past British Empire. Fort William Kolkata is a wonderful example of the British army acumen that has become an Indian source of the military base. It is out of the visitors’ bound. You may gaze at this creation with a brilliant architectural pieces from the nearby maidan. You can manage to get inside the palace if you know anybody of the navy or army residing there. Entering it is absolutely free.
Accommodation facilities of Fort William Kolkata
There are many luxurious hotels nearby where you can experience a wonderful homestay. Some of the hotels are hotel Aauris with a rent of 4000 per night, sunflower guest house at rupees 1600 per night, housesz43 at rupees 3700 per night and hot43 at rupees 3700 per night, and hotel Gulshan International with a rent of rupees 3000 per night.
Nearby places of attraction
Kolkata is a historical place and apart from Fort William Kolkata, there are other places of interest that attract tourists from far and wide. If you are planning to visit the fort then you may complete the other attractions in the vicinity. Vitoria Memorial– a palace of Queen Victoria, Eden gardens- the stadium of Kolkata, Howrah Bridge- one of the largest cantilever bridges, Princep Ghat- a park to stroll along the shore of river Hugli.
