Port Louis – Desforges (SSR) Street – 1911

Desforges Street in Port Louis, named after Governor Antoine Marie Desforges Boucher (1759 – 1767) who opened this road to traffic somewhere around 1765, is now mostly known as SSR (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam) Street, named after the father of the nation. Somehow, even this change of name, old habits remain and the street is still very much referred to by its previous name. As a side note, Governor Desforges also constructed the barracks at Port Louis in 1761 to avoid that soldiers had to stay at other places. The Desforges Street measures roughly 1 Kilometer (900m to be more precise) and connects the town hall to Plaine Verte, and crossing the city centre at various junctions. In the picture above, we can see the Old Port Louis Town Hall at the far end.

Port Louis – The Old Town Hall – 1960s

Desforges Street is one of the busiest in Port Louis and local habitants can testify how both during the day and the night this street is always in motion. One of the famous talks of Desforges Street will mention about ‘Pakistan Hotel’, much known as a little ‘tea hotel’ and is usually open till very late. So even late you want to grab something to eat, you will get it there.

Hotel Pakistan – 1948 (Courtesy: Mohammad Faiz)

Evolution and progress somehow have completely changed how this street looks like compared to the early 1900s. Today only a handful of these old buildings remain, all the rest have been destroyed and replaced by modern ones.