My first walking tour … exploring the ‘Vijay Durg’ (erstwhile, Fort William).
Fort William was built in the
early years of British occupation of Bengal and remains one of India’s enduring
British-era military fortifications. It was built in 1696 by the British
East India Company with the permission of Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb and named after King William III. The Nawab of
Bengal, Siraj-Ud-Daulah, attacked the fort when the British started unauthorized
construction of new fortifications without permission, gained control and
changed its name to Alinagar. Though the Nawab was defeated by
Robert Clive in the Battle of Plassey in 1757; the British decided to
reconstruct Fort William at a more strategic location i.e. right on the eastern
bank of River Hooghly. Fort William is shaped like an octagon, its five
sides face land and three face the river. Its thick walls could withstand
cannon fire, its ramparts held hundreds, possibly thousands, of cannons and a dry
moat discouraged attackers from reaching its walls. The land area around
the Fort was cleared and came to be known as ‘Gor-er Maath’ (Gor is the
Bengali word for ‘fort’). The new Fort William was invincible to attack by land
or river. Indeed, Fort William was never attacked and its cannons never fired a
shot in its long history. Fort William stands Invictus – and has been officially re-named ‘Vijay
Durg’ (“Fort of Victory”) in early 2025, as part of a decolonization
initiative which however evoked mixed responses.
Today the fort serves as
the Headquarters of Eastern Command of the Indian Army. Civilian entry is obviously
restricted, and so is photography, but thanks to ‘Old Cliff Archive’ and
‘Immersive Trails’, I had a chance today to step back in time …
The most memorable part of my visit was paying tribute to the eternal flame in honour of the martyrs of the Sino-Indian War, the Indo-Pak War, as well as those lost in insurgency and terrorism. It is a grim reminder of the sacrifices that are made to secure the peace and freedom of the country that we often take for granted.
The Walking Tour starts off after paying homage to the martyrs - the 'Vijay Smarak' at Fort William. The Rising Sun is the Symbol of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.
Our Group at the Memorial. The photo was clicked and sent by the Fort William authorities.
# Immersive Trails
# Old Cliff Archive