Chandannagar Strand and Indo-French Museum

Chandannagar, in Hooghly district of West Bengal about 35 kilometres north of Kolkata, was a French colony from 1673, when the French East India Company obtained permission to set up a trading post, until 1950, when it was transferred to India and merged with West Bengal in 1954. Under the governor Joseph Francois Dupleix in the 1730s and 1740s, it grew into a prosperous river port. The Strand is a riverside promenade along the Hooghly, laid out in the colonial period and lined with trees, benches and old colonial buildings. It is a popular place for evening walks and has a statue of Dupleix nearby. At the Strand is the Indo-French Museum, also known as the Institut de Chandernagor, housed in a colonial mansion of the French era. The museum collects objects linked to the French presence, including furniture, paintings, ceramics, silverware, books and archival material, along with items from Bengal's history. One highlight is a collection of French-era artefacts and a gallery on Dupleix and the French governors. The museum's approach is a mix of themes, with displays on the colony's administration, trade and the cultural exchange between France and Bengal. Nearby sites include the Sacred Heart Church of the 19th century, the Chandannagar Cathedral and the Jagaddhatri temple, which is famous for the Jagaddhatri Puja festival in November. Conservation of the museum building has been carried out by local and state authorities, and the old French streets retain the colonial atmosphere. A French-language and cultural centre called the Alliance Francaise operates in the town.