Cafe, culture, and Calcutta: Inside Smaranika — the tram that teaches history

In the lively center of Esplanade, surrounded by bus horns and the footsteps of buyers, sits a wooden tram car halted in history. However, this isn’t merely a tram—it’s Smaranika, a unique tram museum and café that transports you back through Kolkata’s history. Devised in 2014 by Nilanjan Sandilya, who was the Managing Director of the Tram Company at the time, the concept was straightforward yet ambitious: maintain the dwindling heritage of trams in a city that formerly operated with them.

Nilanjan Sandilya was acutely conscious that contemporary Kolkata was overlooking one of its most ancient modes of public transit. “There isn’t a specific museum or archive that safeguards tram history,” he remarked, believing that the younger generation required a vibrant classroom on rails. Supported by the West Bengal Transport Department, his concept was realized within a wooden tram car from 1938, which was originally sourced from Bombay. It transformed into Smaranika—a sentimental place that currently informs, amuses, and inspires pride.

Enter Smaranika, and you immediately find yourself in another time period. The tram consists of two sections—the front section features a charming café, whereas the back section contains a museum filled with memories. Notable displays include caps used by drivers and conductors from 1902, batch insignias for traffic personnel since 1905, and unique mechanical components such as spherical roller bearings, wheel bearings, and Steve-bearing type 2 implemented post-1917. Miniature tram models are also featured, including the Omnibus, the Armenian Ghat terminus, and the Bokala Tram Car. Here is a unique version of the Byomkesh Bakshi Tram, created for a Bollywood film in 2013, which is also featured here. Items like ancient coins (annas, paise, kana), a voltmeter, an ammeter, and a distinct Swiss security clock highlight the complex operation of the tram network.

If the museum represents the brain, then the café serves as its heart. The notion of enjoying tea within a vintage tram stationed in central Kolkata is just as delightful as it appears. At first, the café provided a range of snacks, but over time, the menu has been reduced because of insufficient funds and upkeep. Currently, you can still savor tea, coffee, biscuits, and water beneath wooden fans and retro lights, amid wooden tables and lush greenery outside—a lovely atmosphere for friends, family, or peaceful contemplation.

Smaranika isn’t just a museum; it represents Kolkata’s effort to preserve its heritage amid swift modernization. In a world speeding toward high-speed trains and electric taxis, this vintage tram evokes a kinder era—when the experience was as significant as the endpoint. For only Rs 20 and 45 minutes of your time, Smaranika provides not only a history lesson but also a heartfelt journey to a bygone Kolkata.

The history of Kolkata’s trams began on February 24, 1873, with the operation of the first horse-drawn tram. Phased out in the same year, trams returned in 1880. In 1882, steam-powered trams were launched, but they were soon replaced because of pollution issues highlighted by residents. In 1902, electric trams emerged as the city’s new lifeline, positioning Kolkata as the first city in India to implement electric-powered trams. The timeline progresses into the 20th and 21st centuries: steel-bodied trams in 1982, AC trams in 2013, and the Smaranika Museum in 2014—each stage illustrating the city’s advancing transportation narrative. Lately, Kolkata’s tram network has been considerably reduced.