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I N T A C H
H O O G H L Y C H A P T E R
2021
I N T A C H
H O O G H L Y C H A P T E R
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was set up in 1984 and, as the name suggests, is India’s National Trust for the conservation of India’s unprotected heritage. The vision of its founding members was to create a membership organization to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India in the image of much older National Trusts of other nations. INTACH has pioneered the protection of India’s natural and cultural heritage and is today the largest membership organization in the country dedicated to conservation. With its headquarters in New Delhi, it has more than 140 chapters all over the country.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was set up in 1984 and, as the name suggests, is India’s National Trust for the conservation of India’s unprotected heritage. The vision of its founding members was to create a membership organization to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India in the image of much older National Trusts of other nations. INTACH has pioneered the protection of India’s natural and cultural heritage and is today the largest membership organization in the country dedicated to conservation. With its headquarters in New Delhi, it has more than 140 chapters all over the country.
HOOGHLY
The district of Hooghly derived its name from the town of Hooghly on the west bank of the Hooghly River about 40 km north of Kolkata. This town was a major river port for trade in India before colonialism.The district has thousands of years of rich heritage as part of the Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut.
The first European to reach this area was the Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama. In 1536 Portuguese traders obtained a permit from Sultan Mahmud Shah to trade in this area. In those days the Hooghly River was the main route for transportation and Hooghly served as an excellent trading port.
Within a few decades, the town of Hooghly turned into a major commercial centre and the largest port in Bengal. Later in 1579–80 Emperor Akbar gave permission to a Portuguese captain Pedro Tavares to establish a city anywhere in the Bengal province. They chose Hooghly, and it became the first European settlement in Bengal. In 1599 the Portuguese traders built a convent and a church in Bandel. This is the first Christian church in Bengal known as ‘Bandel Church’ today.
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