>Monkbot at 10:41, 31 December 2020

2020-12-31T10:41:05Z

New page

{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox settlement



|name = Janbazar 
|official_name =
|other_name =
|native_name = 
|nickname =
|settlement_type = Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta) 
|total_type = 
|motto =

|image_skyline = Kolkata House of Rani Rashmoni.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = House of [[Rani Rashmoni]]
|image_flag =
|flag_size =
|image_seal =
|seal_size =
|image_shield =
|shield_size =
|image_blank_emblem =
|blank_emblem_type =
|blank_emblem_size =
|image_map =
|mapsize =
|map_caption =
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =
|image_dot_map =
|dot_mapsize =
|dot_map_caption =
|dot_x = |dot_y =
| pushpin_map = India Kolkata
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kolkata
|coordinates = {{coord|22.56|N|88.35|E|region:IN-{{IndAbbr|[[West Bengal]]}}|display=inline,title}}

|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{IND}}
|subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|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 = [[Kolkata Metro|Metro Station]]
|subdivision_name4 = [[Esplanade metro station|Esplanade]] and [[Sealdah metro station|Sealdah]](under construction)

|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. 52, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|52]]
|p1 =
|p2 = 

|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title =
|leader_name =
|leader_title1 = 
|leader_name1 =
|established_title = 
|established_date =

|area_magnitude =
|unit_pref =Imperial
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_km2 = 
|area_land_km2 = 
|area_water_km2 =
|area_total_sq_mi =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|area_water_percent =

|elevation_footnotes = 
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft =36
|elevation_max_m =
|elevation_max_ft =
|elevation_min_m =
|elevation_min_ft =

|population_as_of =
|population_footnotes =
|population_note =
|population_total =
|population_density_km2 = 
|population_density_sq_mi =

|timezone = IST
|utc_offset = +5:30
|timezone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|coor_type = 

|postal_code_type = PIN
|postal_code = 700013
|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 =
|footnotes =
}}
[[File:Kolkata Jan Bazar old.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Janbazar in 1867]]
'''Janbazar''' is a neighbourhood of Central [[Kolkata]], in [[Kolkata district]] in the Indian state of [[West Bengal]]. The two century-old house of [[Rani Rashmoni]], the central attraction in Janbazar, is still used by descendants in the family.

==Geography==
Janbazar is broadly spread across Ward Nos. 46 and 52 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.<ref>Map nos 29 and 33, Detail Maps of 141 Wards of Kolkata, D.R.Publication and Sales Concern, 66 College Street, Kolkata – 700073</ref>

The road from Chowringhee to Circular Road, about a mile long, was called Jan Bazar Road till the end of the 19th century. It was then renamed Corporation Street<ref>Cotton, H.E.A., p 248</ref> and was further renamed [[Surendranath Banerjee]] Road.

In olden days, Kolkata streets had oil lamps. Then came the gas lamp and electricity. For sometime there was a tussle between gas lamps and electricity. In 1914, high-powered Keith lamps of 1,000 candle power were fixed on Corporation Street, and Chowringhee Road. [[Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation]] bore the cost to demonstrate the advantage of electricity.<ref>Nair, P. Thankappan, ''Civic and Public Services in Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. I, p. 231</ref>

Janbazar is served by New Market Police Station of [[Kolkata Police]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.kolkatapolice.org/section.asp?PSID=13&Typ=PS
|title = New Market Police Station | access-date = 10 August 2007 | work = Kolkata Police |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201341/http://www.kolkatapolice.org/section.asp?PSID=13&Typ=PS |archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref> The police station is located in Janbazar.

===Police district===
New Market police station is part of the [[Divisions of Kolkata Police|Central division]] of [[Kolkata Police]]. It is located at 133/2 S.N. Banerjee Road, Kolkata-700013.<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}}</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"/>

==Rani Rashmoni's house==
The most famous resident of Janbazar was [[Rani Rashmoni]]. Married at the age of 11 to Raj Chandra Das (Marh), the [[Zamindar]] of Janbazar, she constructed [[Dakshineswar Kali Temple]] and engaged in numerous philanthropic activities.<ref name = "Bandopadyay">Bandopadhyay, Debashis, ''Bonedi Kolkatar Gharbari'', {{in lang|bn}}, Second impression 2002, pp. 45-6, Ananda Publishers, {{ISBN|81-7756-158-8}}</ref><ref>Deb, Chitra, ''The 'Great Houses' of Old Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. I, p. 61</ref>

What is now known as Rani Rashmoni's house at the crossing of Rani Rashmoni Road and Surendranath Banerjee Road, was initially 70&71 Free School Street. Rani Rashmoni's father-in-law, Pritaram Das, started constructing this house in 1805. It took some 7–8 years to complete construction of the big house.<ref name = "Bandopadyay"/>

{{quote box|width=300px|quote=Rasmani used to celebrate Durga Puja at her residence with traditional pomp, including all-night ''jatras'' (folk theatre), rather than by entertaining the sahibs with whom she carried on a running feud… After Rasmani's death in 1861, the sons-in-law took to celebrating Durga Puja in their respective premises. Amalnath Das, fifth generation descendant from the eldest daughter, worships his paternal forefather's Durga brought from Sinthi. One branch of the family moved across the street about a century ago and began holding their own puja. Unlike the Dases, they sacrifice seven goats. The modeller comes from Chandannagar, and the dresser from Bardhaman, The Choudhuri Babu's magnificent image wears a tall ''shola'' crown.<ref>Chaliha, Jaya and Gupta, Bunny, ''Durga Puja in Calcutta'', in ''Calcutta, the Living City'', Vol. II, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, first published 1990, 2005 edition, pp. 334-335, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-563697-X}}.</ref>|source= '''Jaya Chaliha''' and '''Bunny Gupta'''}}

Rani Rashmoni had four daughters – Padmamani, Kumari, Karunamoyee and Jagadamba. Mathuramohan Biswas, the husband of Rani Rashmoni's youngest daughter Jagadamba, had always been like a son to Rashmoni which she did not have biologically.
The house is now divided into three parts. Jagadamba's descendants live in 13 Rani Rashmoni Road, Kumari's descendants live in 18/3 Surendranath Banerjee Road, and Padmamani's descendants live in 20 Surendranath Banerjee Road.<ref name = "Bandopadyay"/>

Rani Rashmoni was a pillar of strength in the male dominated society of mid-nineteenth century. Almost all the rooms of her house are occupied or are still in use. There is a natmandir in front of the verandah, where the famous [[Durga Puja]] is held. The family is finding it difficult to maintain the house and although [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation]] has declared it a heritage building, it has no funds needed for restoration.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=37447&usrsess=1
|title=Pillars of strength, then and now
|access-date=10 August 2007
|work=Kolkata Plus
|publisher=The Statesman, 7 May 2003
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929120218/http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=37447&usrsess=1
|archive-date=29 September 2007
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> Parts of the house are collapsing.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061005/asp/calcutta/story_6827500.asp
|title = Trapped in heritage cave-in - Water tank collapse linked to heavy showers | access-date = 10 August 2007 | publisher = The Telegraph, 5 October 2006}}</ref>

==Traffic==
===Road===
Many buses ply along Lenin Sarani, Surendranath Banerjee Road (S.N. Banerjee Road), [[Chowringhee Road]] and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. [[Trams in Kolkata|Kolkata trams]] route no. 5 (via Lenin Sarani) and 25 (via Lenin Sarani-Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road) also serve the locality.<ref>Google maps</ref> The traffic across Janbazar, is extremely heavy. Normally, it is a scene of chaos and when a mishap takes place, it is further chaos.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=3159&usrsess=1
|title=9-yr-old run, mob torches 3 buses
|access-date=10 August 2007
|work=Page One
|publisher=The Statesman, 2 October 2002
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926214300/http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=3159&usrsess=1
|archive-date=26 September 2007
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

===Train===
[[Sealdah Station]], one of the five major railway-terminals of [[Kolkata Metropolitan Area]], is located nearby.

==Around Janbazar==
<gallery class="center">
Image:Kolkata Jan Bazar.jpg|Jan Bazar 2007
Image:Kolkata Hogg Street.jpg|Hogg Street with Futnani Chambers on the left and Corporation building on the right, declared a heritage building by [[Corporation|KMC]]
File:Metropolitan Building at the crossing of Chowringhee Road (Jawaharlal Nehru Road) and S.N.Banerjee Road in Kolkata.jpg|Metropolitan Building at the crossing of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and S.N..Banerjee Road.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==See also==
{{Kolkata neighbourhoods}}

[[Category:Neighbourhoods in Kolkata]]

Janbazar - Revision history

>Monkbot at 10:41, 31 December 2020