The Better India
When Iftekhar Ahsan (44), founder of Calcutta Walks, strolls through his home city of Kolkata, he sees what most do: the glass-fronted buildings, the new eateries humming with life, the storefronts that have recently appeared. But, having lived in this city ever since he was born, he knows there’s a version that lingers beneath this newness — one that houses the old bungalows of Calcutta (as was the city’s name), the humble pice hotels with their fading signboards, the courtyards hidden behind heavy doors. Calcutta Bungalow is a structure dating back to 1926, now restored into a heritage hotel. And these vestiges of the past tell stories of a city that refuses to be forgotten even as it is remade. It was one day in 2013, while conducting a walk to showcase the city’s heritage, that Iftekhar had his moment of inflection. “I realised if I kept doing these walks, but nothing tangible to protect the city’s history, chances are that the entire facade of the city would change and it would become new and characterless.” Thus began his search for a property that he could restore. It ended in the Shyam Bazar neighbourhood. One look at the bungalow there, the ecosystem that nature had woven around it, where owls, mongooses, sparrows, and civets had made their home, and Iftekhar knew that this was the place. The aim while restoring the bungalow was to keep the interiors humble and suited to the way of life of an upper middle class household from back in the early 1900s Calcutta. “It was built in the classical style despite being a 1926 structure, when other modern buildings were being built in the Art Deco style. So in a way, it captured the golden era in Calcutta's construction history. It was located in a wonderful neighbourhood with a close-knit community,” Iftekhar explains, adding, “structurally we couldn’t have found a more stable 90-year-old building, especially after seeing several in various states of disrepair; this one needed very little structural strengthening.” Today, Iftekhar and his team have restored the bungalow into what is the Calcutta Bungalow, a heritage hotel. Explaining the design philosophy, he shares, “We've shown people all the old houses of Kolkata for so many years. Through Calcutta Bungalow, the idea was always to showcase the best of old Calcutta. Many old and reclaimed items were upcycled for the home to celebrate a glorious era gone by. So, we decided to showcase the woodwork that existed in the city, focusing on old wood like Burma teak. We observed that the old homes had coloured glass, and so we focused on that and beautiful cast iron railings and balconies. For the stone used in the flooring, we got red mandana stone.” To go a step further and make the space emblematic of Kolkata, the team got a yellow Ambassador taxi parked outside the bungalow. Following two years of negotiating the purchase and three years of restoration, the hotel was ready to welcome guests in 2018. A love for history & a mission Sometimes you choose the stories you want to tell. Other times, the stories choose you. In Iftekhar’s case, it was the latter. Growing up, he lived far from the world of stories. He belongs to a family of rangrez (cloth dyers) in Rajasthan, but Iftekhar broke out of the traditional family business to start his own — Calcutta Walks that would introduce the city’s heritage spots to tourists through walking tours. The Boipara room is dedicated to the city's culture and love for books. “The city has so much amazing heritage from so many different angles and time periods, but they’re all languishing. They aren’t being shown the love and care they need. This is one of the few cities that isn’t in a mad rush to turn into something super modern and fancy,” he says. So, even when they embarked on the journey of restoration, Iftekhar says they decided to resist the temptation of polish and perfection, choosing instead to remain faithful to the quiet rhythms of an upper-middle-class household from early 1900s Calcutta. Room Jatrapara is inspired by Bengal’s beloved folk theatre, jatra. The effort was never about recreating grandeur, but about preserving intimacy — through objects that carried memory. Old and reclaimed pieces were consciously sourced and upcycled, with wood and iron salvaged from buildings that had fallen across the city, finding new life within the space. Khorkhoris (painted windows found in old, Bengali colonial houses), once part of ageing homes, were reimagined as courtyard installations and bedside tables, while small, functional typewriters were placed in each room, inviting guests to slow down and write, as one once did. Even the walls echo the past. Their exposed brick is bound together by an ancient mortar, mixed by raj mistries (brick layers) from Murshidabad using jaggery, wood apple pulp, fenugreek seeds, and betel nuts, cured over weeks in a process that feels as much like tradition as it does craft. The bungalow's exposed brick walls are made of a plaster that has half a dozen food items in it besides lime and plaster. Elaborating on using organic materials and food items in the architecture, scenographer Swarup Dutta says, “We didn’t really reinvent the wheel, but instead, just went ahead with materials that would have been used at the time that these buildings were made. Wherever we could retain the traditional technique, we did it. By leaving parts of the wall exposed in many places, we also allowed for moisture to escape instead of it becoming trapped and leading to other concerns,” Swarup explains. Ultimately, the entire restoration was premised on how they could acknowledge that the space was once a townhouse where families lived, while also making changes for the new cosmopolitan audience that would now walk through the doors. A route into old Calcutta Elaborating on how every room has memorabilia from the city, Iftekhar says each room draws from a distinct cultural thread of the city’s past, weaving together stories that once defined its everyday life. The room Patuapara takes its name from Bengal’s patuas (scroll painters) who travelled from village to village, narrating tales of mythology, religion, and social life through song and image, often creating visual stories for pilgrims visiting temples. Room Jatrapara is inspired by Bengal’s beloved folk theatre, jatra , while room Boipara pays homage to Kolkata’s enduring love for books , rooted in College Street, the historic hub that grew around Calcutta University in 1857. The room Sahibpara is an ode to European influences that shaped architecture and lifestyle. The room Sahibpara is an ode to European influences that shaped architecture and lifestyle. While you’re at Calcutta Bungalow, there’s plenty for you to do in the time you aren’t spending admiring the rooms. For one, there’s Calcutta Walks to explore with Iftekhar. The White Town Walk through Dalhousie Square revisits the city the British envisioned as the second city of the Empire, showcasing its grand colonial architecture. Along the Hooghly, the Life by the River Walk captures the rhythms of a river that sustains millions, from flower markets to the artisan quarters of Kumartuli. For those drawn to food, a Bengali cooking experience offers an intimate introduction to local ingredients and culinary traditions, while street food trails uncover the city’s rich, layered flavours shaped by generations of settlers. The Melting Pot Walk journeys through neighbourhoods like Bow Barracks and Burrabazar, revealing Kolkata’s deep cultural diversity , while the Park Street walk explores its vibrant social life and colonial-era glamour. Finally, the Black Town Walk in Sovabazar offers a glimpse into the heart of traditional Bengali culture, where architecture, community, and history converge. You could also play chess with local grandmasters under the Gariahat flyover as evening settles in, or cast a fishing net with fishermen in the East Calcutta Wetlands, or go for a bicycle ride beginning at Victoria Memorial. Book your stay here . All pictures courtesy Calcutta Bungalow
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