Calcutta High Court

Calcutta High Court is the oldest high courts in India ,was established on 1st July, 1862 and  has jurisdiction over the state of W.B. , the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and has a judge strength of 58. The High Court building was designed on the model of the ‘Stadt-Haus’ or Cloth Hall at  Ypres(Ieper),Belgium.It was designed by Mr. Walter Granville (the government architect).

The Calcutta High Court

In the cloth Hall wool and cloth (other fabrics) and many other goods were traded. The building was started around 1200 and was completed in next 100 years.

This Cloth hall was destroyed by fire in World War 1 .Then again it was reconstructed in 1967.Now inside this, there is the Flanders Fields Museum.

The Belfry Tower was one of the oldest part of this hall. It had a watchtower and it had bells for warning, in time of dangers.

From the belfry tower, black cats were thrown out ceremonially to remove "black magic" .In the city of Ypres, Belgium once every three years they have a "Cat festival" (second Sunday in May) and stuffed toy cats are thrown out.

 

        

     Other names of Cloth Hall :

·         Lakenhal

·         Lakenhalle

·         Clothmakers' Hall 

·         Stadt-Haus