Feature: Big Ben of eastern Indian metropolis with close historical links with London

When travellers drive drown the chaotic and traffic jammed Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in this crowded metropolis of Kolkata in eastern India, there springs a surprise at a junction. One wonders whether it is a landmark in London!

They are surprised as in this city there exists a replica of the Big Ben of London. The famous clock tower's replica adorns the way to the Netaji Subhash Chandra International Airport at Lake Town, one of the residential areas in the north eastern part of the city.

After chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee came to power ousting the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front government after 34 years in 2011, she promised to turn the city into another London. That certainly did not happen but the legendary clock tower was built.

An Anglo Swiss company was given the contract to build the 135-feet tower on an unused plot of land at the junction of the highway which is popularly known as VIP Road here. The cost was 13.6 million rupees (about 2 million U.S. dollars) and the gigantic clock tower was completed within four years after she envisioned it and christened by Banerjee as "Kolkata Time Zone."

The work was executed by the South Dumdum Muncipality and falls within the Assembly constituency of Sujit Basu, a member of the West Bengal Assembly belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress of the state.

"There was an unused plot at the intersection of Lake Town and VIP Road which we wanted to beautify. The plot was very small and something vertical had to be build. We thought of a tower and since our beloved leader spoke about turning Kolkata into London we hit upon the idea of building a replica of the Big Ben, which is one of the most popular tourist places in London," said Basu.

The plot in fact used to be infamous for traffic jams as it used to create problems for drivers to veer their vehicles around the intersection.

"This tower had lessened the traffic problem and being a resident of this locality I feel proud as people throng here during festivals to see it. As such, it has also been a boom for the roadside fast food stalls," said Ajoy Guha, a resident of Lake Town.

Shambu Saha who owns a food stall near the tower said: "Many people come and my sales of mutton and chicken rolls have increased. They stop by to see this tower and also enjoy having a roll and my tea."

While the Big Ben of London is 96 meters high, this one is only 30 meters and with 24 meters of concrete piling at the base. It is one floor short of the London Big Ben and has 10 floors.

However, like the original this replica also has four gigantic clock dials on the tower. All the clocks face on all four directions. But while the Big Ben clock dials have diameters of 7 meters, the replica's is of 3.6 meters.

"I completed the construction within 10 months and it was inaugurated by remote control by our chief minister," said Basu.

Many Kolkatans as they call themselves feel proud about this structure. Pankaj Basotia, a chartered accountant from Rajasthan in north India, said: "Many of my relations and friends who visit the city and pass by are amused. They have never been to London but feel happy to see something which replicates in India."

However, some are critical. Sekhar Roy, a painter felt different: "Copying something is sheer waste of money. A clock tower with an Indian design would have been far better. The clock on the building at Esplanade the heart of the city could have been renovated as it is also an attraction."

During the Durga Puja festival, the main Hindu festival of Bengalis in West Bengal, millions of villagers who descend on this former capital of the British India make it a point to visit the "Big Ben of Kolkata."

Kolkata, formerly called Calcutta, was founded by the British and served as the capital of British India from late 1850s till 1911.

The East India Company, or "John company" known for selling opium to China, founded its empire here after the British captured it. In 1911 the British shifted the capital to Delhi.

As such, people all over India have nostalgia about the British in this city and traditional Indians still consider this city as the premier city of the nation, though it had declined over decades but is now again witnessing resurgence in terms of growth in real estate.

The place has now become a "slice of London in Kolkata." Endite