Hatibagan is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the

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state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

Overview

The area is under Shyampukur and Burtolla police stations. It is next to Shyambazar. The place is popular for its shops, markets, cinema halls and old theatres. No other places in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

cover as many cinema &

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

halls as Hatibagan. One of the most popular and famous cinema halls here is the Star Theatre, with many people in North Kolkata choosing to watch films there instead of multiplexes because of its low ticket prices. Hatibagan is one of the oldest traditional markets in Kolkata city. One can buy typical Bengal silk and cotton saris here. Hatibagan broadly covers Ward No. 10 and 11 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. This locality is also renowned for having some of the best Durga Puja committees in the city.Hatibagan Sarbojanin and Hatibagan Nabin Pally being the most notable ones. The Japanese had dropped a bomb at Hatibagan market during World War II but it did not explode. The major portion of the market was gutted in a fire on 22 March 2012.

Etymology

There are two main views on the etymology of the name Hatibagan. ''Hati'' means elephant, ''bagan'' means garden. According to one view, the elephants of the Nawab

Siraj ud-Daulah Mir Syed Jafar Ali Khan Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah (1733 – 2 July 1757), commonly known as Siraj-ud-Daulah or Siraj ud-Daula, was the last independent Nawab of the Bengal Subah. The end of his reign marked the start of the rule of th ...

were posted here when he attacked Kolkata in 1756. Another view suggests someone with the surname ''Hati'' had a villa with garden in this area, leading to the name. The villa was bought by Mehtab Chand Mullick who initiated the market.

Economy

Daily markets

Hatibagan market, along with Maniktala, Sealdah, Lake Market and Gariahat markets, is amongst the largest markets in Kolkata. The larger markets of Kolkata have two sectors – inner and outer. The inner market is the official or core market in a planned building and the outer is a makeshift arrangement of pavement stalls. Hatibagan Market at 82, Bidhan Sarani is a private market spread across 1 acre. Vegetables, fruits, betel leaf, fish, meat, egg, spices etc. are available. It is a hustle-bustle area spread beyond the market arena onto the footpaths. "From fashionable wears to home decors and goods, you will get each and everything that you need." Earlier, Hatibagan had a pet market, which has been shifted to Galiff Street. A fire had gutted Hatibagan Market in 2012. The market houses more than 1,500 shops in two buildings.

Transport

Road

Two major roads those cross through Hatibagan are Bidhan Sarani (formerly Cornwallis Street) & Aurobindo Sarani (formerly Grey Street). Many buses and auto-rickshaws ply along these roads. Kolkata tram route no. 5 serves the area (via Bidhan Sarani).Google maps

Train

Kolkata Station Kolkata railway station (KOAA), formerly known as Chitpur railway station, is the newest of the five large railway stations serving Kolkata metropolitan region, West Bengal, India. The others are Sealdah railway station, Sealdah, Howrah Junctio ...

, one of the five major railway-terminals of

Kolkata Metropolitan Area The Kolkata Metropolitan Area (abbreviated KMA; formerly Calcutta Metropolitan Area), also known as Greater Kolkata, is the urban agglomeration of the city of Kolkata (Calcutta) in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the third most populous ...

, is the nearest railway station. Bidhannagar Road railway station and Sovabazar Ahiritola railway station are also located nearby.

References

External links

{{Kolkata neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods in Kolkata