The Metcalfe Hall is situated at the junction of Strand Road and Hare Street, the heart of the city's business centre. Its architecture is reflective of the British imperial architecture of the early nineteenth century. It was built between 1840 and 1844 according to the design prepared by the city magistrate, C. K. Robinson and named after Sir Charles T. Metcalfe, the Governor-General of india, in honour of his efforts towards a free press. The building faces the Hooghly river on the West. The notable Greek order of the architecture was taken from the Tower of the Winds in Athens, one of the time tested designes of durability and lightness. The building is raised on a solid basement and thirty huge Corinthian pillars support a massive entablature. The columns and colonnade surround the whole building.
It says that Nimai Sri Chaitannya Deb once came to district Hooghly for the pilgrimage of Tarakeswar. So he bathed in river Ganga on the bathing ghat of Baidyabati. Then had started his journey to Tarakeswar on foot. It took about 12 hours to reach Tarakeswar. Later, the bathing ghat was named on him and now known to all as Nimai Tirtha Ghat. So, the ghat is about 500 year's old. Kabikankan Mukundaram mentioned this ghat in his mangal kabya, about 400 years ago. Raja Harishchandra of Seoraphuly constructed Nistarini Mandir and Bhadrakali Mandir in the year 1827 beside NimaiTirtha Ghat. then, lakhs of pilgrims take bath on river Ganga from this ghat and take holy water, visit Ma Nistarini and Debi Bhadrakali near, then use to go for Tarakeswar on foot to pour that Gangajal on the shiblinga of Baba Taraknath. The pilgrims use to go to Tarakeswar on the month of Shraban (July-August). Pic 1) The gate of Nimai Tirtha Ghat; Pic 2) The pilgrims are taking bath at the said gha...
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