A reminder of the British Rule in the country, Writers’ Building is one of the most famous buildings in
Kolkata. This massive structure (built in 1776) in red brick, with several labyrinthine corridors and vast chambers, is situated on the northern side of the
BBD Bagh - the administrative hub of Kolkata.
This building was also the center of power in British India when Kolkata was the capital. The Writers’ Building had then been built to house the numerous young bachelors, who worked in spartan conditions for the East India Company as clerks (writers).
Even today the building houses a large number of clerks, for it is now the seat of West Bengal’s Secretariat. The Secretariat has also another office, the New Secretariat Building. The Writers’ Building is today almost synonymous with redtapism and the drudgery of clerical work.
The domed General Post Office (built in 1864), Kolkata Police headquarters (at Lal Bazar)and the Reserve Bank of India are other monolithic buildings located nearby.
