Kolkata is perhaps the only city in the world where neighbourhoods are named after Christian missionaries, Indian freedom fighters and the Europeans they fought against, Muslim saints, Hindu goddesses, and even a Venetian whose history is hardly known. It is also the only city in the world where the American Consulate stands on a street named in honour of Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader!
Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the City of Joy, is the cultural capital of India. It straddles the Hooghly River (locally known as the Ganges though geographically this river is a distributary of the main river and originates as a canal upstream) and is a sprawling metropolis of modern high-rises, sprawling slums, winding lanes, grand mansions, and neighbourhoods that unabashedly evoke bygone days. The city with rickety blue buses and cadmium yellow taxis is home to 4.5 million people. Simon Winchester writes, “Calcutta today, in consequence, is something of a mausoleum, a heaving hothouse of a museum, a place unable or unwilling to break free of her shackles as the one-time capital of imperial India.” Calcuttans are prone to romanticism and fatalism. They speak one of the most onomatopoeic languages in the world. They are always up for debate and are incorrigible foodies. Most of them take an interest in the arts, be it poetry, literature, theatre, or music. It is the only Indian city where arthouse movies consistently perform better than commercial flicks!
Etymology of Kolkata
The etymology of Kolkata is highly debated. Some theories are–
- Most historians trace the etymology of Calcutta/Kolkata to Kali-kota, the abode of Goddess Kali. Ancient Hindus referred to the place as Kali-shetra (shetra is area, region in Sanskrit). The Puranas mention that a portion of Satiâs corpse fell on the spot that is now Kalighat, the revered shrine of Goddess Kali.
- The etymology of Calcutta has also been linked to Golgotha, the land of skulls. There can be two reasons for this: First, Goddess Kali wears a necklace of skulls around her neck and is often pictured standing in a crematorium with human skulls strewn around her. Second, the land acquired the name after many Europeans died from tropical diseases and mariners starting regarding the place as Golgotha. Kolkata might be a corruption of the word, Golgotha.
- Grose in The Voyage to the East Indies Vol. II refers to the area as Kilkila, a region that stretched from the banks of the Saraswati in the west to the Yamuna in the east.
- The Marattha ditch or khal, as a ditch is called in Bengali, might have lent Kolkata its name because khal-kata would be cutting/excavating a ditch.
- According to Nair, the word kol which means âlapâ is usually used to denote the open ends of the alluvial formations which are formed on the sides of the rivers of Bengal by the deflection of currents. The peninsulas surrounding them are, after some time, cut through by the changes in the course of the river and the place is called kata-kol or kol-kata, which literally means âa cut-open lap.â
- Perhaps the most popular is the story of the farmer who when asked the name of the place by an Englishman assumed that he was being asked when the grass was cut and duly answered, kal kata âIt was cut yesterdayâ and the Englishman noted down the name of the place as Kal-kata or Calcutta!
In 2001, Calcutta was officially renamed Kolkata in an attempt to shrug off its colonial past and to emphasise its ethnic Bengali roots. For us, Bengalis, Calcutta had always been Kolkata in Bengali and Calcutta in English and thus, the name change felt somewhat redundant. For the city whose inhabitants recite Tagore and Tennyson with equal ease and live perpetually immersed in nostalgia, the struggle for identity became all the more pronounced.
The history of the names of the neighbourhoods of Kolkata is not very well documented. There are very few written records of the area before the English arrived. For this project, only the more important neighbourhoods of North, Central, and South Kolkata have been considered. Neighbourhoods of Greater Kolkata and East Kolkata (the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass has been considered a rough boundary towards east) are not a part of this project as of now. Certain neighbourhoods in the north, beyond Shyambazaar, have not been included. The greatest problem we faced is the unavailability of archives and written material. There are multiple sources and most carry the history of only a few well-known neighbourhoods. Few can be learnt from oral traditions and some can only be hypothesised or conjectured.
Neighbourhoods of North Kolkata
Ahiritola
Ahiritola (Bengali: āĻāĻšāĻŋāĻ°ā§āĻā§āĻ˛āĻž) is the traditional quarters of the cow herders. Howell mentions that the British East India Company allotted separate districts to the companyâs labourers and Ahiritola was one of them. Ahiri were the milkmen (so-called because they had to wake up at daybreak to milk the cows and take the milk to the market and the word ahiri is connected to daybreak) and the tola, district, assigned to them was Ahiritola. It is to be noted that only Hindu milkmen lived in this area.
Babughat
Babughat (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻ), originally Babu Raj Chandra Ghat, was named after Babu Raj Chandra Das, husband of Rani Rashmoni who had it built in 1830 in memory of her late husband. With its fine Doric-Greek style pavilion, it offered lovely views of the river and was frequented by the babus of Calcutta. The area around the ghat is known by the same name.
Badurbagan
It is conjectured that Badurbagan (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻĻā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) was notorious for its population of frugivorous bats or flying foxes. Badur (āĻŦāĻžāĻĻā§āĻĄāĻŧ/ BÄduáša) is Bengali for
Bagmari
Present-day Bagmari (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻŽāĻžāĻ°ā§) was once the hunting resort of the sahibs of Calcutta and a tiger (āĻŦāĻžāĻ/Bagh) was probably captured and killed (kill: āĻŽāĻžāĻ°āĻž/MÄrÄ) here.
Baghbazar
Baghbazaar (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻŧāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°) is located along the banks of the Hooghly and like most North Kolkata neighbourhoods, it was once home to the aristocracy and the Bengali babus, a class of liberals and progressives from the late 18th to the 20th century who initiated the Bengali Renaissance. Bagh means garden and bazaar, a permanent market. Thus, Baghbazaar gets its name from a flower market that no longer exists. Until 1952, there existed at the northernmost corner of this neighbourhood a garden called Perinâs garden where British memsahibs enjoyed leisurely strolls. It can be assumed that this garden supplied flowers to the local market.
Barobazaar
Baro, in Bengali, means large and Barobazaar (Bengali: āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°), literally large market, is the largest wholesale market in India. Some historians say that the area gets its name from Buro, another name for Lord Shiva, and was earlier known as Burobazaar. There used to be a Shiva temple in the area. Persians, Bengalis, Jews, Arabs, Marwaris, Armenians, Madrasis, Burmese, Sikhs, Turks, Parses, Chinese and Europeans, bought and sold goods here. It was a congregation of diverse cultures and languages. Colesworthy Grant in his book Anglo-Indian sketches writes: âHere may be seen the jewels of Golkanda and Bundelkhand, the shawls of Cashmere, the
Beadon Square
Sir Cecil Beadon, lieutenant-governor of the Bengal Presidency from 1862 to 1866, gave Beadon Square its name.
Beniatola
Beniatola (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻā§āĻ˛āĻž) was the district of the merchants (āĻŦā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž / BÄniáēÄ is derived from the Sanskrit Banij/Vanij which means merchants). In Bengal, people belonging to the
Beleghata
Beleghata (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻ˛ā§āĻāĻžāĻāĻž) or as Beliaghata is more popularly known gets its name from the sand (āĻŦāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋ /BÄli) deposit along the bank of the creek that flowed through this area. According to Nair,
Boubazaar
Boubazaar (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°) or the brideâs market was so named because the daughter-in-law (āĻŦāĻ / Ba’u from the Sanskrit bahu) of one merchant named Biswanath Matilal owned the land rights of this area. It is also possible that bou is a corruption of the word bahu, from the Pali word meaning many, and referred to a locality where many petty bazaars were held.
Burtollah
A pair of twin bar or Banyan trees gave its name to Burtollah (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž).
Chandni Chowk
It is possible that Chandni Chowk (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻāĻĻāĻ¨ā§ āĻā§āĻ) was named after Delhiâs Chandni Chowk though there are no similarities in the design and arrangement of stalls. Both are bustling markets. It is possible that the area was so named as a symbol of acknowledgement for the Mughals whose capital was at Delhi.
Chaltabagan
Chaltabagan (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ˛āĻ¤āĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) derives its name from a fruit called Chalta (Dillenia Indica). In Bengali kitchens, chalta is usually pickled or made into a relish.
Chatawala Guli
Chatawala Guli (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ¤āĻžāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ˛āĻž āĻāĻ˛āĻŋ) was a lane where the Chinese, Muslim, Jew and Parsi communities lived. It derives its name from the umbrellas (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ¤āĻž / chata) sold here.
Chitpur
The shrine of Goddess Chiteswari gave Chitpur (Bengali: āĻāĻŋā§āĻĒā§āĻ°) its name. Built by Gobindram Mitter (Mitter is the Anglicisation of the Bengali surname Mitra), the temple was destroyed in an earthquake in 1737. The area could also have got its name from a notorious bandit, Chitey Dakat, who offered human sacrifices to appease the goddess. Chitpur was known for being the hub of theatre and there were many printing presses here. A number of artists lived here and the area was sort of an artists’ colony in the early 16th century. Chitra (āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ° / chitra is a Sanskrit word that complex roots in Proto-Indo-European language and Persian) means painting and pura, as mentioned in the Rigveda, means a town. In fact, Bipradas Pipilai in his poem Mansamangala does refer to the area as Chitrapur.
College Square
College Square and College Street get their names from their proximity to many schools and colleges including Sanskrit College, Calcutta Medical College, and Presidency University which was earlier known as the Hindu College. College Square was earlier called Goldighee because the natural shape of the tank (āĻĻā§āĻāĻŋ/DÄĢghi) was round (āĻā§āĻ˛/gol). It was later excavated and converted to a square tank and the sides were tiled. College Street is the worldâs largest second-hand book market and scholars and bibliophiles flock the stalls for a chance at scoring a rare manuscript or a first edition. Also in the area is the Indian Coffee House which since its inception has been the haunt of the Bengali intelligentsia. Renowned personalities like Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray have all been patrons.
Colootola
Colootola (Bengali: āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻā§āĻ˛āĻž) or Kalutola was the locality of the oil-pressers (āĻāĻ˛ā§/Kalu).
Dalhousie
Dalhousie Square was named after Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General of India from 1848-1856. It has been renamed Binoy-Badal-Dinesh (B.B.D.) Bagh (Bengali: āĻŦāĻŋ.āĻŦāĻž.āĻĻā§. āĻŦāĻžāĻ) to commemorate three young freedom fighters who shot dead the Inspector General of Prisons, N.S. Simpson in 1930.
Dharamatala
Dharmatala (Bengali: āĻ§āĻ°ā§āĻŽā§āĻŽāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) traces its name to Dharmathakur, a folk deity worshipped in parts of rural Bengal. Haris and Doms, two castes who worshipped Dharmathakur, used to live in the surrounding area. Some say that Dharmatala, literally Holy Street, gets its name from its proximity to the Tipu Sultan Mosque. Others argue that the name is a reference to Dharma, one of the units of the Buddhist Trinity because there used to be a Buddhist temple nearby. It is possible that the suffix tola was earlier used but has been corrupted to tala.
Dorjipara
Dorjipara (Bengali: āĻĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻĒāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž) was the colony (para) of the tailors (āĻĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋ / DarajÄĢ). This locality is peppered with some beautiful examples of the unique architecture of Kolkata. The word âdorjiâ comes from the darzi that means the business of a tailor in Hindi. This word has its roots in the Persian darzan, to sew.
Entally
Enayat Ali Market was located at the heart of modern-day Entally (Bengali: āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§). The name Entally is a corruption of Enayat Ali. However, Gait disagrees and says that Entally was originally called Hintally and derives its name from Hintal, a species of date-palm that grows only on lands subject to tides.
Garanhatta
Garanhatta (Bengali: āĻāĻ°āĻžāĻŖāĻšāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻž), a nearby locality, is so called because a particular species of trees grew here. Garran, the unbarked trunks of these trees used for building and for fuel purposes, was sold in the
Girish Park
Girish Park (Bengali: āĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻŋāĻļ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ) was named in honour of Girish Chandra Ghosh, the Father of the Bengali Theatre. Despite being a disbeliever and a sceptic in his earlier life, he later became a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, an Indian mystic and devotee of Goddess Kali. Toru Dutt, the well-known Indian poet who wrote in English and French, was born in the Dutt family who lived in nearby Rambagan.
Guabagan
The Sanskrit word for betel-nut palms, gubÄk, gives Guabagan (Bengali: āĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) its name.
Haatibagan
When Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah attacked Calcutta in 1756, his elephants were posted on a tract of land close to the river. This area came to be known by the name of Haatibagan (Bengali: āĻšāĻžāĻ¤āĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨), the garden (bagan) where the elephants (āĻšāĻžāĻ¤āĻŋ / HÄti is derived from the Sanskrit hasta meaning hand) were kept. It is one of the oldest traditional markets in Kolkata.
Halsibagan
Halsibagan (Bengali: āĻšāĻžāĻ˛āĻ¸āĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) is in the Khanna-Maniktala neighbourhood. When most of Kolkata was a marshy land, halsi (Aegiceras Fragrans), a plant that grows only in areas overflowed by the spring tide grew predominantly in this area and therefore the area was named Halsibagan.
Hatkhola
Hatkhola (Bengali: āĻšāĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ˛āĻž) is a corruption of Hat-tola and gets its name from the hat (āĻšāĻžāĻ/HÄáša) or mart for the sale of the principal commodities of commerce such as rice, etc.
Hedua
To the north-east of Girish Park is Hedua (Bengali: āĻšā§āĻĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻž). It is a corruption of the word Hrad (āĻšā§āĻ°āĻĻ/Hrada) which means lake. The locality and the tank were famous for underground springs that proved an impediment to the construction of the tank.
Janbazar
Since Janbazaar (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ¨āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°) was a densely populated and busy locality, it is possible that it got its name from the many vehicles plying through the streets since the Bengali word
Jorabagan
Jorabagan (Bengali: āĻā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) literally means a pair (āĻā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻž /
Jorasanko
Jorasanko (Bengali: āĻā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§) was so named because once upon a time there was a creek here and right at this point, there were two bamboo bridges (āĻ¸āĻžāĻāĻā§ / SÄmĖkÅ) spanning it. Jorasanka was home to a number of Kolkataâs most distinguished families, including the Tagore family (Tagore is the Anglicisation of Thakur, a title with roots in the Sanskrit thÄkura meaning chief or man of rank). Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, was born here and his house still stands in this neighbourhood.
Kadapara
Due to its proximity to the marshes, the soil in this area was muddy (mud: (āĻāĻžāĻĻāĻž/KÄdÄ) year round and this is why Kadapara (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĻĒāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž) came to be called so. Kadapara literally translates to muddy-neighbourhood.
Khanna
Khanna (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻž) got its name from Khanna theatre that is no longer in operation.
Kumartuli
Kumartuli (Bengali: āĻā§āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋ) is the traditional potterâs (āĻā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ° or KumÄra) quarters of Kolkata. Winding lanes are a characteristic of North Kolkata and Kumartuli is no exception. Idols of Goddess Durga are crafted in crammed workshops year round. The skeleton is made with bamboo and hay is used for the flesh and finally a layer of entel maati, (āĻāĻāĻā§āĻ˛ /ÄmĖášÄla comes from āĻāĻāĻāĻž/ ÄmĖášÄ which means to stick or to tighten) a type of sticky clay brought in from the bed of the Hooghly is applied on the structure and another variety of clay called bele maati (āĻŦā§āĻ˛ā§ / BÄlÄ is derived from āĻŦāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋ / BÄli which means sand and this type of clay is high in sand content) is applied over it before the painting starts. The most important ritual is the drawing of eyes that symbolises that there is a soul in the idol. Traditionally, artisans would do it in the darkness and no one could witness the act. One interesting thing to note: it is customary that the clay to build the idol should be mixed with a small quantity of soil brought from the choukath of a sex worker as it is said that a man sheds all their righteousness and nobility before crossing that threshold.
Kankurgachi
Kankurgachi (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻāĻžāĻāĻŋ) gets its name from the kankur (Cucumis utilissimus), a plant belonging to the Cucurbitacea family, that perhaps grew or was cultivated in this area.
Lalbazaar
The area around Lal dighi came to be known as Lalbazaar (Bengali: āĻ˛āĻžāĻ˛āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°). Dighi, in Bengali, means pond and lal (red) dighi got its name because the reflection of the red walls of old Fort William made its water appear red. It is also possible that the area derives its name from Lal Girja as the Old or Mission Church, with its red-painted bricks, was known to the natives.
Lebutala
The acid lime tree (āĻ˛ā§āĻŦā§/LÄbu) gives Lebutala (Bengali: āĻ˛ā§āĻŦā§āĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) its name.
Machuabazaar
Machuabazaar (Bengali: āĻŽāĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°) or fishermenâs market gets its name from the Bengali āĻŽāĻžāĻ / MÄcha, meaning fish.
Maniktala
Maniktala (Bengali: āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨āĻŋāĻāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) gets its name from the tomb of Manik
Moulali
It is possible that Moulali (Bengali: āĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻ˛āĻŋ) derived its name from someone who was popularly known as Maulana Ali. The name can refer to either Maulana Mohammed Ali, a famous freedom fighter or his elder brother, Maulana Shaukat Ali. It might also be the name of some Muslim saint who was revered by the locals and had a dargah here.
Muchibazaar
The market of the cobblers (āĻŽā§āĻāĻŋ /
Murgihatta
South of Barabazar was the fowl market popularly known as
Nonapukur
Nonapukur (Bengali: āĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻĒā§āĻā§āĻ°) gets its name from a brackish (āĻ¨ā§āĻ¨āĻž/NÅnÄ) tank (āĻĒā§āĻā§āĻ°/pukur) that existed in that area.
Pataldanga
Nearby Maniktala is Pataldanga (Bengali: āĻĒāĻāĻ˛āĻĄāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻž), an area which gets its name from a cucurbitaceous vegetable, potol (āĻĒāĻāĻ˛/Paášala) or the pointed gourd (Trichosanthes Dioica). This vegetable features frequently in Bengali cooking; pointed gourd stuffed with ground poppy seeds is considered a delicacy. No historical records offer any commentary on why the potol was honoured!
Pathuriaghata
Earlier the river Hooghly flowed past the Chitpur Road. Pathuriaghata (Bengali: āĻĒāĻžāĻĨā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻāĻžāĻāĻž) derives its name from the stone (āĻĒāĻžāĻĨāĻ°/PÄthara) flight of steps (ghat) that existed there in the 17th century.
Phoolbagan
It is safe to assume that once upon a time there existed a garden of flowers (āĻĢā§āĻ˛/phool) there and that gave Phoolbagan (Bengali: āĻĢā§āĻ˛āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) its name.
Posta
The word posta is an old Bengali word that can refer to a pier or quay. Posta (Bengali: āĻĒā§āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤āĻž) market is located near the river and since it is known that in olden days, the river flowed further east, it is probable that a pier existed here to facilitate the transportation of goods to this wholesale market. Referring to its location near the pier, the locals simply called the market Posta. The market was also known as Raja Sukhmoyâs Posta and eventually, the entire area came to be known by the name Posta.
Rajabazaar
Needless to say, the market frequented by the kings, the rajas of North Kolkata came to be known as Rajabazaar (Bengali: āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°). The word āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻž / RÄjÄ comes from the Sanskrit rajan âkingâ and cognate with Latin rex, Old Irish rig “king”. It was originally called Raja Ramlochan-r bazaar or the market of Raja Ramlochan. Alternatively, the locality gets its name from Raja Rajballav who sought and obtained protection against the Nawab from the Company.
Sealdah
Geologists have hypothesised that Kolkata was once a part of the Sundarbans and âthe sea gradually withdrew and at the beginning of the Christian Era, it was a land-mass crisscrossed by islands.â (Nair, 6). Sealdah (Bengali: āĻļāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ˛āĻĻāĻžāĻš) was formerly known as Srigaladwipa, a flat island populated by jackals. Se-aal (āĻļāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ˛/ÅÄáēÄla) or srigal (āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ˛/ÅrĖĨgÄla) means jackal and dwipa is the Bengali word for island (āĻĻā§āĻŦā§āĻĒ/DbÄĢpa). Another conjecture is that jackals were killed and burnt (āĻĄāĻžāĻšāĻž/ḒĖÄhÄ) here and thus the area was called Sealdah.
Shobhabazaar
Shobhabazaar (Bengali: āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°) derives its name from Shobharam Basak, one of the richest persons living in 18th century Kolkata. It is also possible that it got its name from the great sabha or caste meeting held on the occasion of the shradh ceremony of Maharaja Nabakrishna Debâs mother. Shobhabazar might also be a corruption of Subah-bazaar or the bazaar of the subah i.e. province of Bengal under the Muslim rule. (Gait, 90).
Shyambazaar
A chaotic five-point crossing is the identity marker of Shyambazaar (Bengali: āĻļā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻŽāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ°), a throbbing north Kolkata neighbourhood where horse-drawn trams were first introduced. According to Holwell, there used to be a large market named Charles Bazaar here, which was later renamed in honour of Shyam Rai by the Basak family, one of the richest trading families of those times. The area surrounding the market came to be known by the same name.
Simla
Simla (Bengali: āĻ¸āĻŋāĻŽāĻ˛āĻž) was so named because there was an abundance of shimul trees (Bombax ceiba) in the locality. In spring, the blue tropical skies were filigreed with the bright-red blossoms and the streets wear covered with a layer of fuzzy cotton.
Singhi Bagan
The garden of the Singhi family was located in the neighbourhood now known as Singhi Bagan (Bengali: āĻ¸āĻŋāĻāĻšāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨).
Sonagachi
Kolkataâs red light district, Sonagachi (Bengali: āĻ¸ā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻāĻžāĻāĻŋ), traces its name to a religious figure. The area was owned by a Muslim saint by the name of Sanaullah Gazi, or as he was locally known, Sona Gazi. His tomb still stands in the area that came to be known as Sonagachi, gachi being a more Bengalized pronunciation of the word Gazi.’
Taltala
The palmyra, tal trees, that are common in the southern parts of Bengal lend Taltala (Bengali: āĻ¤āĻžāĻ˛āĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) its name.
Tangra
There are two possibilities of the origin of the word Tangra (Bengali: āĻā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻāĻ°āĻž): it might be a corruption of the word tanner since a number of tanneries are located in this area or it might have been derived from the Tangra fish (Mystus vitatus). Tangra houses the Chinese population of Kolkata and has numerous Hakka Chinese restaurants. During the Chinese New Year, the area is decorated with lights and dragon dances are organised.
Thanthania
The etymology of Thanthania (Bengali: āĻ āĻ¨āĻ āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž) is very interesting. This area was notorious for its hard soil that was as hard as bricks and thus, the locals referred to it as Thanthania which according to Gait originates from âthun-thun, an onomatopoeic term representing to the Indian ear the sound which two bricks emit when struck against each other.â (89). However, Sarat Chandra Mitra asserts that the âthuntherias, or the class who work in brass or bell-metalâ gave Thanthania its name. (100)
Tiretta Bazaar
Edward Tiretta lent his name to the neighbourhood called Tiretta Bazaar. Tiretta was a Venetian exile and nobody knows how he attained the position of superintendent of streets and houses of Calcutta under the East India Company. The Calcutta Gazette of 1788 describes Tiretta as a flourishing bazaar occupying nine bighas (roughly 1/3rd of an acre or 1333 m2) and eight cottahs (1 cottah is roughly 1/20th of a bigha) of land. Nearby is the cityâs only Burmese Buddhist Temple and Kolkataâs unique Chinese Kali Temple. Tiretta was also the founder of a burial ground on Park Street that came to be known as Tirettaâs Burial Ground. The oldest tomb in this cemetery is of his wife, Angelique who died in 1796.
Ultadanga
Ultadanga (Bengali: āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻž) is a corruption of Ulta-dingi, the site where a cockleboat (āĻĄāĻŋāĻāĻŋ/á¸iáš i) is conjectured to have overturned (āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻž / UlášÄ) in the creek. This accident must have been a remarkable one but there are no written records.
Wellington Square
Wellington Square, as Raja Subodh Mullick Square was earlier known as, was named after Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. The locality was previously known as Dingabhanga from a cockleboat (āĻĄāĻŋāĻāĻŋ/á¸iáš i) that was wrecked (āĻāĻžāĻāĻž/BhÄáš Ä) here in the devastating cyclone of 1737.
Neighbourhoods of South Kolkata
Alipur
Mir Jafar Ali, the Nawab of Murshidabad, lent his name to one of Kolkataâs posher neighbourhoods, Alipur (Bengali: āĻāĻ˛āĻŋāĻĒā§āĻ°). In the late 1760s, after the British East India Company had harangued him to abdicate in favour of Qasim Khan, the nawab settled in Kolkata within the safety of English fortifications in this area. He built many buildings in the city, one of which was the magnificent Belvedere House that became the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor. Belvedere literally means âfair viewâ and originates from late 16th century Italian: bel âbeautifulâ + vedere âto view.â C.E. Buckland describes it as: âIn the middle of a park studded with groups of trees stands Belvedere House. Its architecture is of a free Italian Renaissance style developed of an ordinary Anglo-Indian building. Its terrace overlooks a rich expanse of verdure, its flight of steps are environed by flowing creepers, its ground covered with lotus and water lilies. Its garden encircled with various trees, the banyan, the almond the bamboo, the cotton tree and even by some specimens of the peerless Amherstia.â Belvedere House stood within the Belvedere Estates and Alipur was once known as Belvedere.
Babubagan
Babubagan (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) gets its name from a garden that was frequented by the babus of Kolkata.
Baghajatin
Baghjatin (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻž āĻ¯āĻ¤ā§āĻ¨) gets its name from Jatindranath Mukherjee, a Bengali freedom fighter whose nom de guerre was Bagha Jatin. Bagha is the Bengali word for tiger.
Bakulbagan
Bakulbagan (Bengali: āĻŦāĻā§āĻ˛āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) gets its name from bakul trees (Mimusep Etingii).
Ballygunge
Ballygunge (Bengali: āĻŦāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻāĻā§āĻ) is so called because the soil in this locality had rich deposits of sand (āĻŦāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋ/BÄli). It is hypothesised that the Adi Ganga flowed through this area.
Beckbagan
Beckbagan (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻ¨) gets its name from the garden of Hyder Beck, the Wazir of Oudh.
Behala
The female protagonist of Mansamangalya, Behula, lends her name to a South Kolkata neighbourhood named Behala (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻšāĻžāĻ˛āĻž). The locality might also have derived its name from Bahulapur or the land of many rivers, as it was a part of the Sundarbans during the rule of the Pala kings. Bahula also means dark and is an epithet of the goddess Chandi or Kali.
Beniapukur
The part of town where the tank of the benias was located continues to be known as Beniapukur (Bengali: āĻŦā§āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻĒā§āĻā§āĻ°).
Birji
Birjitala (Bengali: āĻŦāĻŋāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž), now known as Birji, derives its name from Brajanath, another name of Lord Vishnu.
Bhowanipur
According to Sir Evan Cotton, in the 16th century, there used to be an older temple of Goddess Kali a mile or more to the northeast of the present Kalighat temple in what is now called Bhowanipur. Bhowani is another name of the goddess and in her honour, the neighbourhood is called Bhowanipur (Bengali: āĻāĻŦāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻĒā§āĻ°).
Chetla
There is no record on the origin of the name of the neighbourhood of Chetla. The word Chetla (Bengali: āĻā§āĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) might be a corruption of the word aatchala, a style of temple architecture in Bengali. The aatchala Ras Bihari Temple is located here.
Chowringhee
No one is sure about how Chowringhee (Bengali: āĻā§āĻ°āĻā§āĻā§) got its name. It is said that this area was once a village named Cherangi, which means chera-anga or cut-up body referring to the body of Sati after Vishnuâs Sudarshan Chakra cut it into pieces to save the world from Shivaâs agony. One legend says that a yogi named Chorangi Giri discovered an image of Goddess Kaliâs face and founded the original temple. He gave the locality its name.
Dhakuria
It is unknown how Dhakuria (Bengali: āĻĸāĻžāĻā§āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž) got its name. It is possible that the area was settled by the dhakis who are traditional drummers and play the dhak (āĻĸāĻžāĻ) during festivals.
Ekdalia
The origin of Ekdalia (Bengali: āĻāĻāĻĄāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž) is unknown. It is possible that the area was initially settled by the members of one (āĻāĻ/Äka) community (āĻĻāĻ˛/dal) and was named Ekdalia to proclaim a sense of unity.
Elgin
Elgin was named in honour of Lord Elgin.
Garia
It is conjectured that Garia (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž) derives its name from the mangrove plant Goria or Guria (Kandelia candel) that grew in this area which was once part of the Sundarbans.
Gariahaat
Gariahat (Bengali: āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ) is the market (haat) in Garia.
Hastings
Hastings was named in honour of the Marquis of Hastings, who commissioned the first iron bridge in India. The area was earlier known as Coolie Bazaar because the coolies, the porters, resided here.
Hazra
The erstwhile garden of the Hazra (Bengali: āĻšāĻžāĻāĻ°āĻž) family was located in the neighbourhood that is currently known as Hazra. Hazra is a Bengali surname.
Jadavpur
The locality where the Jadavs, a community or caste, settled is called Jadavpur (Bengali: āĻ¯āĻžāĻĻāĻŦāĻĒā§āĻ°).
Jatin Das Park
Jatin Das Park was named in honour of Jatindranath Das, an Indian independence activist and revolutionist.
Kalighat
Kalighat (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻžāĻ) takes its name from the shrine of Goddess Kali. It is one of the 51 Shakti peethas. The right toe of Sati fell here. The temple was built by one of the Sabarna Chaudaris of Barsi Byeala. Eastern Indiaâs only Greek Church is also located in the Kalighat area.
Kasba
The word kasba means village or suburb in Bengali. It is probably the origin of the name of the area, Kasba (Bengali: āĻāĻ¸āĻŦāĻž), in South Kolkata.
Kidderpore
Khizr/Khidr was the guardian saint of the seas for the fishing communities of Bengal and the area around the port was called Khizrpur/Khidrpur. Kidderpore (Bengali: āĻāĻŋāĻĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻĒā§āĻ°) is a corruption of that name. Alternatively, the area might have got its name from Lord Kyde, the engineer who designed and supervised the building of the lock gates that connects the nearby port to the Hooghly River. Kolkataâs first bridges were built here under the supervision of Colonel Watson in 1781.
Kudghat
Kudghat (Bengali: āĻā§āĻĻāĻāĻžāĻ) is a corruption of Kutghat, a riverine tax collecting point in medieval Bengal (8). Here taxes were collected from ships and vessels passing through the Adi Ganga River which was once an important waterway for cargo ships.
Metiabruz
A tall mound of earth,
Mominpur
Momin is one of the attributive names of the Allah. The word can be used to refer to someone who believes in God and endorses the principles and philosophies of his religion with sincerity. It is conjectured that Mominpur (Bengali: āĻŽā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¨āĻĒā§āĻ°) was named after a revered Muslim holy man.
Naktala
The word Nak might be a corruption of the word Nag, the name for the Hindu snake god. It is possible that Naktala (Bengali: āĻ¨āĻžāĻāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) derived its name from him.
Paddapukur
Paddapukur (Bengali: āĻĒāĻĻā§āĻĻāĻĒā§āĻā§āĻ°) gets its name from a pond (āĻĒā§āĻā§āĻ°/Pukura) full of lotuses (āĻĒāĻĻā§āĻŽ/Padma). Padma is often pronounced as padda in Bengali.
Park Circus
Park Circus is so named because an annual circus was held on the large ground at the centre of this neighbourhood.
Patuapara
The locality of the Patuas is known as Patuapara (Bengali: āĻĒāĻā§āĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻĒāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻž). The Patuas are an artisan community that traditionally paints Hindu gods and goddesses. The paintings are done on pieces of clothes and are known as potas.
Rabindra Sarobar
The Rabindra Sarobar area gets its name from the lakes (āĻ¸āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻ°/SarÅbara) that were named in honour of Rabindranath Tagore.
Taratala
Taratala (Bengali: āĻ¤āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž) gets its name from the tar trees, the palmyra or the toddy palms (Borasus flabellifer).
Tiljala
Tiljala (Bengali: āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ˛āĻāĻ˛āĻž) seems to mean a small tract (āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ˛/til) of land in the midst of marshes. The word jal (āĻāĻ˛) means water.
Tollygunge
The market built by Colonel William Tolly came to be known as Tollygunge (Bengali: āĻāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻāĻā§āĻ). Today it is one of Kolkataâs richer neighbourhoods and the centre of the Bengali film industry, Tollywood. Colonel Tolly also dug up the dead Adi Ganga River (now, Tollyâs Nullah) connecting the Calcutta Port to the rivers of eastern Bengal such as the Bidyadhari and the Matla.
Topsia
Topsia (Bengali: āĻ¤āĻĒāĻļāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻž) gets its name from the Mango fish (Polyremus paradiscus), commonly known as topsi or topse.
Citations
- Gait, Edward Albert. Census of India, 1901. Vol. 7, Issue 1. India: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, 1902. Print.
- Nair, Thankappan. A History of Calcuttaâs Streets. Firma KLM Private Ltd, 1987. Print.
- Holwell, John Zephaniah. India Tracts. T. Becket, 1774. Print.
- Long, Rev. J. âCalcutta in the Olden Times, Its Localities.â Nineteenth Century Studies, Old Calcutta, No. 5. Bibliographical Research Centre, Jan. 1974, Pp. 7-63. Print.
- Mitra, Sarat Chandra. âOld Calcutta.â Nineteenth Century Studies, Old Calcutta, No. 5. Bibliographical Research Centre, Jan. 1974, Pp. 91-113. Print.
- Grant, Colesworthy. Anglo-Indian Domestic Life: A Letter from an Artist in India to His Mother in England. Subarnarekha, 1862. Print.
- Wilson, C.R. Chutanutte Diary and Consultations, reproduced in Old Fort William in Bengal. J. Murray, 1906. Print.
- Bhaduri, Reena. Social Formation in Medieval Bengal. India, Bibhasa, 2001. Print.
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