George Town

George Town Review

If you hate crowds, then George Town will be a nonstop nuisance. Walking—the only way to explore this teeming warren of congested streets—is often hard going. Before you venture into George Town, make sure you have a detailed map of this area, such as the one in the Eicher City Map, so you can wander with confidence (many streets have similar names). For the full experience, come in the morning, when the bustle is at its peak.

Originally called Black Town, this 2½-by-3-km (1½-by-2-mi) area was first settled by lower-caste artisans who provided textiles to the British traders. After Black Town burned in the British-French wars, the new town was laid out in a grid pattern, with different sections given over to different ethnicities and religions, with their own places of worship. The street names echo George Town's mercantile history; each area bears the cultural characteristics of the group—Portuguese, Scot, Armenian, or Jewish—who migrated there doing business with (or for) the East India Company. Another prominent group is the Chettiars, a collection of prominent merchants; you'll notice that many of the street names end in "chetti." Two competitive subcastes of the Chettiars long vied for mercantile power, first with the East India Company and then with the merchants of the Raj.