The Portuguese, when they settled anyplace, started by building a congregation; the Dutch by building a post, and the English by building a tavern.”
This noteworthy perception, the wellspring of which is at this point obscure to this essayist, is to be seen on a plaque at the Kolkata Police Museum on Ripon Street. For those uncertain about what a bar is, or rather was, considering that cutting-edge English never utilizes the word, it was a foundation where individuals would accumulate to eat and toast their fill, and bars, where explorers could remain, were called motels.
Kolkata Police Museum – A Visit to the Calcutta Police Museum
Consistent with the English propensity to construct bars, the Kolkata that the British made, particularly in the seventeenth and eighteenth hundred years, had countless them, and the flavorful irony is that practically every one of them was focused in the space we currently know as Lalbazar, articulated ‘Loll Bazar’ by the British. We say irony since bars have customarily been related to inebriated fights, betting, yelling, unnecessary eating, even an intermittent killing, and for the most part a wide range of what is courteously depicted as a ‘lascivious way of behaving’. That the city’s police central command ought to come up in an area overflowing with such foundations is both entertaining and unexpected.
Of the roughly 20 famous bars in and around the area, of exceptional importance is the Harmonic Tavern at 9, Chitpur Road, the foundation where Warren Hastings, active Governor of Bengal, was given his goodbye party, in this way demonstrating its agreeableness in high-class English society. The enormous, dignified building later turned into the Police Court, and by and by houses the Traffic Department inside the Lalbazar premises.
Today, a visit to the Kolkata Police Museum uncovers all the more captivating pieces of data, alongside a far-reaching stroll through of the social and political changes that formed the city’s policing framework, because the British organization’s thought process was practical.
What number of us know, for instance, that almost quite a while back in 1827, Calcutta saw what was likely the first vehicle strike in Quite a while? This was a consequence of many cart conveyors going off the streets to fight the presentation of another arrangement of traffic rules. With the residents in confusion inferable from the absence of a public vehicle, the gridlock was settled by a specific Brownlow, who eliminated the bars from a cart and joined wheels to it, in this way making a container carriage to be drawn by ponies, bringing forth what Bengalis called the ‘chhyakra gari’, and furthermore establishing the underpinning of Kolkata’s traffic policing framework.
History of Police Museum Kolkata
The plot on which the gallery has been fabricated was previously the home of the progressive Raja Ram Mohan Roy who was the organizer behind the Brahma Samaj and the harbinger for the abolishment of Sati Pratha from India.
At this house, Raja Ram Mohan Roy engaged his European companions and facilitated gatherings with his partners. In 1830, when he was relocating to England, he sold this plot through Tulloh and Company.
In 1874, this house was taken up on lease by the Government making it the Sukea Street Thana which was subsequently purchased by them after around 44 years. After 10 years, the thana was moved to Amherst Street. In 1996, the gallery was at last settled.
Things and Architecture to see at Police Museum Kolkata
The exhibition hall possesses an area of around 2,000 sections of land in one of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s own houses which had wooden flights of stairs and Corinthian support points. The plot is delightfully encircled by carefully kept up with gardens, and well-proportioned trees sprinkled with the sound of different birds peeping around. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, North dwells in one of the mansions on the plot.
Initially, the exhibition hall had three displays which have been moved up to eight. It houses memorabilia of Kolkata Police right from its beginning in the city. The gallery has been partitioned into various segments for an all-encompassing perspective on their set of experiences:
- The commencement of Kolkata Policing in the seventeenth century.
- Arms and ammo throughout the long term
- Weapons
- Homicide Squad
- Lalbazaar Headquarters
- Detective Department
- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s records
- Traffic watchman
This is a wide outline of the few segments of the historical center you can investigate for fascinating bits of knowledge about the existence of the Kolkata Police.
Fascinating Artifacts at Police Museum Kolkata
The relics tracked down and displayed at the Calcutta Police Museum will leave you with goosebumps. There are age-old firearms, bombs, slugs, arms, and ammo saved in their unique condition that require some investment. A portion of the relics found at the historical center are:
- Book of Law: It is put away in a similar nook with bombs and is a book bomb made by the progressive Hemchandra Das intended to kill D. H Kingsford who was the Chief Presidency Magistrate of the city.
- Camouflage of terrorists from the American Center assault of 2002: A cricket bat sack where the AK-47 was put away, a portion of their garments have been safeguarded.
- Letter by Dinesh Gupta: Dinesh Gupta, the jus- caught of the nationalistic trio of Binay-Badal-Dinesh, composed a letter to his mom and sister while in prison, minutes preceding his hanging.
- Netaji’s Files: A pearl of a revelation, 84 declassified records of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose have been shown off on the second floor of the gallery.
- A bomb from World War II: Japan dropped a bomb on Kolkata during the Second World War which neglected to diffuse and obliterate the city. It has been saved in the exhibition hall.
- Classical Artworks: Statues taken and endeavors of carrying were come by the Detective Department that is kept at the gallery in plain view.
- Pistols, Revolvers, Guns: Enclosure portraying the change of firearms, guns, and ammunition throughout the long term supports teaching guests.
- Three-Wheeler Motorcycle: Kolkata Police before Independence utilized three-wheeler motorbikes.
- Bullet Belt: in plain view is a belt on which shots were fixed and worn around the waist.
- Pen Revolver: A pistol formed like a pen, made in Pakistan.
There are a few additional curios on display at the gallery making it worth a visit.
Section Fee and Timings of Police Museum Kolkata
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Section to the exhibition hall is totally free, in any case, no photos are permitted to be clicked.
Area and How to Reach Police Museum Kolkata
The museum is situated at Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, close to the Manicktala crossing. There are multiple ways of getting to the historical center:
Bus: Several neighborhood means of transport going towards Manicktala will take you to the historical center. Make sure to get off at Manicktala crossing. It is a five-minute stroll from that point.
Metro: The closest metro station is MG Road. Take a transport or auto to Manicktala crossing.
Taxi: All taxis in the city will take you to the Calcutta Police Museum. You can likewise book a confidential taxi from top vehicle rental organizations in Kolkata for your Kolkata visit and visit all the famous touring spots of Kolkata easily.