Park Street remains Kolkata’s party hub, continuing to attract the young and the old, the free-spirited and the tradition bound to its restaurants, pubs and bars that have changed slower than the city itself. Despite a few additions and losses, the street has held on to its hallowed status of being the street that never sleeps.

It is not merely a dining destination, as it is popularly perceived to be. There’s a lot more to Park Street—its grand architecture and its age-old institutions. Park Street-Camac Street has figured in the topfive high street destinations in India and ranked higher than fancied locations like Connaught Place in Delhi, Lokhandwala Market in Mumbai, Commercial Street in Bengaluru and Anna Nagar in Chennai. The fifth position in the India Real Estate Vision 2047 report reconfirms the ranking in Think India Think Retail 2023 published earlier in the year. Only four high streets are placed higher: MG Road in Bengaluru, Somajiguda in Hyderabad, Linking Road in Mumbai and South Extension I & II in Delhi.

But what sets Park Street apart from the rest is its enduring popularity for over a century. A high street even in the early 20th century, it remains just as popular in 2023, having retained much of its architectural character while reinventing itself over time. “A high street is an image. Park Street in Kolkata is one such. It is an enduring image of organised retail, brands, restaurants, roadside eateries and more. Park Street is an eclectic mix, one that has something to offer at different price ranges. It is everything to everybody. Nobody is disappointed,” explained business and brand strategy expert Harish Bijoor.

Architect and urban designer Monica Khosla Bhargava, who helmed the Society for Park Street Rejuvenation Kolkata project, said the charm of Park Street was beginning to fade in 2012 when the society was formed. “The popular perception about Park Street was that it is a dining destination. When we carried out the survey, we discovered that beyond the restaurant patrons, there were students studying in various institutions and coaching centres along Park Street who did not hang out there. The Park Street festival was created to attract the young. Youthful brands have since come in and made Park Street into a happening place with coffee shops, lounges and nightclubs,” she recounted.
What also makes high street stores in Park Street unique, says Knight Frank India director (east) Abhijit Das, is their large size. “It is difficult to find shops of this size in other high street locations. But that also means high rentals,” he said. The rental in Park Street-Camac Street is Rs 300-Rs 450 per sq ft.

​Sushil Mohta, eastern region chairman of Shopping Centres Association of India and president of Credai West Bengal, said the high rentals, coupled with lack of new retail space, could prove a challenge. “Malls offer what Park Street does and more in locations that are convenient without challenges of parking or facing unfavourable weather conditions,” he said. Nitin Kothari, who owns the iconic Park Street restaurants Mocambo and Peter Cat, said, “What Champs Elysees is to Paris, Fifth Avenue is to New York, Park Street is to Kolkata. ”

​It was at Trincas—originally a confectionery that later turned into a fine dining restaurant with live music—that Usha Uthup had first made her mark as a crooner. Other famous Trincas performers include Biddu, Tina Charles, Benni Rozario and Eve. “In 1969, an 18-year-old Usha Uthup made her debut here. It was the golden era of music on Park Street and Usha had been preceded by Biddu. With 80% of the multinational corporations being headquartered in Kolkata and 60% of the Anglo-Indian population concentrated here, the city’s fondness and patronage for good music was not surprising. And Trincas was known for the entertainment that it served,” said owner Anand Puri.

Besides being the party street since pre-Independence times, attracting the young and the old to its restaurants, pubs and bars, Park Street also represents the city’s heritage through its grand architecture and age-old institutions

The road used to be a hangout joint for the city’s affluent and fashionable till the Seventies. But the class barrier was broken over the next three decades and now Park Street is as much a middle-class haunt as any other place in Kolkata, said Kothari.
“The Metro rail changed the character of Park Street from the mid-Eighties. With easy accessibility provided by a comfortable and cheap mode of transport, the city started exploring Park Street and discovered that it was not as forbiddingly expensive to spend an evening here that it was believed to be. We have consciously ensured that we remain affordable for the middle-class for they are the majority of our clients,” added Kothari.

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A famous song, written by Sarat Chandra Pandit, popularly known as Dadathakur, and sung by Debabrata Biswas, goes: “Kolkata te sab kothate dekhchi bhari bhul/Ki ba kori ghure mori, naiki narakul/Naiko hati naiko bagan, Hatibagan bole/R badur bagan ete dekhi badur nahi jhole (Every name in Kolkata seems wrong/ There are neither elephants nor garden yet the area is called Hatibagan).”

Hatibagan got its name probably in 1756 when Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah captured Calcutta from East India Company. “The nawab aimed to recapture Calcutta from European control. During the preparation of the attack, Siraj and his trusted aide, Mir Jafar, started to assemble elephants at an open area of the then Sutanuti. Thus the area got its name, Hatibagan,” said Heritage enthusiast Swarnali Chattopadhyay and admin of Purono Kolkatar Golpo Society. The British were unprepared. Fort William, housing the entire European population, fell to the Indians on June 20. Siraj renamed Calcutta ‘Alinagar’. Chattopadhyay pointed out there was another theory: A person, with the surname, ‘Hati’, had a huge villa and a garden in this area. This was later bought by Mehtab Chand Mullick, who established Hatibagan market.

Skirting Shyambazar, Hatibagan is among the city’s oldest and largest markets, which has witnessed the changing history of Kolkata. During World War II, the Japanese troops dropped a bomb on the market that did not explode and devastating fires failed to raze the commercial hub. Even now, it thrives with hawkers’ stalls, centuryold shops and department stores doing brisk business together.

​Hatibagan is one of the oldest markets here, offering a varied range of fares, ranging from affordable clothes, cosmetics, accessories, shoes to stationery items, toys, sports goods and sweets, catering to buyers of all sections​​​

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Burrabazar in central Kolkata is one of the biggest wholesale and retail hubs in the country with scores of markets offering specific merchandise each.
Translated in English, Burrabazar means a “big market”. And big it is. The market extends from Jorabagan in the north to Radhabazar in south, from Strand Road in the west to Mahatma Gandhi Road in the east. In between lies a labyrinth of lanes and bylanes with thousands of businessmen, vendors and even traders on foot doing brisk business. Trucks roll into the market, carrying goods from various corners of the country that are carried to different shops by burly porters. Trade starts from the crack of the dawn and continues till late at night.

“One can safely say everything is available at Burrabazar. It is one of the biggest markets in the country and its daily turnover crosses thousands of crores,” said Sushil Poddar, head of an umbrella body of local traders in the central business district. “We joke among ourselves that there is money in every corner of Burrabazar. People who know the art can make it their own. But this actually encapsulates the essence of this bustling marketplace. ”
Burrabazar is dotted with several katras, or markets, each specializing in a certain type of merchandise.

According to a rough estimate, there are over 10,000 business establishments in the entire area. If Posta is the wholesale hub for potatoes, onions, oil, spices and other edibles, Ezra Street and Pollock Street are famous for lights, electrical fittings and appliances. Bagri Market is a one-stop destination for cosmetics and imitation jewellery, while Amartalla Street is a toy hub.

“Times when it was difficult to spot the pavements in Burrabazar are long gone. Now, we can’t even spot the carriageway because every inch of space is encroached upon. Every inch is precious,” said Vikas Rajgaria, a businessman who also lives in Burrabazar. “The market’s biggest blessing is also its bane. Such is the pressure of business that every inch has been taken over by traders, hawkers and transporters. Buildings are ill-maintained and even common passages are encroached upon. Due to disputes between landlords and tenants it has become impossible to introduce modern fire safety measures in most buildings that house hundreds of shops,” said Shyamsundar Rajgaria, one of the veteran businessmen in Burrabazar.

Not only wholesale and retail merchandise, Burrabazar is also a delight for vegetarian food and chaats. From vegetarian eateries to road-side stalls, lipsmacking food is available everywhere. “We shifted to Bangur two decades ago. But even today, we go to Burrabazar for Sunday morning breakfast. The taste of the food apart, the memories of our childhood that we associate with the place draws us to Burrabazar,” said Shubhi Bagla, a former resident of Burrabazar.

Burrabazar is a world of its own, complete with scores of markets selling varied fares, ranging from spices and grocery to clothes, cosmetics, toys, lights and decorations. Foodies often go looking for chaats and lassi at the market. It might appear to be the unlikeliest place but the trading hub also has a ‘kusti’ ring right in the middle.

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Bengal is India’s third-largest flower producer, after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, growing around 10,000 tonnes a year. It is this hub at Mullick Ghat, from where these flowers are sent out to various corners of the country and even to foreign shores. Though the market does not have even 500 licensed traders, thousands of flower growers and small traders come there early in the morning every day to sell their wares. “Bengal is among the top flowerproducing states. We not only cater to the demands of the state but also the rest of the country. Many traders even export to countries in Europe and West Asia,” said Shyamal Ghosh, secretary of Mullick Ghat Phool Bajar Vyavsayee Committee.

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The market springs to life even before the first ray of the sun touches the water of the Hooghly. Flower-laden trucks roll in with hundreds of labourers already waiting to unload them. The market is ready before daybreak and shortly, a whirlwind of business strikes with buyers and sellers making their transactions. Lines of vehicles again leave the area, carrying away colourful heaps of flowers from the market to other places.
One of the enduring images of the market is that of men and women sporting “floral dresses” and roaming around. The floral dresses are actually long strands of marigolds that vendors, who do not have permanent shops, drape on themselves and roam around the market, scouting for customers.
On any given day tourists and photographers can be spotted there, looking for that perfect frame. It is also turning into a favourite spot for pre-wedding shoots and for youngsters looking to make short videos. “The market generates livelihood for thousands. We receive orders throughout the year but business peaks during festivals and wedding seasons. At those times, we have to hire more hands,” said Ghosh.

The traders converge on the bank of the Hooghly every day but they cannot forget the fire that destroyed their market in April 2008, three months after a blaze raged on at Nandaram Market for 100 hours, barely half-a-km away. All the stalls were reduced to ashes and thousands lost their livelihood. Later that year, the KMC cleared a plan to build a threestorey structure with a basement and India’s first flower auction centre. The building was also supposed to house a sorting-grading and packaging unit, a cold storage unit, a lab to extract flower oils and a guesthouse. Former chief minister Buddha deb Bhattacharjee had cleared the Rs 30-crore project.

But the project never took off and the traders are still clueless about the reason behind it.
The market also faces acute water short age, an essential amenity for the survival of the market. “The work to rebuild the market and rehabilitate the traders never got off the ground. We approached almost all the departmen ts but to no avail. When we received no help from the authorities, we decided to find a solution ourselves,” said Asit Karmakar, a wholesaler at Mullick Ghat, who was among those who had helped bring the flower hub back to life.

​Today, the market functioned, thanks to the initiative of the businessmen there, the traders claimed. “We have made arrangements for w ater and sheds with our own money. We also ensure we clean up the place on a regular basis,” said Karmakar.

The tourists, photographers and social media enthusiasts, who also make their way to the hub early in the morning, have brought the hub closer to the common man through their social media posts and photos. The online showcasing not only highlights the morning business, the source of colourful and fragrant flowers used for happy and sombre occasions, it also turns the focus on the plight of the hub, which the traders hope will nudge the authorities into ensuring a better working condition.

​Trucks carrying flowers, ferns and leaves of various kinds reach the Mullick Ghat market before daybreak and whirring business starts off right away. Mullick Ghat, the hub of Bengal’s flower business, is a source of livelihood for thousands​

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At the heart of Gariahat lies its bustling hawkers’ market, where a vibrant array of fares is sold. From trendy clothes and accessories to handicrafts and household items, l ike linen and crockery, the hawkers’ market offers an eclectic shopping experience. Strolling on the pavements along Rashbehari Avenue and Gariahat Road, visitors can explore the diverse stalls, bargain and witness the energy of this marketplace. While Gariahat draws shoppers all round the year, the rush turns maddening during Chaitra sale and ahead of Durga Puja. Home-maker Arunima Sen, who stays in Jadav- pur, finds the variety and range of goods sold at Gariahat hawkers’ stalls unmatched anywhere else in the city. “Gariahat is an addiction that my friends and I developed during our college days. Two decades later, I am still just as charmed. From my casual wear to hand bags to junk jewellery, everything is from Gariahat’s pavements,” she said. Interior designer Sangeeta Banerjee, who lives in Kasba, also visits Gariahat regularly to buy gifts, garments and junk jewellery. Sometimes, she buy s nothing. “Before shifting to Kasba, I used to go to New Market. But once I started going to Gariahat since a decade ago, I have not felt the need to go anywhere else,” she said.

Adja cent to the hawkers’ market, Gariahat boasts of a fish market that draws in crowds of aficionados. With its fresh catch and variety, the market showcases the essence of Bengali culinary traditions and the central role fish plays on a Bengali’s platter. Hindustan Road resident Santanu Kumar Pyne, a retired executive of Balmer Lawrie, does the rounds of the fish market at Gariahat every day. “I check out the fish between 7. 30am and 8. 30am daily. Without this exercise, there would be something terribly amiss in my life,” he said. Dover Road resident Chandan Dey said the fish in Gariahat was slightly more expensive than that in other markets, but the quality was top-class and perhaps matched only those sold in Maniktala. “If you have guests coming over or you are looking for the best hilsa in town, go to Gariahat,” he said.

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Fish vendor Narayan Haldar says around 20-24 varieties are sold at the market on any given d ay. Lopa Chatterjee, who runs a cloud kitchen from her home, sources her fish from Gariahat. “When there are special orders, I feel assured if I buy fish from Gariahat though it means paying a premium,” she said. If this was fish, the market is equally a must-go for sustainable fashion, given the khadi stores and boutique handloom shops, offering a wide range of options while supporting local weavers and artisans.

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While the pavement stalls offer trendy casual wear at affordable prices, there are also big showrooms selling wedding clothes—Benarasis, and lehengas—silks and tussars, that cost a mini-fortune. These shops are a treasure trove for bridesto-be, showcasing intricately embroidered saris and dazzling lehengas. With their rich designs and exquisite craftsmanship, the wedding sari shops of Gariahat reflect the grandeur and cultural heritage of Bengali weddings.

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“What Benarasi sari shops of College Street are to north Kolkata residents, those along Rashbehari Avenue are to south Kolkata. The options in Gariahat are wider. My sisters-in-law who live on B K Paul Avenue and Vivekanand a Road bought saris for their daughters’ weddings from Gariahat,” said Surabhi Mukherjee, a resident of Sarat Bose Road.

​From affordable trendy clothes, junk jewellery, ceramic crockery and linen at hawkers’ stalls to fresh fish of varied kinds to expensive wedding saris and lehengas, branded clothes and gold and silver jewellery, Gariahat caters to one and all; the shopping hub also houses the city’s unique “chess centre”, where people of all ages get together to play the board game​

It is also home to myriad jewellery stores that display stunning collect ions of gold, silver, and precious gems, catering to diverse tastes and preferences. Junk jewellery stalls line the pavements, too.
Gariahat has in recent years emerged a s a food lovers’ paradise, with an array of restaurants, offering traditional Bengali cuisine to Chinese and global flavours. Visitors can savour delectable street food, indulge in aromatic biryanis, or relish scrumptious meals at restaurants and cafes that dot Hindustan Park and Purna Das Road.

A discussion on Gariahat stands out for its vibrant chess culture, with locals gathering on the median divider of the busy crossing for an intense round of chess. Enthusiasts of all ages engage in friendly competition, engrossed in the game, while the world passes by. Suman Bhattacharya, a professional chess player, comes from Bata Nagar to Gariahat to train enthusiasts three days a week. He said he did not find it difficult to concentrate on the game amid the hustle and bustle and the constant honking. “Playing at Gariahat has its own charm. There are days when I play 30 games from 10am to 10pm,” said Bhattacharya, a member of Gariahat Chess Club that was formed in 2006. People come from near and far to hone their chess skills. Banikanta Nath (76), comes from Serampore as does Amit Chakraborty and his eight-year-old son, Ashik, from New Garia. Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren and American Christopher Hikaru Nakamura have also played at Gariahat as has our very ow n grandmaster, Dibyendu Barua.

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The earliest inhabitants of Chinatown were sailors and fishermen in the 18th century who began settling in what is today’s Old Chinatown. Soon, Tiretta Bazar near Lalbazar, named after Italian immi- grant Edward Tiretta, a land surveyor who owned the area, flourished.

Today, Tiretta Bazar is a hot spot for tourists, looking to catch a glimpse of history hidden behind the dilapidated walls of churches, temples and community clubs. A walk around the lanes will lead one to family-owned churches—Sea Ip, Toong On, Gee Hing, Nam Soon and Ling Liang. Every Sunday, early birds can taste authentic Chinese breakfast at the market, which offers fares, like various momos, the steamed ones served with bowls of clear soup, homemade sausages, stuffed buns, pork rolls and wantons.
Apee Change, the 82-year old priest at the 120-year-old Tiretta Bazar temple, said, “A 100 years ago, people came here to pray for the safe voyage of fishermen. ” The temple is no longer functional as a prayer spot, reflecting on how the population has shrunk.
A once-thriving community of more than 20,000 settlers, the 2,000 remaining Chinese locals operate exquisite authentic Chinese restaurants, holding onto traditiona l flavours and decades-old family recipes. Many of these families live around Tangra or the New Chinatown, once a tannery hub. Today most of the leather factories have been replaced with restaurants. If the Old Chinatown captures the spiritual and historical essence of the community, the new one holds culinary delights. Family-run restaurants, like Ah Leung , Beijing, and Shun Li, feel like you are walking into a Chinese family’s living room for comfort food. This culinary haven in Tangra, is the second part of a unique migration story.
Serving a platter of Chinese singara, an eclectic fusion of Bengali and Chinese food, Clement Tseng, owner of family-run restaurant Ah Leung, said, “For me, Chinatown is a symbol of home and family. Earlier generations of my family have been cooking in this kitchen together for decades. ”

From the steamed buns and dumplings to the fiery chilli chicken, every bite i s a symphony of tastes and textures telling a story of migration, adaptation, and innovation. The owner of popular eatery Shun Li, Matthew Chen, added his family restaurant, set up in 1986, served a combination of pure Chinese as well as fusion dishes, prepared in a home-cooked style. The neighbourhood also boasts of shops selling sauce and condiments, mostly used in Chinese cuisine. When passing through the enchanting by lanes of both Tangra and Tiretta Bazar, one can come across a cultural kaleidoscope of a quaint residential area with children playing football, families gathered for a meal at an eatery, older residents hunched together in balmy 100-year-old clubs, playing the beloved Chinese board game, Mahjong. Lawrence Sein, a local, said the community elders’ fervour for the game had not diminished with time or age, as local clubs were packed with Mahjong players from early morning, despite rain and renovation work.
The slow-paced life in the quiet neighbourhoods suddenly bursts into excitement and celebration with the advent of the Chinese New Year. Relatives and friends visit the houses to be part of the fanfare. The spectacle is held with vibrant processions, Dragon Dances and traditional performances that resonate with locals and tourists alike. The influence of both Chinese and Indian customs is apparent, with locals swaying to retro Hindi songs. A crowd favourite is James Liao’s Hong Da dance group, which practises all year to hone its Dragon Dance. Restaurant owner Monica Liu said a big part of keeping the festivities alive after the shrinkage of the Chinese population was the enthusiastic participation of people from other ethnicities in Kolkata.
Talking about Chinatown’s cosmopolitan pulse, dentist Chiwei Mao said, “When my father was a dentist here 65 years ago, this place teemed with Parsis, Jews, Muslims and Hindus. ”
While shrinking numbers and the youngsters migrating abroad for higher studies and employment are a matter of concern, the preservation of Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in India, is testament to the resilience of the Chinese-Indian community in Kolkata. Recently, consul-general of China to Kolkata Zha Liyou said, “I urge those settling abroad to donate their family heirlooms to public heritage buildings so that we can remember their distinct culture and shar ed values. ” The community’s commitment to sharing its traditions ensures that future generations can experience the unique blend of Chinese and Bengali influences. I n the heart of Kolkata’s bustling streets, Chinatown stands as a bridge between two cultures, celebrating their shared history and embracing the diversity that defines the city. As the sun sets over Tangra, the vibrant tapestry of sights, sounds, and flavours that is Kolkata’s Chinatown, continues to thrive, a living testament to the enduring spirit of cultural fusion.

(L) The imposing gateway to Tangra, a hub of restaurants; (top) Chinese breakfast is a unique Tiretta Bazar feature; the locality is dotted with (below) family-run churches and (centre left) shops selling sauce; elders can be seen playing Mahjong at clubs (far left); the Chinese Kali Bari is the blending of the two cultures of China and Kolkata; the city also houses Chinese cemeteries (centre)

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