Affiliated to University of Calcutta
Re-accredited by NAAC in 2021 with 'A' Grade (4th Cycle)
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
College with Potential for Excellence
On February 24, 2026, the Department of English, Loreto College, Kolkata, in collaboration with INTACH Hooghly Chapter, organised a field trip to Chandernagore to explore its tangible and intangible legacy. Forty-five students from Semesters I & VI, along with three faculty members of the Department of English, embarked on a day-long educational walking tour of Chandernagore, guided by Mr. Souptik Chowdhury, Heritage Guide, INTACH Hooghly Chapter.
Having hosted the Dutch, the Danish, the French, the Portuguese, and the English, the pocket by the bank of the Hooghly (and Bhagirathi) river has often been monikered “Little Europe.” Chandernagore, as one of the few French settlements in colonised India, had become an important trading hub and a haven for revolutionaries like Charu Chandra Ray, Shri Aurobindro, Motilal Roy, Rash Behari Bose, and Kanai Lal Dutta during India’s movement for independence against the British colonial enterprise. The in-depth exploration of this revolutionary history was facilitated by Chandernagore College and its museum, whose curated collection comprised photographs, original papers and ledgers, artefacts, and art models.
Thereafter, at the Institut de Chandernagor, also known as the Dupleix Palace, the group mapped the French legacy and influence in Bengal. Guided by Prof. Basabi Pal, Director, Institut de Chandernagor, the group navigated not only the delicate interiors of Indo-French art, architecture, and textile but also the laborious process of curation and preservation.
Furthermore, they visited St. Joseph’s Convent and its radiant three-hundred-year-old chapel, the history of which was lucidly explained by Sr. Anna Maria, Principal of the school. During the walk, the group also spotted Chandannagar Pustakagar, Rani Ghat, the Clock Tower, Sacred Heart Church, and concluded it with a delightful lunch on the deck of a boat restaurant.
