Shyambazar A.V School
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Shyambazar is a neighbourhood of
North Kolkata North Kolkata encompasses the northern part of Kolkata, including the city's oldest neighborhoods. Notable areas within North Kolkata include Shyambazar, Bagbazar, Kumartuli, Shobhabazar, Posta, Jorasanko, Rajabazar, Phoolbagan, Manikta ...
, in
Kolkata district Kolkata district (formerly known as Calcutta district) is a district in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It only contains the entire city proper of Kolkata, the capital city of the state and therefore it i ...
in the Indian
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 ...
of
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 ...
. The area, under
Shyampukur Shyampukur is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. As a neighbourhood, it covers a small area but its importance is primarily because of the police station. Et ...
police station of
Kolkata Police The Kolkata Police () (formerly "Calcutta Police"), is the Law enforcement in India, territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and crime prevention within the Kolkata metropolitan region, metropolitan area of the city of Kolkata, ...
, has been, along with neighbouring
Bagbazar Bagbazar (also spelt Baghbazar) is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. The area, under Shyampukur police station of Kolkata Police, has been, along with neighb ...
, the citadel of the
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
aristocracy, in a part of what was earlier known as
Sutanuti Sutanuti was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) in India, along with Gobindapur and Kalikata. Sutanuti was set up along the banks of the Hooghly river, which is a tributary of ...
.Nair, P. Thankappan in ''The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. I, edited by
Sukanta Chaudhuri Sukanta Chaudhuri (born 1950) is an Indian people, Indian literary scholar, now Professor Emeritus at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He was educated at Presidency College, Kolkata and the University of Oxford. He taught at Presidency College fr ...
, pp. 13–17, Oxford University Press, .
and the popularity of Shyambazer five point crossing is for the statue of
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Fascist Japan left a l ...
. Shyambazar broadly covers Ward Nos. 10, 11, and 12 of the
Kolkata Municipal Corporation Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is the local government of the Indian city of Kolkata, the List of Indian state and union territory capitals, state capital of West Bengal. This civic administrative body administers an area of . Its motto, ' ...
. The Japanese dropped a bomb near Hatibagan market during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
but it did not explode.


Origin of the name

There was a big market in the area, which Holwell called Charles Bazar. The present designation was conferred upon it by Sobharam Basak, in honour of his ''
Kuladevata A ''kuladevata'' (), also known as a ''kuladaivaṃ'' (), is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism. Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion (''bhakti''), and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (''kula''), gotra, family, ...
'', Shyam-rai. The Basaks and the Setts were amongst the first to have settled in
Sutanuti Sutanuti was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) in India, along with Gobindapur and Kalikata. Sutanuti was set up along the banks of the Hooghly river, which is a tributary of ...
, after having cleared the jungles. Sobharam Basak was one of the wealthiest native inhabitants of 18th century Kolkata.


Five-point Crossing

Growth and development of the neighbourhood and surrounding localities largely followed the construction of roads that opened up the area. The Oldest road in the crossing is
Jessore Road Jessore Road is an International road connecting Shyambazar through Dum Dum in Kolkata, India to Jessore in Bangladesh. While the Dum Dum-Barasat sector is now part of NH 12, the Barasat-Petrapole sector is now part of NH 112. It continues in ...
( National Highway 12). Sutanuti had no roads, except the pilgrim path extending across it from
Halisahar Halisahar is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). History Halisahar ...
to Barisha. Chitpur Road (renamed Rabindra Sarani) was developed along this path. It passes through neighbouring
Bagbazar Bagbazar (also spelt Baghbazar) is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. The area, under Shyampukur police station of Kolkata Police, has been, along with neighb ...
and
Chitpur Chitpur (or Chitpore) is a neighbourhood in North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sometimes, the entire area along Chitpur Road is referred to as Chitpur, although the various localities have distinctive names. ...
. Road construction picked up in the early 19th century. The Lottery Commission (1817) and its successor the Lottery Committee (1836) opened up the native parts of old Kolkata. The main axial thrusts were from south to the north, parallel to the existing
Chowringhee Chowringhee (also Chourangi) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. Chowringhee Road (officially Jawaharlal Nehru Road) runs on its western side. A neighbo ...
Chitpur Chitpur (or Chitpore) is a neighbourhood in North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sometimes, the entire area along Chitpur Road is referred to as Chitpur, although the various localities have distinctive names. ...
alignment.Lahiri Choudhury, Dhriti Kanta, ''Trends in Calcutta Architecture'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, p.171 The three-mile long
Maratha Ditch The Maratha Ditch was a three-mile-long deep entrenchment constructed by the English East India Company around Fort William in Calcutta. It was built to protect the surrounding villages and forts from the Maratha Bargi raiders. The ditch marke ...
was excavated in 1742 as a protection against the marauding
Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...
soldiers then foraging in the countryside but who never came. It was filled up in 1799 to build the Circular Road, that ran from Shyambazar, right around old Kolkata, covering the southern end of the
Maidan Maidan is an originally Persian word for a town square or public gathering place (Persian: ), adopted by various other languages: Urdu (''maidān''); Arabic (''maydān''); Turkish ; Georgian (''moedani''); Bangla ময়দান, meaning f ...
. It was metalled in the early 19th century. Around the same time, the most important axial thoroughfare from south to north — Wood Street (portion renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Sarani), Wellesley Street (renamed Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road), Wellington Street (renamed Nirmal Chandra Sarani) and College Street — was built by the Lottery Committee. The new road to
Barrackpore Barrackpore (), also known as Barrackpore,is a city and municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the India, Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Barrackpore subdivision. The city is a part of the area covered by Ko ...
(now called
Barrackpore Trunk Road Barrackpore Trunk Road, commonly known as BT Road, is 4-6 laned trunk road in Kolkata metropolitan area, West Bengal, India. It connects Kolkata with its suburb Naihati via Barrackpore. Built in 1775, it is the oldest metalled road and one of ...
), Cornwallis Street (now called
Bidhan Sarani Bidhan Sarani (formerly known as Cornwallis Street) is a principal north–south thoroughfare in north part of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It was named after the first Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra R ...
), Upper Circular Road (now called Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road) and the extension of Central Avenue (the Shyambazar end is now called Bhupendra Bose Avenue), which was built by the Kolkata Improvement Trust formed in 1911, also converged on the same point, making Shyambazar five-point crossing and one of the busiest street crossings in Kolkata.Nair, P.Thankappan, ''Civic and Public Services in Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, pp. 235-6 Shyambazar is connected to Tala and Paikpara with Barrackpore Bridge (over a canal) and Hemanta Setu (Tala Rail Overbridge) along
Barrackpore Trunk Road Barrackpore Trunk Road, commonly known as BT Road, is 4-6 laned trunk road in Kolkata metropolitan area, West Bengal, India. It connects Kolkata with its suburb Naihati via Barrackpore. Built in 1775, it is the oldest metalled road and one of ...
(B.T. Road).Google maps Tala Bridge was firstly inaugurated in 1936. Horse drawn
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
cars were introduced up to Shyambazar in 1882 and in 1899, Calcutta Tramways Company Limited introduced electric traction. In 1902 the entire system was electrified. Subsequently, tramways were extended to Belgachia. In 1941, tram tracks were laid along Circular Road. Circular Road had a garbage clearance light railway up to the early fifties. For many years tram cars were the only form of mass transport in Kolkata. Although the first motor car appeared in Kolkata in 1896, motor bus services started only in 1920. Shyambazar tram depot is on
Bidhan Sarani Bidhan Sarani (formerly known as Cornwallis Street) is a principal north–south thoroughfare in north part of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It was named after the first Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra R ...
, near the five-point crossing.
Kolkata tram The Kolkata Tram System, is a tram system that serves Kolkata, the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, operated by West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) after Calcutta Tramways Company (C ...
route no. 5 starts from here. The
Shyambazar metro station Shyambazar is an underground metro station on the North-South corridor of the Blue Line of Kolkata Metro which is located in the Shyambazar area in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. History Station layout Connections Bus Bus route number 3B, ...
of
Kolkata Metro The Kolkata Metro is a Urban rail transit in India, rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the Kolkata metropolitan area, Kolkata Metropolitan Region in West Bengal, India. Opened in 1984, it was the first operational rapid trans ...
is also located at Shyambazar fivepoint crossing. BelgachiaShyambazar section, along with Dum DumBelgachia stretch, was opened on 13 August 1994 and the ShyambazarShovabazarGirish Park and Chandni ChowkCentral sections were opened on 19 February 1995. Services on the entire stretch of Metro, from Dum Dum to Tollygunge were introduced from 27 September 1995. While most of the metro railway was constructed by the cut and cover process, the ShyambazarBelgachia stretch was constructed by tunnelling.


Commerce

Shyambazar is the focal point of shopping in north Kolkata. In fabrics and clothing, it can match College Street- MG Road crossing in Central Kolkata or
Gariahat Ballygunge is a locality of South Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the city's most affluent neighbourhoods. History The East India Company obtained from the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar, in 1717, the ...
in South Kolkata. In Jewellery, it can match
Bowbazar Bowbazar, also spelt ''Boubazar''; formerly known as Bahubazar) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History On Lt. Col. Mark Wood's map of 1784, the portion of the eastward road from L ...
in Central Calcutta or
Gariahat Ballygunge is a locality of South Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is one of the city's most affluent neighbourhoods. History The East India Company obtained from the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar, in 1717, the ...
in South Kolkata. The once famous house of jewellers, M B Sircar of Shyambazar, Senco Gold, has given way to numerous shops of descendants using variations of the name, all across the city. In Fariapukur which is an important street connecting
Bidhan Sarani Bidhan Sarani (formerly known as Cornwallis Street) is a principal north–south thoroughfare in north part of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It was named after the first Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra R ...
and APC road, there was once the office of Bichitra Press where
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (anglicised as Sarat Chandra Chatterjee; 15 September 1876 – 16 January 1938) was a Bengali novelist and short story writer of the early 20th century. He generally wrote about the lives of Bengali family and socie ...
sometimes visited. Many renowned Jewelry brand shops are located on the two sides of
Bidhan Sarani Bidhan Sarani (formerly known as Cornwallis Street) is a principal north–south thoroughfare in north part of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It was named after the first Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra R ...
. Braving the scorching afternoon heat and drizzles in the evening, people throng at roadside shops for the
Chaitra Chaitra () is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Cha ...
sale offering attractive concessions. Shyambazar vies with
New Market New Market may refer to: Bangladesh *New Market, Dhaka *New Market, Khulna, in Sonadanga Model Thana *New Market, Chittagong, near Government City College, Chittagong India * New Market, Bhopal *New Market, Kolkata Jamaica *New Market, Jam ...
and Gariahat as the most crowded markets in Kolkata. The Shyambazar
Hatibagan Hatibagan is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Overview The area is under Shyampukur and Burtolla police stations. It is next to Shyambazar. The place is popular for its shops, markets ...
area also caters extensively to customers on the eve of
Durga Puja Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...
and for weddings, apart from daily necessities. A newspaper columnist wrote, "A formidable matron with husband and children in tow wading through the crowds at Gariahat and Shyambazar is a familiar sight on the eve of
Poila Baishakh Pohela Boishakh () is the Bengali New Year celebrated by the Bengali people worldwide and as a holiday on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April or 14 April (leap year) in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam ( Goalpara ...
." Shyambazar has two regular markets — Shyambazar and
Hatibagan Hatibagan is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Overview The area is under Shyampukur and Burtolla police stations. It is next to Shyambazar. The place is popular for its shops, markets ...
.


Medical facilities

Shyambazar is also the focal point of medical treatment for the North Kolkata and its Suburban areas. R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, one of the biggest and oldest medical college in Kolkata is located close to Shyambazar Five Point crossing. The area is also crowded with nursing homes and famous are Life Line, Dreamland Nursing Home, North Land Nursing Homes, Nirnoy Nursing Homes. Renowned private hospitals like Navajeevan Hospital, Sanjeevani hospital are also located here. N.C. Paul Clinic, Serum Analysis Center, Doyen diagnostic centers are in Shyambazar area.


Sports

As Shyambazar is a crowded residential and shopping locality, there are few play grounds here. However,
Mohun Bagan AC Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest multi-sports clubs in Asia. The club has various sports departments like association football, footb ...
, one of Kolkata's leading sports clubs, had its first play ground at what is now Mohun Bagan Row. A plaque announces that the first play ground was in Mohun Bagan Villa from 1889 to 1892. Kolkata has a deep passion for football but other sports too have developed with time and have gained their share of importance and popularity as well. Tennis is one of them. Shyambazar Tennis Club operates regularly at Deshbandhu Park.


Education

J.B. Roy State Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital


Entertainment

Shyambazar has traditionally been an entertainment neighbourhood. Nabin Chandra Basu staged the first Bengali production ''Bidyasundar'' at his Shyambazar home theatre in 1835. Later in the 19th century, crucial roles were played by Bagbazar Amateur Theatre and Shyambazar Natya Samaj, in highlighting the demand for public commercial theatres open to the public, as opposed to private home theatres of the rich.
Nandikar Nandikar () is a theatre group in India. The group has its headquarters in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, but works around the world. History Nandikar's story begins on 29 June 1960 at maternal uncle's house of Asit Bandopadhyay at B K Pal ...
, one of the leading theatre groups in Kolkata is based in Shyambazar.


External links

*


References

{{Kolkata neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods in Kolkata Shopping districts and streets in India