Rediscover Europe on the Ganga

Francis Wacziarg, a former hotelier of Indian origin, would have rejoiced this week. The city of Chandannagar, located in West Bengal, was celebrating its Franco-Bengali heritage. The city is renowned for its striking light-based artwork, making the festival an ideal setting. However, Wacziarg had a more ambitious vision. He once excitedly informed me, "Bengal has a Europe on the Ganga."

Indeed, no other Indian rivers possess such a legacy: five cities representing major European encounters with India. From the Himalayas at Gomukh to the Bay of Bengal at Gangasagar, the river has a Portuguese-founded Bandel, the French Chandernagore, the Dutch Chinsurah, and the Danish Serampore. Only the British built Calcutta (now Kolkata), which grew into the second city of the subsequent Empire.

It remains preeminent in Bengal, while the other four cities declined significantly after the turn of the last century. Wacziarg's vision was never fully considered by others, even though embassies of the five nations today see each city independently. While some initiatives have been undertaken, such as the Danish government's renovation of the church and tavern at Serampore, the potential of this "Europe on the Ganga" concept has yet to be fully explored.