After covering the Danish church, and cemetery now in this blog I take you to the center of Danish rule of Serampore which is their main government building known as Danish Government House Serampore.
Now before going into the architecture and its details it’s time for a little more detailed description of the Danish rule of Serampore.
Short History of Danish Rule of Bengal
Serampore is a quiet town located around 35 kilometers from Kolkata. It is located on the other side of the River Hooghly right opposite Barrackpore.
Danish was one of the last to come to this part of India for trade. By then The Portuguese, French, British had already established their base in Bengal.
Their first attempt in 1698 resulted in a disaster since more than legitimate trade they were more into piracy, slave trade, etc. This did not go down well with the local population and with further tradeoffs with the mighty Mughal rulers things got worse and the Danes retreated to their stronghold of Tranquebar (Tharangambadi).
Their second attempt was in 1755 by The Danish Asiatic Company and this time they settled right what we now know as Serampore. This place was however renamed as Frederiksnagore honoring King Frederik V of Denmark.
In 1777 the administration of Serampore was transferred directly to the Danish Crown which was managed with great success by Governor Ole Bie. He died in the year 1805 leaving a great Danish legacy in Serampore.
In 1845 Denmark withdrew from Serampore and Tranquebar by selling off these places to the British thus ending their short presence in India.
During this short rule of Serampore by Denmark which lasted somewhat less than a century it had established very good trade relations with the European markets. The growth of trade also indirectly developed the surrounding villages around Serampore with more people starting to settle down near the administrative zone.
Danish Government House Serampore
During their second attempt at establishing a base at Serampore The Danish Asiatic Company (1755) had decided to do things the right way and one of the very first things that they did was to build an administrative building from where they could manage the day to day operations of the town.
They decided to put a strong defensive wall around the administrative compound considering their previous not-so-great attempt and in that process had got them many enemies.
Apart from the government house, there were other ancillary buildings such as gunpowder magazine, kitchen, guardhouse, jailhouse, etc. The compound also had a pond (water tank) for water supply. This was done to have a safe enclave for their officers and administrative staff.
Timeline Danish Government House Serampore
In 1755 the Danish Government House was not what we see now. Instead, it was a small mud house with a thatched roof that served as the residence as well as the office space for the Head of Serampore.
In 1771 the old building was demolished as a part of it had anyways collapsed on the 2nd December 1770.
Johan Leonard Fix (1770-1773) began the construction of the new building which was being built with bricks and lime mortar. This initial phase had two rooms and a hall along with a verandah.
Andreas Hiernoe in 1773 made some additions with two more rooms with a verandah.
In 1781 Ole Bie further added two more rooms and a verandah. This included the massive front portico and two rooms on each side.
In 1832 this building had a total of four large rooms, five smaller rooms, two verandas to the side, and the large front portico.
Around 1842 – 1843 two rooms were added on the first floor above the ground floor.
1845 the building gets transferred to the British after the Danish ceased its operations in India and sold all its properties and rights to the British. They transformed this place into a courthouse and offices. They also extended the building further to accommodate more office space.
1860 a long gallery-type hallway was added on the side. Additional walls were put over the existing wall of the old building to reinforce it.
The building over the years was in complete ruins and by 1999 it was no more used and left to crumble slowly.
In 2006 this building was declared a heritage and in 2008 restoration was started by funding from the West Bengal State Heritage Commission.
Very soon we will be able to see the interiors also which have been planned to become an exhibition center featuring the colonial past of Serampore.
Architectural Style of Danish Government House Serampore
The north gate has been completely restored now. The design however is not the same as it’s missing the monogram of the Danish King Christian VII.
The wall around the compound has also been restored and various encroachments have been removed. However, the guard building next to the north gate does not exist anymore.
There is a huge ground right in front of the main Danish Government House. And behind that, you see the restored building with the grand portico. The portico has four columns with Ionic capitals in front and one on each side. The portico leads to three doors. There are three windows on each side.
On the western side, you can see an open verandah with rooms on either side. The eastern section of the building just has doors and windows of the same pattern without any open sections.
On the backside (south) you have three doors at the center and a pair of windows on each side. Previously there was also a similar pillar as we see on the north side with a porch but that section now has been removed.
On the south side, there is a small gateway that has two adjoining rooms which also have been restored but with free entry, it has now become a temporary shed for rickshaw pullers.
Vheto Court Compound Heritage Canteen
One of the old buildings within the compound which of course was added much later and not during the Danish rule of Serampore has been beautifully restored and converted into a restaurant (Vheto). So, after a tour of Serampore if you want some delicious traditional food head off to this place.
On a personal note, this place has better food and at much affordable cost than Danish Tavern which I think is overrated and very expensive.
Location Danish Government House Serampore
Other Heritage Places in Serampore
St. Olav’s Church
Danish Cemetery
Mission Cemetery Serampore
Resources
The Telegraph
British Library
William Carey University
West Bengal Heritage Commission
Danish National Archives
National Museum of Denmark