Chitpur | |
|---|---|
Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta) | |
 Nabaratna Temple in 1798 | |
  Chitpur Location in Kolkata | |
| Coordinates:22°34′32.58″N88°21′04.03″E / 22.5757167°N 88.3511194°E /22.5757167; 88.3511194 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| City | Kolkata |
| District | Kolkata |
| Metro Station | Shyambazar |
| Municipal Corporation | Kolkata Municipal Corporation |
| KMC ward | 6 |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 700002 |
| Area code | +91 33 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Kolkata Uttar |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Kashipur-Belgachhia |
Chitpur (orChitpore) is a neighbourhood inNorth Kolkata inKolkata district in theIndianstate ofWest Bengal. Sometimes, the entire area along Chitpur Road is referred to as Chitpur, although the various localities have distinctive names.
Chitpur has existed for at least 400 years. It received its name from the goddess Chitteswari, who had a splendid temple here erected byGobindram Mitter, where human sacrifices used to be offered. The loftydome of the temple, which was known as Nabarutna or the shrine of nine jewels, fell during theearthquake of 1737, and it is now in ruins.[1]
According to another source, the area was earlier named Chitrapur. It is referred to inBipradas Pipilai's poemManasamangal in 1495, but it could be a later interpolation. According to it, Chitpur was home to Chakrapani, Commander-in-Chief of theNawab of Bengal's army, and had a flourishing colony of artists. It refers to one Gobinda Ghosh as founder of the Chitteswari temple in 1610. The most notorious bandit of the region was Chitey Dakat, who offered human sacrifices at the temple. The area could also have acquired its name from him.[2]
TheEast India Company obtained from theMughal emperorFarrukhsiyar, in 1717, the right to rent from 38 villages surrounding their settlement. Of these 5 lay across theHooghly in what is now Howrah district. The remaining 33 villages were on the Calcutta side. After the fall ofSiraj-ud-daulah, the last independentNawab of Bengal, it purchased these villages in 1758 fromMir Jafar and reorganised them. These villages were known en-bloc asDihi Panchannagram and Chitpur was one of them. It was considered to be a suburb beyond the limits of theMaratha Ditch.[3][4][5]
There was a house and garden of Mahmed Reza Khan, the Chitpur Nawab, to whom the administration of Bengal was assigned for several years after theBritish East India Company acquired thedewani of Bengal from theMughal emperors inDelhi.[6] The Chitpur Nawab lived on terms of intimacy with the 'powers' of the day and was accounted by them as a personage of first rank. The foreign governors—Danish, French and Dutch—on their visits to Kolkata fromSerampore,Chandannagar andChinsurah, made it a practice to halt at Chitpur on their way to the Government House.[7]
The Circular Canal joins theHooghly River at Chitpur. Early in the 20th century a large lock and tidal basin had been constructed, at the mouth of the canal.[6]
Entally,Manicktala,Beliaghata,Ultadanga, Chitpur,Cossipore, parts of Beniapukur,Ballygunge,Watgunge, Ekbalpur,Garden Reach andTollygunj were added toKolkata Municipal Corporation in 1888. Garden Reach was later taken out.[8]
The great thoroughfare, which commencing in the extreme south, assumes the various names of Russa Road, Chowringhee Road, Bentick Street, Chitpore Road, and Barrackpore Trunk Road, forms a continuation of the Dum Dum Road and was the old line of communication between Morshedabad and Kalighat. It is said to occupy the site of the old road made by theSabarna Roy Choudhurys, the old zemindars of Calcutta, fromBarisha, where the junior branch resided, toHalisahar, beyondBarrackpore, which was the seat of the senior branch.[9]
Along that old road, popular as pilgrim's path,dharamshalas and shops came up. Habitations grew around them and localities developed. They were self-descriptive. The chicken (murgi) market (hat) was Murgihata, twin (jora) bridges (sanko) over acreek distinguishedJorasanko, butchers (kasais) slaughtered animals at Kasitola, and the potters (kumors) spun the riverclay on wheels atKumortuli. Later, they took to making clay idols in demand in the mansions that grew up all around. When the newFort William was built in the 1750s atGobindapur, the inhabitants of the disbanded village migrated northwards.[2]
Chitpur Road was Kolkata's oldest road. Apart from the aristocracy, there have been common folks engaged in various trades.[10] The distinctive Bengalipanjikaalmanac was printed here. It was a centre for Battala books. So many things on Chitpore Road have been an integral part of Bengal's life and culture – thepaan (betel leaf mouth refresher), theadda (stray gossiping),jatra shows and the brass band playing "He is a jolly good fellow" to enliven wedding receptions.[11]
A part of Lower Chitpur Road rivalled theChandni Chowk of Delhi before construction of Nakhoda Mosque in 1926. The last vestiges of Nawabi style were found along Chitpur Road.[12] It was on this road thatRaja Rammohun Roy built his Brahmo Sabha, which later became Adi Brahmo Samaj. The road was renamed Rabindra Sarani, after its most famous resident,Rabindranath Tagore. It is Kolkata's museum with communities and social groups from various parts of country and beyond finding a place in nooks along the road.[2]
Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the home of theTagore family now housesRabindra Bharati University.
In 1876, the peripheral areas of Kolkata were brought under the umbrella of a single Suburban Municipality. In 1889, the suburban area was split into five units of which one was the Suburban Municipality of Kashipur and Chitpur. In 1931, it was merged with Kolkata.[13] Chitpur now forms ward no. 6 ofKolkata Municipal Corporation. With theHooghly River on the west, it is surrounded byCossipore,Bagbazar, Paikpara,Tala,Belgachia andShyambazar on the other three sides.[14] Across theHooghly River isSalkia inHowrah.
Chitpur police station is part of theNorth and North Suburban division ofKolkata Police. Located at 19, Cossipore Road, Kolkata-700002, it has jurisdiction over Chitpur neighbourhood/ Ward no.6, ofKolkata Municipal Corporation.[15][16]
Amherst Street Women police station covers all police districts under the jurisdiction of the North and North Suburban division i.e. Amherst Street, Jorabagan, Shyampukur, Cossipore, Chitpur, Sinthi, Burtolla and Tala.[15]
Chitpur is home toKolkata railway station, the fourth and latest railway passenger terminal for the city. The first two stations,Howrah andSealdah, were built more than a century ago and now both of them have reached the saturation point in capacity.[17] The third one,Shalimar, which is under jurisdiction ofSouth Eastern Railway, is located inHowrah, far away from the city centre. The new terminal has been named "Kolkata".[18][17]
Cossipore Road (Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa Dev Sarani) is the artery of Chitpur. Buses ply along the road. The road is connected toB.T. Road (at Chunni Babu Bazar) withLock Gate Road Overbridge. It is also connected toBagbazar (Khirode Vidyavinode Avenue) withChitpur Bridge over a canal.[19] Chitpur Bridge was firstly inaugurated in 1937.[20]
BesidesKolkata Station,Tala railway station andBagbazar railway station (both are onKolkata Circular Railway line) are also located nearby.
Chitpur is the setting for the 2012Malayalam novelAarachaar (transl. Hangwoman) byK. R. Meera, which won many awards.
Kolkata/North Kolkata travel guide from Wikivoyage