Looking Back at Howrah Bridge
The tagline of West Bengal tourism describes the state as " The sweetest part of India" and indeed it is so. Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, with a history dating back to 1686, is brimming with rich cultural heritage. Being the Capital of British India from 1773-1911, it has no dearth of iconic monuments that speaks of colonial architecture. When we speak of Kolkata and its grandiose one cannot leave without mentioning the grand Rabindra Setu, better known as the old Howrah Bridge. Built in 1943 over the Hoogly river connecting the cities of Howrah and Kolkata, the bridge has become symbolic of the heritage of Kolkata. The proposal for bridging the Hoogly river was made in 1862 and initially a pontoon bridge was constructed. Howrah bridge was ultimately commissioned in 1943 making it 3rd-longest cantilever bridge in the world at that time. The contract to build it was awarded to a company called The Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Construction Compa...