Colonial Bungalows: Riverside Road & Park Road

One of the most evocative experiences Barrackpore offers is simply walking along Riverside Road and Park Road, the two colonial-era lanes that wind through the cantonment between the Hooghly and the military grounds. On either side stand the bungalows, some grand and well-maintained, now serving as officers' messes and administrative offices; others fading into photogenic ruin, their verandahs wrapped in creeper, their shutters hanging at angles. The gardens of these bungalows open towards the river, and the view of the Hooghly from between the trees, with Serampore's colonial architecture glinting on the far bank, is one of Barrackpore's finest visual pleasures. Bring a camera; bring an unhurried hour.