The Durga Puja celebration of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family at Barisha was launched in 1610 by Laksmikanta Majumdar, making it the second-oldest family Durga Puja in western Bengal.[11] Today, Durga Puja at Behala is marked by exotic theme-based sarbojanin pujas. Barisha Chandi Mela is a 10-day fair held every year in November–December since 1792.[12][13]
Etymology
Behula's (top, left) journey, as depicted in the folk art of West Bengal. The word Behala is commonly believed to have its root in Behula's name
The word Behala is commonly believed to have its root in Behula, the name of the female protagonist of Manasamangalkavya.[14] Alternatively, the name may have been derived from the Bengali term Bahulapur ("land of many rivers" or "dark city").[14] "Bahula" is also an epithet of the goddesses Chandi and Kali.[14] Rev. James Long, who used to live in the area, described Behala as Byala in one of his early writings.[14] It is also known that Behala comprised many small villages before the whole area was urbanised and each village here was suffixed with -behala, i.e., Bazarbehala, Tamtelbehala, Bnorshebehala (Barisha), Sorshunnobehala (Sarsuna), etc.[14] Names like Rajarbaganbehala, Sahapurbehala, Naskarpurbehala, and Santoshbatibehala are also found in the old proceedings of South Suburban Municipality.[14]
History
Modern day
Behala encompasses one of the largest suburban agglomerations of the city of Kolkata. It consists of many small localities like Sahapur, New Alipore (partially), Parnasree Pally, Behala Bazaar, Manton, Behala Chowrasta (Barisha), Muchipara, Sakherbazaar, Silpara, Bakultala, Shakuntala Park, Kadamtala, Thakurpukur, Haridevpur, Dakshin Behala, Sarsuna, and Joka. Huge growth of population (especially since the early 1980s) resulted in the area being of interest to daily wage earners, common populace, and educated classes. Due to this enormous and unplanned growth, the traffic is by and large dependent on the arterial Diamond Harbour Road, in spite of the availability of the parallel James Long Sarani (commonly known as the Rail Line, since the old and now defunct Kalighat Falta Railway ran here) as an option. During the construction of the Taratala flyover, a large portion of traffic flowed through James Long Sarani to avoid construction activity, causing the development of other areas of Behala.[15]
Encroachments by street hawkers of the sidewalks on both sides of the busy Diamond Harbour Road are a major problem. Areas like Behala Bazar, Behala Chowrasta, and Behala Sakherbazaar have been added to the 'Calcutta Green Zone' and traffic moves at a snail's pace during peak office hours.[16][17]
Previously, there were tram lines along the middle of Diamond Harbour Road from Joka to Mominpur, and people often used the trams to go to Esplanade. The service on this stretch has since been withdrawn. Mominpur to Behala Bazaar service was closed in 2006 due to the Taratala flyover.[18] Behala Bazaar to Joka service was also closed in 2011, due to the elevated metro railway construction on Diamond Harbour Road, which will run from Joka to Esplanade (Purple Line).[19]
SL Dhanuka Girls' hostel that has come up at Behala on Diamond Harbour Road, inaugurated on 24 March 2017 by the Chief minister of Bengal Mamata Banerjee.[20]
Geography
Location
520m 567yds
Behala
Police district
The localities of the Behala area are served by the South West Division (Behala Division) of Kolkata Police. It includes Taratala Police station, Behala Police station, Thakurpukur Police Station, Parnashree Police station, Sarsuna Police station, and Haridevpur Police station. [21] Behala Women Police station, located at the same address as Behala Police station, covers all police districts under the jurisdiction of the South West division, i.e. Sarsuna, Taratala, Behala, Parnasree, Thakurpukur, and Haridevpur.[21]
Education
There are many educational institutions situated in Behala.
Various buses are available to move around Kolkata. Majerhat Bridge is one of the major roads connecting Behala to the rest of Calcutta, and has led to massive traffic snarls in the area. Now, a new bridge has been made which successfully connects Behala with other areas.[22]
Bus
WBTC
S-4 (Parnasree - Karunamoyee)
AC-4 (Parnasree - Howrah Stn)
AC-49 (Parnasree - Ecospace)
AC-4A (Parnasree - Ecospace)
S-4D (Parnasree - Ecospace)
E-4 (Parnasree - Howrah Stn)
S-31 (Behala Chowrasta - Jadavpur)
AC-31 (Behala Chowrasta - Jadavpur)
S-22 (Shakuntala Park - Karunamoyee)
S-45 (Shakuntala Park - Baghbazar)
AC-12D (Howrah Stn - Joka)
AC-52 (Howrah Stn - Amtala)
VS-6 (Diamond Harbour - Esplanade/Howrah)
7A (Sarsuna - Howrah Stn)
EB-16 (Thakurpukur - Hatisala)
S-3B (Behala 14 no. - Kankurgachi)
S-3W (Joka Tram Depot - Ecospace)
S-12D (Howrah Stn - Joka)
S-16 (Thakurpukur - Karunamoyee)
M-14 (Behala 14 no. - Ecospace)
C-37 (Amtala - Howrah Stn)
Tram
Trams used to be popular vehicles connecting Behala with Esplanade (Route 35). After the construction of Taratala flyover, the route was truncated and trams would ply only along the Behala-Joka stretch. In 2011, the route finally closed as a result of the Esplanade-Joka Metro Project.[19]
Behala was also served by the Gholesapur, Sakherbazar, and Thakurpukur railway station of Kalighat Falta Railway (KFR), which has been closed in 1957.[23]
Airport
Behala Airport, more commonly referred as Behala Flying Training Institute (BFTI) or Behala Flying Club (BFC), is the second of the two airports in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, the other being the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. There are plans to upgrade the airport. Previously, there was helicopter service from Behala Airport to Digha and Durgapur, but it was later suspended by the authority. Currently, there is no commercial helicopter service available from Behala Flying Club.[24]
The metro has partially started from Joka to Taratala, and was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 30 December 2022.
Currently, the six active stations are Joka Metro Station, Thakurpukur Metro Station, Sakherbazar Metro Station, Behala Chowrasta Metro Station, Behala Bazaar Metro Station, Taratala Metro Station, and Majherhat Metro Station.
Thakurpukur Metro station
The construction of the Majherhat Metro Station - Esplanade Metro Station portion is expected to be completed by 2029.
Healthcare
The Behala region is surrounded by numerous hospitals and medical centres.
The State General Hospital for region Behala is Vidyasagar State General Hospital, which is beside the Behala bazar metro station and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Behala.[citation needed]
Nearby Behala, at Thakurpukur M.G Road, another famous hospital and medical research centre is situated, the "Saroj Gupta Cancer Research Institute", locally known as "Thakurpukur cancer hospital". It is one of the oldest cancer treatment centres in Kolkata.[citation needed]
Some other hospitals in Behala are:
Apollo Clinic Taratala, Sahapur and Thakurpukur, 3A bus stand
Maa Chandi Idol during Maa Chandi Puja & Mela at Barisha
Barisha Chandi Mela, a 10-day fair held every year in November–December since 1792, attracts people from all over the city. Many popular artists also perform during this festival.[26]
A big Rath Yatra festival and mela also occur every year on Diamond Harbour Road, Thakurpukur. The festival and mela starts from day of Ratha Yatra and the mela ends at the day of Ulta Ratha Thakurpukur rath Mela is the biggest Rath Yatra Mela of Behala area.
Apart from Thakurpukur rath yatra mela, Barisha rath yatra mela (Sakherbazar), Sarsuna (Badamtala) Rath Yatra Mela, and Sonamukhi Rath Yatra Mela (Sarsuna and Maheshtala Border) also occurs every year. A Rath made of brass of sonar Durga Bari, made in 1871, is brought outside every year during Rath Yatra Celebration.
Jagatdhatri Puja is also celebrated in many Localities of Behala.[27]
At Kalipuja, Chamunda Kali Puja and a big Mela also happen every year at Bahadur Math in Dakshin Behala Road, Sasthir More.
The biggest celebration, the festival of Eid, is held at Behala 18 Bigha Masjid.[28]
The Diamond Harbour Road is dotted on both sides with shops and eateries. Clothes, jewellery, electronic items, sports goods, books, and footwear can be found in a multitude of stores all along the stretch from Taratala to Manton. Recent additions to the shopping scene include shopping malls and factory outlets.
Places of interest
Sonar Durga Temple
Siddheshwari Kali temple
The Siddheshwari temple of Behala
72, Banamali Naskar Lane, Behala, Kolkata-60
Famous place described as Residence of Ghanada(Mess-Bari) in "Ghanada" a Bengali Science fiction novel written by Ghanashyam Das.
↑Nair, P.Thankappan, The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol I, p. 11, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press, ISBN0-19-563696-1
123456Banerjee, Sudhindranath. "Janapad Rupe Name" [Name and Characteristics of the Township]. Behala Janapader Itihas[History of Behala Township] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Progressive Writers' Guild. pp.45–49.
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