The social scene of 19th-century Calcutta was subtly Bridgerton-coded, especially during the winters. The sweltering heat of the province and the humid tropical climate made it difficult for the English to live. As a result, they shifted to the hill stations during the summers and poured into the city with the beginning of the winter season. From colonnades to churches to balls and masquerades, the British tried to Europeanize the imperial city to feel at home in this alien country. As a result, the Christmas celebrations of colonial Calcutta were lavish and infused with tea parties and breakfasts in the morning and masquerades and balls in the evening. Let’s take a round around the ballrooms of colonial Calcutta.
lavish Balls of Colonial Calcutta
The public buildings of colonial Calcutta were often constructed with a spacious ballroom to accommodate lavish suppers and ball dancing. Initially, these balls were held either at Old Court House (today St. Andrew’s Church stands here) or at the famous Harmonic Tavern (where Laalbazaar Police Headquarters stands today). The latter was quite famed among the elite Europeans for hosting lavish suppers, concerts, and balls during winters. Here, one could also purchase tickets for public balls and masks for masquerades.
Balls were hosted to celebrate important war anniversaries and celebrations like Christmas. The Governor would annually host the official Christmas ball on the evening of 25th December. In 1780, James Augustus Hickey, founder of the Bengal Gazette, described the lavish Christmas celebration hosted by the Governor-General Warren Hastings. “A breakfast was given by the Honourable Governor General at the courthouse, and at noon the most sumptuous dinner at which there were present many persons of Distinction. Several royal salutes were fired from the Grand battery at the Loll Diggy [Lal Dighi], every one of which was wash’d down with Lumba Pillans of Loll Shrub, and the evening concluded with a ball, cheer’d and enlivened by the Grand illumination and excellent band of Music. The Ball was honoured with the company of many amiable British ladies, and the lustre of their natural beauty, outrivalled the brilliancy of their Diamonds and rendered them useless (Hickey’s Bengal Gazette, January 1781).”
Personal essays of some Europeans highlight that in 1789, balls were held every night during the winter season, and the scenario had hardly changed even 50 years later in 1838. The ladies were supposed to dress up in lavish European attire. Many European-style shops opened up in Calcutta, where they could buy hats, laces, and ball gowns. Even hairstylists emerged to curate unique hairstyles for their patrons.
In 1785, a masquerade was hosted where “The rooms and tents were fitted up with taste, in a style entirely new in this country (Calcutta Gazette, 1785).” Its tickets cost 2 gold coins, available for purchase at Harmonic Tavern. Notable characters of the masquerade were two gypsies, a milkmaid, a ballad singer, and a French governess, among others. Fancy dress balls were also in vogue during this period. One such noted event is Mrs. Casement’s ball of 14th February 1823. Here, people dressed as characters inspired by the plays of William Shakespeare and Walter Scott. Another event was a fancy dress ball held at the Grand Hotel for children on 14th December 1925.
Lord Cornwallis hosted lavish balls. One such ball held on New Year’s Eve lasted till four in the morning. The ladies danced to their heart’s content, and the gentlemen indulged in wine. In these balls, the social ranking determined the order of the dance. The ball opened with a minuet followed by country dancing. The ladies would be led to dance in the order of their husbands’ ranking. The most important lady of the evening was the wife of the Governor-General, followed by the wives of senior officers and those appointed by the Company or Crown. The next in line were the non-official Europeans, and at last stood the Indian or mixed-race civil servants.
Young and single ladies were the most coveted individuals in these balls. Young, unmarried European women were scarce in colonial Calcutta. Naturally, they were in high demand and had a line of suitors for dance. Interestingly, it was considered an offense in Calcutta to dance more than once with the same gentleman, as many were waiting for their precious turn.
In 1804, Colonel Harcourt hosted a ball at Cuttack, then a part of the Bengal Presidency. He served his guests a lavish supper consisting of delicacies from Madras and Calcutta. In 1938, Lord Brabourne hosted one of the grandest Christmas balls. He invited high dignitaries, including 5 kings and queens. The East India Company records show the bill of the evening amounted to Rupees 5,296 for the supper and drinks.
The balls, however, were restricted to elite Europeans and rich Indian babus or zamindars. For instance, Dwarkanath Tagore and Surendranath Banerjee attended the balls. The reality of the poor Indians and Europeans was in stark contrast to the lavish balls held at the Town Hall and private mansions. While the elites of the society were busy enjoying lavish food, the common people worked hard to put some food on the table.
