Fort william Travel Guide

One of the must see historical tourist attractions of Kolkata, the Fort William stands tall on the eastern banks of Hooghly river, overlooking Maidan park. It was constructed in 1696 by the British East India Company and was named after King William III of England. In the year 1757, during the Plassey war, the Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud Daulah attacked on the fort and defeated the Britishers. Consequently, reconstruction work of the fort started in 1758 by Robert Clive, followed by its completion in 1781. Spanning over an area of 5 sq. km, it was built using brick and mortar. Presently, the fort is owned by the Indian Army and serves as the headquarters of the Eastern Command. It can accommodate around 10,000 army personnel. Many facilities like shopping mall, cinema hall, restaurants, swimming pool, post office, laundry etc. have been provided for the comfort of the military personnel who reside at the fort. Keep in mind the following pointers, before planning a visit to the Fort William: It is located on Khidirpur Road. It is open all days of the week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visitors need to take a special permit from the Commanding Officer to visit it. Its entry is free.