RowenaProctor6 at 05:43, 6 October 2024

2024-10-06T05:43:03Z

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{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement


| name = Bowbazar 
| official_name =
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = [[Neighbourhoods in Kolkata Metropolitan Area|Neighborhood of Kolkata]] 
| total_type = 
| motto = 
| image_skyline = Image:Kolkata Bowbazar 1.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = Ceramic mural on the wall of [[Central metro station (Kolkata)|Central Station]], [[Kolkata Metro]], located on [[B.B. Ganguly Street]]
| image_flag =
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| pushpin_map = India Kolkata
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kolkata
| pushpin_mapsize = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{IND}}
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = [[West Bengal]]
| subdivision_type2 = City
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kolkata]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[List of districts of West Bengal|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Kolkata district|Kolkata]]
| subdivision_type4 = Metro Station
| subdivision_name4 = [[Chandni Chowk metro station, Kolkata|Chandni Chowk]], [[Central metro station, Kolkata|Central]], [[Mahakaran metro station|Mahakaran]] and [[Sealdah metro station|Sealdah]]
| subdivision_type5 = [[Train station|Railway station]]
| subdivision_name5 = [[Sealdah railway station|Sealdah]]
| seat_type = [[Municipal Corporation]]
| seat = [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation]]
| parts_type = [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation|KMC]] wards
| parts_style = 
| parts = [[Ward No. 46, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|46]], [[Ward No. 47, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|47]], [[Ward No. 48, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|48]], [[Ward No. 49, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|49]], [[Ward No. 50, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|50]], [[Ward No. 51, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|51]]
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| unit_pref = Imperial
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| elevation_ft = 36
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| timezone = IST
| utc_offset = +5:30
| timezone_DST =
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| coor_type = 
| coordinates = {{Coord|22.5687|N|88.3632|E|region:IN-{{IndAbbr|[[West Bengal]]}}|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type = PIN
| postal_code = 700012, 700072
| area_code = +91 33
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Lok Sabha]] constituency
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Kolkata Uttar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Kolkata Uttar]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = [[Vidhan Sabha]] constituency
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Chowranghee (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Chowranghee]]
| website =
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}}
'''Bowbazar''', also spelt ''Boubazar''; formerly known as '''Bahubazar'''<ref>{{cite web|title=বহুবাজার [Bahubazar]|url=https://sobbanglay.com/sob/bow-bazaar/?amp_markup=1|date=12 December 2018|access-date=27 June 2022|language=bn|website=sobbanglay.com|publisher=Sob Banglay}}</ref>) is a neighbourhood of [[Kolkata|Central Kolkata]], in [[Kolkata district]] in the [[India]]n state of [[West Bengal]].

==History==
On Lt. Col. Mark Wood's map of 1784, the portion of the eastward road from [[Lalbazar|Lal Bazar]] to what was known for a long time as Circular Road - which ran along the filled-in [[Maratha Ditch]] and is now [[AJC Bose Road & APC Road|Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Road]] - was shown as Boytaconnah Street, which received its name from the Baithakkana, or "resting place", where merchants formed and dispersed their caravans, sheltered by an old [[Ficus benghalensis|banyan tree]] (called a [[Ficus religiosa|peepul tree]] in Cotton), at the road's eastern extremity.<ref name = "Cotton">[[H. E. A. Cotton|Cotton, H.E.A.]], ''Calcutta Old and New'', 1909/1980, pp. 285–286, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref><ref name="Cotton1907P9-10">{{cite book |last=Cotton |first=H. E. A. |author-link=H. E. A. Cotton |title=Calcutta, Old and New: A Historical & Descriptive Handbook to the City |url=https://archive.org/details/calcuttaoldandn00cottgoog |year=1907 |location=Calcutta |publisher=W. Newman & Co. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/calcuttaoldandn00cottgoog/page/n27 9]–10 |access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref><ref>Nair, P. Thankappan in ''The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. I, edited by [[Sukanta Chaudhuri]], p. 17, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-19-563696-3}}.</ref>

[[File:Firinghi Kalibari at B.B. Ganguly Street in Bowbazar, a locality of Kolkata.jpg|thumb|180px|Firinghi Kalibari at B.B. Ganguly Street in Bowbazar, Kolkata, May 2022.]]
Bow Bazar Street has been renamed [[Bepin Behari Ganguly Street]] (named after [[Bipin Behari Ganguli]] (1887–1954), revolutionary leader, who spent about 24 years in British Indian jails, later joining the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] movement).<ref>Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), 1976/1998, ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, {{in lang|bn}}, p. 349, {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}</ref> However, the locality continues to be called Bow Bazar. In keeping with the neighbourhood's earliest name, a road stretching from B.B. Ganguly Street to [[MG Road, Kolkata|MG Road]] is called Baithakkhana Road,<ref>Map no. 31, Detail Maps of 141 Wards of Kolkata, D.R.Publication and Sales Concern, 66 College Street, Kolkata – 700073</ref> as well as the market along the road at the easternmost part of B.B. Ganguly Street being called Baithakkhana Bazar.

At the cross roads where Lal Bazar, Bow Bazar, [[Chitpur#Chitpur Road|Chitpore Road]] and Bentinck Street meet was the place of execution, where the pillory was.<ref name = "Cotton"/>

In 1888, one of the 25 newly organized police section houses was located in Bowbazar.<ref>Nair, P.Thankappan, ''The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. I, pp. 18-19, Edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press, 1995 edition.</ref>

==Geography==
{{OSM Location map 
| coord = {{coord|22.5687|88.3632}} 
| zoom = 15 
| label = Bow Bazar
| mark-coord = {{coord|22.5687|88.3632}}
| label-pos = right
| float = left
}}

===Police district===
Bowbazar police station is part of the [[Divisions of Kolkata Police|Central division]] of [[Kolkata Police]]. It is located at 13, Kapalitoalla Lane, Kolkata-700012.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.kolkatapolice.org/Section.asp?PSID=10&Typ=PS
|title=Bowbazar Police Station
|access-date=16 August 2007
|publisher=Kolkata Police
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608200910/http://www.kolkatapolice.org/Section.asp?PSID=10&Typ=PS
|archive-date=8 June 2007
}}</ref><ref name="police">{{cite web |url = http://www.kolkatapolice.gov.in/division.asp?ID=1&Division=C |title = Kolkata Police |work = Central Division |publisher = KP |access-date = 9 March 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074229/http://www.kolkatapolice.gov.in/division.asp?ID=1&Division=C |archive-date = 10 March 2018 }}</ref>

[[Taltala#Police district|Taltala Women police station]] covers all police districts under the jurisdiction of the Central division, i.e. Bowbazar, Burrabazar, Girish Park, Hare Street, Jorasanko, Muchipara, New Market, Taltala and Posta.<ref name="police"/>

===Red light district===
Bowbazar has a [[red-light district]] where about 12,000 [[prostitute]]s work.<ref>{{cite report |author1=Youth Partnership Project South Asia (YPP-SA) |title=Vulnerability of Children Living in the Red Light Areas of Kolkata, India |url=http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/YPP_Research_indial.pdf |date=July 2010 |publisher=[[Sanlaap]] |access-date=12 September 2019 |archive-date=16 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216074514/http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/YPP_Research_indial.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cry.org/whatwedo/storiesofhopej.html |title=Jabala Jaag |access-date=16 August 2007 |publisher=CRY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208171354/http://www.cry.org/whatwedo/storiesofhopej.html |archive-date=8 December 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.pjvs.org/truckers.htm | title = Truckers Study | access-date = 16 August 2007 | publisher = Prantik Jana Vikash Samity | date = October 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Transport==
Bowbazar is in the administrative and commercial heart of the city.

===Road===
[[Chittaranjan Avenue]] (C.R. Avenue) and [[College Street, Kolkata|College Street]]-Nirmal Chandra Street pass through the area from north to south. [[Bepin Behari Ganguly Street]] (B.B. Ganguly Street) and Dr. Lalit Banerjee Sarani-Khirode Vidya Binode Avenue (New CIT Road) pass through the area from east to west. Many buses ply along these roads.

===Train===
[[Sealdah Station]] and [[B.B.D Bag railway station]] are the nearest railway stations of Bowbazar.

==Economy==
There are, as well, shops dealing in wooden furniture, musical instruments, shoes, seasonal fruits, fresh vegetables and meat, etc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kolkatainformation.com/bazar.html |title=Bowbazar Market |access-date=16 August 2007 |publisher=Kolkata information |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070718165319/http://www.kolkatainformation.com/bazar.html |archive-date=18 July 2007 }}</ref>

[[US-Bangla Airlines]] has its India offices in Bowbazar.<ref>"[https://us-banglaairlines.com/get_help/contact_us Contact Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313101933/http://us-banglaairlines.com/get_help/contact_us |date=13 March 2018 }}." [[US-Bangla Airlines]]. Retrieved on 6 September 2017. "India Office 31, Ganesh Chandra Ave, Chandni Chawk, Bowbazar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700072, India"</ref>

==Bowbazar bomb blast incident==
Mohammad Rashid Khan, a [[Matka gambling|satta]] don, [[Bowbazaar Bomb Blast 1993|bombed Bowbazar on 16 March 1993]], which killed 69 people. He and five of his associates were sentenced to life imprisonment.<ref name=ToI2001>{{cite journal |title=Life term for 6 convicted in 1993 Kolkata blast |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Life-term-for-6-convicted-in-1993-Kolkata-blast/articleshow/1112657589.cms |journal=[[The Times of India]]|date=31 August 2001 |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=Sen1994>{{cite web |last=Sen |first=Shyamal Kumar |title=Md. Rashid Khan vs State Of West Bengal And Ors. on 13 April, 1994 |url=http://indiankanoon.org/doc/1423525/ |date=13 April 1994 |location=[[Kolkata]] |publisher=Calcutta High Court |website=Indian Kanoon |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref>

==Culture==
Banga Natyalay, in nearby [[Pathuriaghata]], was the first theatre to print admission cards in [[Bengali language|Bengali]].<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>

Traditionally, musical soirées were held in the large private houses of old Kolkata; but there also were some humbler houses that had similar soirées, amongst the latter being the Bowbazar home of a musical family, the Borals.<ref>Mitra, Rajyeshwar, Music in Old Calcutta, in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol I, p. 183</ref> The music maestro Jadu Bhatt, who gave musical lessons to the Tagores, died in Babu Ram Sil Lane, at the abode of the Adhikaris, which is also referred to as the Jhulan Bari. A festival of [[Indian classical music]] is still held there each year during Lord Krishna's festival of [[Jhulan Purnima]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sen|first=Sandhya|date=1 January 2005|title=Music: Thumri power at Jhulanbari|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=25&id=93322&usrsess=1|access-date=16 August 2007|work=The Statesman}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

Very old sweet shops, associated with the memories of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar and Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, still exist in Bowbazar.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="150px">
File:Bowbazar Shiv Mandir in College St, Kolkata.jpg|Bowbazar Shiv Mandir
File:Ghanteswar Mahadev Mandir - Bowbazar Street - Kolkata 2013-03-03 5219.JPG|Ghanteshwar Mahadev Mandir
Image:Kolkata Bowbazar 3.jpg|St. Francis Xavier Church
Image:Firingi Kalibari in Bowbazar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.jpg|[[Firinghi Kalibari]] of [[Anthony Firingee|Anthony Kabial]] fame
File:Carey Baptist Church - Bowbazar Street - Kolkata 2013-03-03 5229.jpg|Carey Baptist Church
File:CSPCA - Animal Hospital - Bowbazar Street - Kolkata 2013-03-03 5226.jpg|CSPCA - Animal Hospital
File:Bhim Chandra Nag sweet shop at Bowbazar, Kolkata, WB.jpg|Bhim Chandra Nag, the prestigious sweet shop in Kolkata, set up by Paran Chandra Nag in 1826.
File:Kolkata Bowbazar 4.jpg|Statue of [[Bipin Behari Ganguli]]
File:Loreto Day School, a Catholic girl's school, at 65, BB Ganguly Street, Bowbazar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700012.jpg|Loreto Day School, a Roman Catholic girls' school, at Bowbazar.
File:Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration.jpg|[[Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration]] entrance
File:Yogayog Bhawan 1.jpg|Yogayog Bhawan (headquarters of the West Bengal wing of [[India Post]]), Chittaranjan Avenue, Bowbazar.
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Bowbazar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bowbazar}}
{{Wikivoyage-inline|Kolkata/North Kolkata}}
*[http://www.rangan-datta.info/photo/thumbs.php?gallery=47 Photos of Parsi Temple, Metcalfe Street (Bandook Gali)]
*[http://www.rangan-datta.info/photo/thumbs.php?gallery=49 Photos of Chinese Temple, Tiretta Bazar]
*[http://www.rangan-datta.info/photo/thumbs.php?gallery=27 Photos of Chinese New Year]

{{Kolkata neighbourhoods}}

[[Category:Neighbourhoods in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Culture of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Red-light districts in India]]

Bowbazar - Revision history

RowenaProctor6 at 05:43, 6 October 2024