Sealdah

Last updated

Sealdah
Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Sealdah Railway Station - Kolkata 2011-10-03 030250.JPG
Kolkata location map EN.svg
Red pog.svg
Sealdah
Location in Kolkata
Coordinates: 22°33′58″N88°22′07″E / 22.566235°N 88.368611°E / 22.566235; 88.368611
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State West Bengal
City Kolkata
District Kolkata
Metro Station Sealdah (completed, the line from Sealdah to Howrah Maidan metro station under construction)
Municipal Corporation Kolkata Municipal Corporation
KMC wards 36, 37, 49, 50, 55
Population
  TotalFor population see linked KMC ward page
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
700009, 700014
Area code +91 33
Lok Sabha constituency Kolkata Uttar
Vidhan Sabha constituency Beleghata, Jorasanko, Chowranghee and Entally

Sealdah is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Contents

Etymology

Jackals (sheal in Bengali) howled around Sealdah. Antiquarians identify it as Shrigaldwipa (Jackal Island). Nearby Beliaghata was a port in the Salt Lakes. [1]

History

The East India Company obtained from the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar, in 1717, the right to rent from 38 villages surrounding their settlement. Of these 5 lay across the Hooghly in what is now Howrah district. The remaining 33 villages were on the Calcutta side. After the fall of Siraj-ud-daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, it purchased these villages in 1758 from Mir Jafar and reorganised them. These villages were known en-bloc as Dihi Panchannagram and Shealdah was one of them. [2] [3] [1]

Sealdah was described in 1757 as a "narrow causeway, several feet above the level of the country, leading from the east". [4]

In 1756, when Siraj-ud-daulah attacked the English at Calcutta, a major part of his troops and artillery crossed the Maratha Ditch in Sealdah. [5] There was hard fighting here with 39 English soldiers and 18 Indian sepoys killed on the spot. The English dragged their guns through the rice fields. [1]

Baithakkana was a resting place, where merchants formed and dispersed their caravans, sheltered by an old banyan tree (called a peepul tree by Cotton). Job Charnock is said to have chosen the site of Kolkata for a city, in consequence of the pleasure he found in sitting and smoking under the shade of a large tree. [4]

A present-day road stretching from Bepin Behari Ganguly Street to MG Road is called Baithakkhana Road, [6] as well as the market along the road at the southern (Bowbazar/ B.B. Ganguly Street) end is called Baithakkhana Bazar.

The Maratha Ditch was dug in 1742 and it was partly filled up in 1799 to create the Circular Road (now Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road). [1] The eighty-foot-wide Harrison Road (now MG Road), was built in from 1889 to 1892. [7]

The first list of thanas (police stations) in Calcutta was made in 1765 and Muchipara was not there in the list. Muchipara, named after muchis (cobblers and leather workers), possibly shot in to prominence in the early 19th century. In 1888, one of the 25 newly organized police section houses was located in Muchipara. [1]

The East Bengal Railway opened its track from Calcutta to Kushtia in 1862. At the Calcutta end there was a tin-roofed station room. Sealdah railway station had a proper station building in 1869. [8] The present Sealdah-Ranaghat line was a part of the Sealdah-Kushtia line and was subsequently extended to Goalundo Ghat. [9]

Geography

Police district

Muchipara police station is part of the Central division of Kolkata Police. [10]

Economy

Sealdah Commercial Complex (Big Bazaar), Parikshit Roy Lane Sealdah Commercial Complex - 1 Beliaghata Main Road - Kolkata 2015-08-11 1968.JPG
Sealdah Commercial Complex (Big Bazaar), Parikshit Roy Lane

Sealdah market, along with Hatibagan, Maniktala, Lake Market and Gariahat markets, is amongst the largest markets in Kolkata. Very similar to village weekly hats, Kolkata's markets thrive in a sprawling and makeshift environment. [11] Sealdah market is an agglomeration of various markets in the area. There is the Sealdah Area market spread for about a kilometre along both sides of MG Road from Purabi to Chhabighar cinema halls selling mainly vegetables and fruits. Sealdah Dimer Bazar, in Hayat Khan Lane and Panchu Khansama Lane, is an egg arat. Baitakkhna Market, spread across 2 acres at 15/16 Baithakkhana Road, sells vegetable, fruits, betel leaf, flower, fish, meat, egg, grocery etc. New Baithakkhana Market (also known as Chhagalkata Fish Market), spread across 5 acres at 155–158, B.B. Ganguly Street, is a fish market. Kolay Market, located near Sealdah Station, is the largest wholesale market in Kolkata, handling vegetables and other daily needs. It is open 24/7 and has not closed down even during strikes. [12] Bow Bazar market, stretching from Sealdah crossing to College Street crossing, is virtually an extension of Sealdah market zone. [13]

Baithakkhana is one of the largest paper markets in India. However, the letterpress business, once the largest printing process in the country and the pride of Bengal, has lost out to more modern systems. Some 10–15 letterpress printers are still there in Baithakkhana, struggling hard to retain a foothold in the tough competition. [14] MG Road, from Sealdah to College Street, is a big market for wedding and visiting cards.

Transport

Sealdah railway station handles in all around 20 lakh (2 million) passengers daily. A bulk of those using the station, around 12 lakhs, commute daily for work in 917 local trains. The East-West Metro line connects to a station at Sealdah and around 5 lakh passengers are likely to use the Metro station. [15] [16]

19th century Kolkata was a city of palanquins and horse-drawn carriages. The tramway was the first attempt at mass transport. The first horse-driven tramcar rolled out on 24 February 1873, running between Armenian Ghat and Sealdah via Bowbazar, as well as Dalhousie Square. [17]

Electric tramcars were introduced in Kolkata in 1902. Tram lines were laid along Harrison Road (now MG Road) in 1903 and up Rajabazar in 1910. Now Sealdah and Rajabazar are served by Kolkata tram route no. 18 (via MG Road-Surya Sen Street-APC Road). [18]

Surya Sen Street, Sealdah Surya Sen Street - Kolkata 2015-02-07 2115.JPG
Surya Sen Street, Sealdah

Sealdah is the junction of AJC Bose Road & APC Road with MG Road via Sealdah Hump Flyover (Vidyapati Setu). Parikshit Roy Lane (Beliaghata Main Road) also starts from here. Surya Sen Street connects MG Road with APC Road, avoiding Sealdah Flyover. A large number of private and governmental public buses ply along these roads. [19]

Sealdah Railway Station as seen from Vidyapati Setu Sealdah station as seen from Vidyapati Setu (formerly Sealdah Hump Flyover), Kolkata, West Bengal 1.jpg
Sealdah Railway Station as seen from Vidyapati Setu

Sealdah Hump Flyover (Vidyapati Setu), constructed in the late 1970s, will have a ramp from the flyover to the station. [20] [21] Tram-tracks were removed and tram-service closed over Sealdah Flyover since 2019 due to excessive load on the bridge. [22]

Education

Mitra Institution (Main) Mitra Institution Main - 60B Surya Sen Street - Kolkata 2014-01-01 1786.JPG
Mitra Institution (Main)

Healthcare

Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital (Old Campus) Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College & Hospital 3.jpg
Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital (Old Campus)
Sealdah ESI Hospital ESI Hospital - Sealdah - 301-3A Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road - Kolkata 2015-02-07 2078.jpg
Sealdah ESI Hospital

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jadavpur</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata in the district of Kolkata of West Bengal, India. Jadavpur is one of the important junctions in South Kolkata. Jadavpur University and a number of research institutes of national and international repute are located in Jadavpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamarhati</span> City in West Bengal, India

Kamarhati is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maniktala</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Maniktala is a residential area of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tollygunge</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Tollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. It is known for being the center of Indian Bengali-language cinema, with filming locations used for other regional Indian films.

Bhowanipore is a neighbourhood of South Kolkata in Kolkata district of West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Dum Dum</span> Kolkata in West Bengal, India

South Dum Dum is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and a vital locality in Kolkata Metropolitan Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorasanko</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Jorasanko is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. It is so called because of the two (jora) wooden or bamboo bridges (sanko) that spanned a small stream at this point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surendranath College</span> College in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Surendranath College is an undergraduate college affiliated to the University of Calcutta, in Kolkata, India. It was founded in 1884 by the nationalist leader and scholar Surendranath Banerjee. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate level courses in various arts, commerce and science subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowbazar</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Bowbazar, also spelt Boubazar; formerly known as Bahubazar) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canning, South 24 Parganas</span> Town in West Bengal, India

Canning is a town of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated on the western banks of the Matla River. It is the headquarters of the Canning subdivision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultadanga</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Ultadanga is one of the most crowded junctions in Kolkata. The place is located at the north-eastern fringe of the city and marks the limit of Kolkata district. Prominent places in Ultadanga are Telenga Bagan and Muchi Bazar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taltala</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Taltala is a neighbourhood in Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. One of the oldest neighbourhoods of the metropolis, it has a police station on its own name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entally</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Entally is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was considered close to the area which was home to the poor and the depressed castes. Mother Teresa started her activities in Entally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AJC Bose Road & APC Road</span> Road in Kolkata, India

Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Road and its continuation northwards called Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, are together the longest and the most important north-south thoroughfare in Kolkata, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surendranath Law College</span> Law college of West Bengal, India

Surendranath Law College formerly known as Ripon College) is an postgraduate law college affiliated with the University of Calcutta. It was established in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal in 1885 by a trust formed by the nationalist leader, scholar and educationist Surendranath Banerjee, a year after he founded Surendranath College. This is now regarded one of the oldest Law college of British India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topsia</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Topsia is a neighbourhood of East Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. Topsia falls in Kolkata district situated in West Bengal state, with a population 94809. The male and female populations are 49388 and 45421 respectively. The size of the area is about 2.8 square kilometer.

Ward No. 49, Kolkata Municipal Corporation is an administrative division of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in Borough No. 5, covering parts of Bowbazar and Sealdah (Baithakkhana) neighbourhoods in central Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Ward No. 50, Kolkata Municipal Corporation is an administrative division of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in Borough No. 5, covering parts of Bowbazar (Lebutala), Taltala, Moulali and Sealdah neighbourhoods in central Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beniapukur</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Beniapukur is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is adjacent to Park Circus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Nair, P. Thankappan, The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, pp. 12-19j, Oxford University Press, ISBN   978-0-19-563696-3.
  2. "District Census Handbook Kolkata, Census of India 2011, Series 20, Part XII A" (PDF). Pages 6-10: The History. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  3. Cotton, H.E.A., Calcutta Old and New, first published 1909/reprint 1980, pages 103-4 and 221, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
  4. 1 2 Cotton, H. E. A. (1907). Calcutta, Old and New: A Historical & Descriptive Handbook to the City. Calcutta: W. Newman & Co. p. 222. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  5. Sinha, Pradip, Siraj’s Calcutta 1756-57, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, p. 8.
  6. Map no. 31, Detail Maps of 141 Wards of Kolkata, D.R.Publication and Sales Concern, 66 College Street, Kolkata – 700073
  7. Chatterjee, Monideep, "Town Planning in Calcutta: Past, Present and Future", "Calcutta, The Living City" Vol II, Edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Page 141, First published 1990, 2005 edition, ISBN   0-19-563697-X
  8. Chaudhuri, Sukanta, The Railway Comes to Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, p. 259.
  9. "The Chronology of Railway development in Eastern Indian". railindia. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  10. "Kolkata Police". Central Division. KP. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  11. Bandopadhyay, Raghab, Calcutta’s Markets, in Calcutta, The Living City Vol II, Edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Page 118, First published 1990, 2005 edition, ISBN   0-19-563697-X
  12. Mukherjee, Sugato. "The Human Forklifts of Kolkata". The Diplomat, 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  13. "Primary Hats/ Markets of District". Markets in Brief - Kolkata. West Bengal State Marketing Board. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  14. "Ltterpress – the pride of Bengal fading into oblivion". Beacon Kolkata. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  15. Basu, Kaushik. "Sealdah traffic fine-tuning". The Telegraph, 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  16. "Sealdah can't take more commuters". The Times of India, 7 March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  17. Basu, Raj Sekhar. "Calcutta Tramways". Asiatic Society of Bangladesh . Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  18. Nair, P.Thankappan, Civic and Public Services in Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, page 235, Oxford University Press, ISBN   978-0-19-563696-3.
  19. Google maps
  20. "About Sealdah Station". SCRIBD. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  21. "Kolkata to get six flyovers in three years". The Times of India, 16 September 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  22. "Sealdah Flyover Repair".
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Surendranath College". SC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  24. "Surendranath College, Kolkata". College Admission. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  25. "Surndranath Law College". SNLC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  26. "Surendranath Evening College". SNEC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  27. "Surendranath Evening College". College Admission. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  28. "Surendranath College for Women". SNCW. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  29. 1 2 3 "Bangabasi College". BC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  30. "Bangabasi Morning College". BMC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  31. "Bangabasi Evening College". BEC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  32. "Acharya Girish Chandra Bose College". AGCBC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  33. "Loreto Day School, Sealdah, Kolkata". Loreto Sealdah. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  34. "Loreto Day School, Sealdah". schools at collegeadmission.in. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  35. "Mitra Institution (Main)". MIM. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  36. "Mitra Institution (Main) School". ICBSE. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  37. 1 2 "Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital". College Admission. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  38. 1 2 "Health Statistics -> Hospital" (PDF). District:Kolkata. Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  39. Nair, Thankappan, Civic and Public Services in Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, page 239, Oxford University Press, ISBN   978-0-19-563696-3.
  40. "Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital". NRSMC. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  41. "B.R.Singh Hospital". indiaheartbeat.com. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  42. "Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College". CAREERINDIA. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  43. "IDA - West Bengal History (Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed". Indian Dental Association – West Bengal State Branch. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Variety of fish at Sealdah
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Kolay Market at Sealdah