Judges Ghat, one of the busiest ghats in the city for idol immersions and post-cremation rituals, has got a major facelift.
The renovated ghat, inaugurated by Calcutta Mayor Firhad Hakim on Wednesday evening, now features dedicated ritual spaces, changing rooms, a new flight of stairs leading to the river, and a canopy to shelter visitors from the elements.
Once in a sorry state — with corroded steps and litter strewn about — the ghat’s ₹4.5 crore renovation was executed by the Prerna Foundation, a non-profit with trusteesfrom prominent businessfamilies.
Hemant Bangur, executive chairman of Gloster, a jute products manufacturer, and a trustee of Prerna Foundation, recalled his visit to the ghatin 2015 to perform ritualsafter his father’s death. “The condition of the ghat was very bad,” he told Metro. The redesigned ghat now stands out with a minimalist style against the backdrop of the Hooghly river.
Judges Ghat was the riverside landing point for British judges and officials during the colonial era.
Gautam Chakraborti, former security and heritage advisor to the Calcutta port authorities, said: “It was built by Sir Elijah Impey, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at Fort William in 1774. Before that, European officials mainly used Chandpal Ghat. Impey’s first experience crossing the Hooghly’s muddy banks was so mortifying that it led him to build a proper landing reserved for men in robes and wigs.”
Sajjan Bhajanka, chairman of Prerna Foundation and Century Ply, said the renovation would greatly benefit visitors who come for diverse purposes. “Many people come here during mourning to perform rituals,” he said.
The renovation began in 2018 but was delayed by the Covid pandemic and overlapping regulations involving Calcutta port authorities and Fort William.
“I had to seek intervention from higher authorities to get the work moving. I told them this would benefit common people and urged for permission,” Bangur of Gloster said.
Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation requested redesigning the steep river steps to facilitate idol immersion. “We created a landing to act as a break between upper and lower steps, easing access to the water,” Bangur explained.
Permissions from Calcutta High Court were also necessary. “The court granted permission in 2023 with a six-month deadline. We missed the deadline and sought an extension, which was granted in March this year,” said Bangur.
A KMC official noted that many private residences organising Durga Puja in south and central Calcutta use Judges Ghat for idol immersion. Major Puja committees, including Suruchi Sangha, also immerse their idols here.
Pawan Tibrewalla, secretary of Prerna Foundation, said the organisation is also responsible for maintaining Nimtala and Ahiritola Ghats. It is entrusted with renovating the Hindu Burial Ground, where children under 12 are laid to rest.
The city is set to get its first new crematorium on the Hooghly in decades, also built by Prerna Foundation. The crematorium will come up at Dahi Ghat near Hastings in two years.
Mayor Hakim said: “I was with the chief minister before coming here. I told her about the renovated ghat and the upcoming crematorium. She said we must focus on cleanliness.”