>GoingBatty at 18:46, 2 August 2020

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{short description|Road in Kolkata, India}}
{{Infobox street
| name = Bidhan Sarani
| native_name =
| marker_image =
| image = File:Bidhan_Sarani_-_Kolkata_2011-10-22_6267.JPG
| caption =
| other_name =
| former_names = Cornwallis Street
| postal_code = 700004, 700006, 700007
| addresses =
| length_km =
| length_ref =
| width =
| location = [[Kolkata]], India
| metro_system = [[Kolkata Metro]]
| metro = [[MG Road metro station, Kolkata|MG Road]], [[Girish Park metro station|Girish Park]], [[Shobhabazar Sutanuti metro station|Shobhabazar Sutanuti]] and [[Shyambazar metro station|Shyambazar]]
| client =
| maint = [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation]]
| coordinates =
| direction_a = north
| terminus_a = [[Shyambazar]]
| direction_b = south
| terminus_b = Barna Parichay Market
| junction =
| commissioning_date =
| construction_start_date =
| completion_date =
| inauguration_date = 
| demolition_date =
| designer =
| known_for =
| status =
}}

'''Bidhan Sarani''' (formerly known as '''Cornwallis Street''') is a principal north–south thoroughfare in north part of [[Kolkata]], the capital of the [[India]]n state of [[West Bengal]]. It was named after the first Chief Minister of West Bengal, [[Bidhan Chandra Roy]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dutta|first=Krishna|title=Calcutta: A Cultural and Literary History|year=2003|publisher=Signal Book|pages=45}}</ref> The road starts from [[Shyambazar]] five-point crossing and extends up to [[MG Road, Kolkata|MG Road]] crossing (Barna Parichay Market), after which the street continues as [[College Street (Kolkata)|College Street]] towards the south. Bidhan Sarani encompasses the neighbourhoods of [[Shyambazar]], [[Hatibagan]] ([[Aurobindo Sarani]] crossing), Hedua (Dani Ghosh Sarani/Abhedananda Road crossing), Shimla ([[Vivekananda Road]] crossing), Thanthania and [[College Street (Kolkata)|College Street]].<ref>Google maps</ref>

The three-mile long [[Maratha Ditch]] was excavated in 1742 as a protection against the marauding [[Maratha]] soldiers then foraging in the countryside but who never came.<ref>Lahiri Choudhury, Dhriti Kanta, p 157</ref> It was filled up in 1799 to build the Circular Road,<ref name = "Nair1">Nair, P. Thankappan in ''The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. I, edited by [[Sukanta Chaudhuri]], pp. 13-17, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-19-563696-3}}.</ref> that ran from Shyambazar, right around old Kolkata, covering the southern end of the [[Maidan (Kolkata)|Maidan]]. 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 Street), Wellington Street (renamed Nirmal Chandra Street), College Street and Cornwallis Street (renamed Bidhan Sarani) — was built by the Lottery Committee.<ref name = "Nair1"/>

The Hatibagan Bazar is located on Bidhan Sarani. The street market continues till [[Aurobindo Sarani]] crossing and has resulted in congestion of the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=11&id=142025&usrsess=1 |title=Bengali new year |accessdate=2007-08-16 |work=Notebook |publisher=The Statesman 10 April 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929091355/http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=11&id=142025&usrsess=1 |archivedate=2007-09-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Star Theatre, Calcutta|Star Theatre]] located on Bidhan Sarani was famous for over 100 years and during the period nearly 250 Bengali dramas of more than 80 playwrights were performed by different producers. More than 12 Hindi dramas were also staged at the Theatre. Unfortunately a fire destroyed the glorious Star Theatre on 16 October 1991.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mukhopadhyay |first=Ganesh |year=2012 |chapter=Theatre Stage |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Theatre_Stage |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> It has again been built but it has failed to regain its old glory. With six cinema halls — Sree, Uttara, Radha, Rupbani, Bina, Minar, [[Mitra Cinema Hall, Calcutta|Mitra]] and Darpana — in a row along Bidhan Sarani the road was considered to be the entertainment hub in the city.

The [[Bethune College]], is situated on Bidhan Sarani near Hedua. The street is also famous for sweetmeat shops like Girish Chandra Dey & Nakur Chandra Nandy.

The [[Vidyasagar College]], a reputed institution is also situated on Bidhan Sarani near [[Thanthania Kalibari]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Thanthania Kalibari - Kolkata 7422.JPG|[[Thanthania Kalibari]]
File:House Associated with Upendranath Brahmachari 05.jpg|House Associated with [[Upendranath Brahmachari]]
File:Bidhan Sarani - Kolkata 2011-10-22 6271.JPG|Busy Crossing of [[Vivekananda Road]] with Bidhan Sarani
File:Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House & Cultural Centre - Kolkata 2011-10-22 6264.JPG|[[Swami Vivekananda]]'s Ancestral House & Cultural Centre, Simla
File:Star theatre.JPG|[[Trams in Kolkata|Kolkata Tram]] route no. 5 passing by [[Star Theatre, Kolkata|Star Theatre]], [[Hatibagan]]
File:Roadside Snacks Stall - Shyambazar Five-point Crossing - Kolkata 2012-05-19 3083.JPG|Roadside snacks stall on Bidhan Sarani
File:Bidhan Sarani - Shyambazar Five-point Crossing - Kolkata 2012-05-19 3088.JPG|Bidhan Sarani at [[Shyambazar]] Five-point crossing
</gallery>

==References==
{{commons category|Bidhan Sarani}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Streets in Kolkata]]

Bidhan Sarani - Revision history

>GoingBatty at 18:46, 2 August 2020