Bengal Nagpur Railway, a blue-chip railway network in India during the British period, had a great tradition of hospitality recognised the world over. They ran two heritage hotels,one at Ranchi, Jharkhand and another at Puri, Odissa. The hotel at Puri was specially exotic, housed in a two-storied heritage building with Italianate architecture and facing the pristine beach of golden sand and the blue Bay of Bengal. Its cuisine was legendary and the care bestowed by its staff made the guests come back again and again.
The 34 room hotel was established in 1922 with the acquisition of
ASHWORTH VILLA from Dr. Elms, the owner. The hotel was the sole preserve of Europeans till independence. It has been declared as a heritage property by Govt. of India in 1998.
Over the past century, many famous writers, film-makers and well-known personalities spent days here in 'retreat', unwinding in the charming ambience of the hotel. The famous film maker and Oscar winner, Satyajit Ray invariably stayed at the hotel, while relaxing by the seaside. Many of his film scripts are written in these precincts. The guest register of the hotel is a log of India's 'Who's Who'. I seem to remember having seen the signature of John Galbraith, US Ambassador to India in this register too.
During my younger days, when the hotel was run by the South Eastern Railway and later by the East Coast Railway, I often visited the hotel and enjoyed its wonderful lunches and dinners. In the early part of this century however, this hotel was handed over to private hoteliers, who have tried to retain its old world charm to the best of their ability. Two years hence, this great railway insttution will complete a century.
I happened to visit the hotel again recently. It still retains a part of its historical ambience. Here are some photo-memories to share.
I am also privileged that Mr. V. N. Mathur, President, Rail Enthusiasts' Society has shared some heritage, black and white pictures of the BNR Hotel from his private collection, which he was able to retrieve from a dealer in London. These are also placed here.They are taken prior to 1938 when the building was extended to accommodate a larger number of guests. One photo also has a convertible motor car of the 1930's.
WRITTEN AND UPLOADED BY SANJOY MOOKERJEE