Noted architect urges people to preserve Dalhousie Square

Kolkata: Manish Chakraborty, noted architect and restorer of old structures has urged the people to get actively involved and nominate the Dalhousie Square as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. "Dalhousie Square at one time was the Administrative and Business headquarter of India and it is a heritage site not just for Bengal but for the entire country having being the place of many firsts in this country", he stated.

He was delivering the third edition of "The Calcutta Talks" organised by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with Halo Heritage at Williams Magor Hall on Wednesday.

Chakraborty emphasised that Bengal is full of skilled craftsmen who can be made to be more involved in restorative projects.

Amitabha Ghosal, a restoration engineer spoke about the marvel of engineering off The Howrah Bridge. "I am grateful to the Bengal Chamber for honoring this 75-year-old steel structure. It's a rare honour. A city is after all known by its structures and icons and Howrah Bridge is the undisputed icon of our city", he said.

Ghoshal has been closely involved in the design of many iconic structures like the Vidyasagar Setu, bridges across Brahmaputra and highly acclaimed restoration work of Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh. "The Calcutta Talks" is a prestigious lecture series that is against the backdrop of "The Calcutta Gallery".

This gallery is dedicated to the eternal city of Kolkata and takes one through a pictorial journey

through the hallowed pathways of the industrial and commercial history of Calcutta.

The transformation of three innocuous villages by the Hooghly into a colossal metropolis is fascinating, awe inspiring and magical.

The Calcutta Gallery portrays 325 years of the city's glorious history through an expansive and rare collection of photographs," said Indrajit Sen, president designate, the Bengal Chamber.