BISWA BANGLA GATE: KOLKATA’S NEW ICON

Biswa Bangla Gate, popularly known as Kolkata Gate, is the new icon of a rising Bengal, the same way London Eye is for the UK and Eiffel Tower is for Paris.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has left no stone unturned in trying to make a new Bengal and not so long ago, she came up with the idea of having a gateway to modern Kolkata, one that would welcome tourists, entrepreneurs, scholars, guests and people of all talent as they landed at the airport and began driving into the city. It would be a gateway so iconic that no one would be left in any doubt that Bengal is rising and the new Bengal is here and now.

HUNT FOR THE PERFECT LOCATION

The first and obvious choice for the proposed structure was on VIP Road or Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, near Haldiram’s, a prominent landmark food court near the left-turning flyover from the airport, which kind of marked the entry into New Town, but there was hardly any space on the ground and the sky was cluttered. Next option was near Chinar Park, at HIDCO Dwar, as it is called, but there too, space was at a premium, besides there being litigation problems. But most importantly, the majestic view required to make the whole exercise worthwhile, was missing.

There was another problem which the master planners soon discovered as they continued their search for the perfect location. The Metro corridor, which had started taking effect with elevated pillars on the ground, would take away any view worth seeing.

It is interesting to note here that when the master plan for the project was first drawn up in 1999, the plan was to erect the gate at Rotary 1, near Nazrul Tirtha. But that too hit a roadblock, since a Metro station was coming up right at that spot. After eliminating almost every location owing to some problem or the other, the planners finally zeroed in on Narkelbagan, the crossroads junction that leads in all four directions to Kolkata: the Airport, the wetlands, Sector 5/6 and Action Area 3.

But here too there was a hitch. According to the master plan, a flyover was to be constructed which would stretch from the Bartaman offices right till Narkelbagan. But with approval for that still not forthcoming, the green light for the gate was given with the assurance that in case the flyover did materialize in the future, it would finish way before the Gate.

THE DESIGN

Now that the plot was selected and the project approved, it was time to decide how the structure would look like. For that, a national design competition was organized and a committee headed by architect Dulal Mukherjee, oversaw design plans from architects from all over the country. Most were variations of the inverted ‘U’ and catered to the wish of making the Gate a utility structure as well.

The prestigious project finally went to M/S Vector Designs, a Pune based company for their minimalistic but futuristic design, which matched HIDCO’s New Town vision. The plan initially was to have just a viewing gallery, but later on, it was decided to have a night-time restaurant as well.

THE CONSTRUCTION

Work on the proposed structure began on March 6, 2017. Steel plates were used and two inverted parabolas were erected. Not a single piece of steel was curved and the whole structure was made from flat steel. This engineering marvel was made possible thanks to the design dexterity and computer aided welding which ensured that all four points matched perfectly. Around 70 tons of steel were used with the top portion elevated at 55 metres. All points were rigorously tested.

The first sign of trouble came when the rings had to be elevated to the proposed height of 25 metres. The arch wasn’t a problem since it was from the sides, but with the rings came a major traffic issue.

TRAFFIC STOPPER

To elevate the rings, the intersection needed to be closed down. Work was to be done through the night, between 11 pm and 5 am and permission for the same was taken from the police. The ring had four parts, two large and two small. The problem was lifting the larger parts to their designated spots and for that a full 48 uninterrupted hours would be required. That became one of the main causes for delay.

Finally, the powers that be were persuaded to let work go on uninterrupted over one whole weekend, with minimum inconvenience to traffic and the rings were elevated using large cranes. Curved, double glazed glasses, brought all the way from Bengaluru, were used in the ring. More than 20 per cent of these glasses broke on the way to Kolkata and replacing them consumed even more time.

The fire department then wanted staircases along with the Glass Capsule lifts as a safety measure since it was to be for public use and spiral staircases had to be installed.

GRAPHIC show

The structure done, it was now time for the nitty gritty. The graphics that were to be created inside the gallery would require illustrations measuring seven feet and stretching nearly 250 metres and that became a problem, with the possibility of images getting distorted given the scale.

It was again the Pune based company that came up with the goods. Among the primary installations is a painting and an English translated poem by the CM. There are also decorative paintings of luminaries and various other themes which showcase the flavours of Bengal.

THE VIEW

Now the whole point of having such an elaborate structure was the viewing gallery, but then all that was visible was the top of the buildings. That was soon rectified as another design competition by NKDA made sure there will be major beautification around the structure with elaborate alpona and green artistic patches as far as the eye can see.

Abin Design Studio, which won the bragging rights, are also in the process of creating steel perforated boxes which, besides being a sight to behold, will also double up as coffee shop in a cube in what will become a food court and adda zone.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

While the whole structure is climate controlled there is a lot on offer for both day time and night time visitors. Those visiting during the day can enjoy the glorious view besides sifting through the curio shop and enjoying their favourite cuppa. Night-time visitors, on the other hand, will have access to the fine dining restaurant serving up their choicest delicacies, all at a very reasonable rate. They will also get a remarkable view of hundreds of supple stems with softly glowing petal lights, swaying in the wind and stretching over three kilometers.

Prior to the restaurant coming up, there were two lifts in use, but that was eventually increased with the introduction of a service lift since there was no way a kitchen could be operated at the top and food had to be made and transported from the ground level. Servers would take the orders and relay it over phone, while in the very near future iPads would be used to do the same.

The whole area is equipped with free wifi, enabling visitors to upload their selfies on social media right away. There are designated selfie zones and one of the backdrops even looks like the bank of the river Ganges with a boat on it.

SETBACKS

There is a saying that if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. No story is complete without a villain in the piece and with Kolkata Gate, now known as the Biswa Bangla Gate, it was the giant globe that failed to defy gravity. The initial plan for the structure included a Biswa Bangla globe to be installed. One day, while it was being pulled up, the chain snapped and it crashed to the ground. Thankfully, no one was around at that time, but the news outlets had a field day. It was decided not to get another globe up again.

SAFETY MEASURES

That and various other mishaps with flyovers across the city, prompted the authorities to go strict with safety measures. The best structural engineers in the country were commissioned and after thorough checks and testing, they gave a clean chit with a suggestion for regular monitoring. Among the tests that were done was wind tunnel testing and use of gyroscopic sensors to pick up vibrations.

Currently, there is a command and control room inside the ticket counter which monitors 60 CCTV cameras. There is airport-like security and after repeated and careful inspections by top Government officials and engineers, it has been decided not to allow more than 50 people at any given time.

Bookings for the restaurant have to be done in advance and entry tickets can only be booked online to ensure that at no time is there any kind of rush and only people with valid online bookings for day time visits and prior reservations to the restaurants will be allowed inside.

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD

Almost two years since work first began, Biswa Bangla Gate, replete with its dazzling array of attractions, is open to the public. The stunning views of the Kolkata skyline and the beautifully maintained greenery all around, including green roof tops, the delight of dining at the hanging restaurant, the joy of clicking selfies against magnificent backdrops, all add to the unforgettable experience. So far as iconic structures go, the Biswa Bangla Gate is right up there with the Howrah Bridge and Victoria Memorial, a majestic monument dedicated to modern Kolkata, but unlike the other two, it’s free from the colonial shackles.