Sealdah traffic guard, a heritage building with over 120 years of history

Kolkata: Almond House, aka Sealdah traffic guard —though many people will not find any similarity between the two names — but these are a major part of the city’s history.

The 120-year-old Almond House located at 18, Canal Street had housed the Sealdah traffic guard since 1976 till 2014.

In 2014, it was decided that the building will be demolished as it was in a dilapidated condition. By that time, a new building was constructed beside the Almond House where the traffic guard was shifted.

Since then the building was abandoned and it was almost decided to demolish it. But the scenario changed after Soumen Mitra took over as the Commissioner of Police. After his initiative, the Almond House was renovated.

The building was originally owned by one C H Smith from 1892-1900. It was bought by another person C J Disscut in 1900. The premises then became the property of Basant Lal Nathany from 1929 -1942 and were subsequently occupied by Sir Abdul Halim Ghaznavi (1876-1953), who later bought the house.

On August 18, 1970, the 28 cottah property was acquired by the Commissioner of Police, Calcutta for the Enforcement Branch. On March 17, 1976, the Sealdah traffic guard shifted here.

Since then the traffic guard was running there. After renovation, the building is being used as the barrack for the police personnel and meeting in the conference room.

It may be mentioned that the name Sealdah itself apparently comes from ‘shrigal’ or ‘shiyal’ (jackal), herds of which once roamed the area. Historian P Thankappan Nair has observed that in its earliest stages, the city was a collection of raised islands surrounded largely by marshland. He felt the name Sealdah derived from ‘Shiyaldihi’, where ‘dihi’ meant village.