Siliguri is a picturesque town in the state of West Bengal, which is located in the northeastern region of India. The town is a component of both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, two separate West Bengal districts. The only route linking India’s north-eastern states to the rest of the nation is through Siliguri, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck.” Siliguri is crucial because it not only connects India to its immediate neighbours, including Nepal and Bhutan, but also to Sikkim, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and the Dooars. The Coronation Bridge, which spans the Teesta River, connects Siliguri with the Dooars region and eventually with Assam.
The Coronation Bridge is located around 25 kilometres from this lovely town. Close to Jaigaon, the Coronation Bridge connects India with its neighbouring nation of Bhutan. This bridge is a section of National Highway 17, which connects the districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling. It is parallel to the Sevoke Railway Bridge, which spans the same river about 2 kilometres away.
An outstanding illustration of Roman architecture is Coronation Bridge. Visitors heading towards the mountainous destinations of Sikkim and Kalimpong frequently halt at this lovely intersection to observe the Teesta River flowing rapidly below. On the contrary, the route that leads to Sikkim and Kalimpong splits off at this location and continues along the Teesta River, crossing it only at Teesta Bazar. In India, there are now very few bridges that serve as examples of this kind of architecture and engineering. The bridge is also known as “Bagh Pul” since one of the entrances features two tiger statues.
One of the tourist destinations in the state of West Bengal, Coronation Bridge, has a fascinating past. Given the velocity at which the river flows, especially during the monsoons, building this bridge may have been a difficult feat.
We must travel back in time to a period when India was still governed by the British to learn the history of this wonderful edifice. The crowning of a King or Queen is what the word “coronation” refers to. In Britain, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned on May 12, 1937. The British chose to build a bridge in Bengal, one of their provinces, to commemorate the coronation. John Chambers, the last British executive engineer of British India in the Darjeeling PWD Division, was given the task of planning, designing, and drawing the bridge. The contract was assigned to J.C. Gammon’s Civil Construction Company, a company with its headquarters in Bombay.
Three Bengali architects, A.C. Dutt, S.K. Ghosh, and K.P. Roy, were employed to hasten up the construction of the coronation bridge. The cantilever design that the three architects offered is fashioned like a “bow,” just like John Chambers had intended. The cantilever was built above the Teesta River on two firm rock beds on either side to strengthen the foundation.
On November 5th, 1937, the then-Governor of Bengal, John Anderson, laid the foundation after the design was approved. The bridge’s construction is believed to have cost 6 lakh rupees. On either side of the river, the bridge’s arches measure 1, 2, and 5 feet by 150 feet each. It is built on layers of solid concrete. The bridge was built over four years, and it was finished in 1941. The lifespan of the bridge is predicted to be 100 years.
Known as a spandrel, the bridge is an arch-shaped structure and a fine example of Roman architecture. The term spandrel refers to the area having a rectangular perimeter between two arches. Governor John Anderson’s vehicle was the first one to travel across the bridge when it was inaugurated in 1941.
Over 80 years have passed since the Coronation Bridge was built. However, it is anticipated that its lifespan may have been shortened as a result of numerous environmental variables, weathering, and heavy traffic.
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