Nestled on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River, Fort William rises as a monumental sentinel of Kolkata’s layered past and enduring legacy. It was constructed in the latter half of the 18th century by the British East India Company, then at the height of its mercantile ambitions and imperial influence.

Named after King William III of England, Fort William became both a symbol and stronghold of British dominance following the Battle of Plassey in 1757. From its bastions, the British wielded their power with calculated precision, turning Kolkata (then Calcutta) into the imperial capital of India until 1911.

Yet history, ever the great leveler, has since redefined Fort William’s role. Today, it serves as the nerve centre of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command —aptly referred to as the ‘Sunrise Command’ — a poetic nod to its geographical alignment with the dawn and its strategic oversight of India’s vital frontiers, stretching from the Himalayan borders to the Bay of Bengal.

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