European Ladies Enjoying Sailing In Purulia,Bengal, 1890 Photo
An old 1890 photo of four European ladies seems to be enjoying sailing in Purulia. British ladies with a child appear to be enjoying sailing in one of the many lakes and rivers in Purulia. All look to be in their Sunday best probably at the outing after church on a Sunday. Purulia is one of the districts in West Bengal, it is around 240 km from Calcutta.
After one or two centuries after Vasco da Gama landed on the West Coast of India (1498), the Europeans started making inroads in Bengal. One of them was Purulia. The British East India Company acquired the territory. By obtaining a grant of Diwani of the subahs of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa in 1765. Because of the British occupation, it had a large presence of military and civil service officers and soldiers. Many of them were bound to have families of British women and children, like that seen in this photo.
Did you know – Purulia gained importance probably because it was en route to Delhi, United Provinces, Simla, and Punjab from Calcutta.
Past posts – M F Hussain Painting – Air India Advertising Postcard 1960., Trivandrum Canal Landing Place – Old Postcard 1900.
