Chowringhee Avenue
Encyclopedia
Jawaharlal Nehru Road in the Chowringhee
neighbourhood, is the arterial road running from the eastern fringes of Esplanade
southwards up to the crossing with Lower Circular Road (renamed Acharya Jagadish Bose Road), in the city of Calcutta, India
. It is the single most important road of the metropolis of Kolkata. It was renamed after Jawaharlal Nehru
, India's first Prime Minister.
, the road used to link the villages of Kalighat
and Chowringhee. The village of Chowringhee was named after a Jain religious figure of those days, and the name stuck on in spite of the British rule and was changed only after the independence of India.
After the British started expanding their settlement outside the Fort area in the mid-18th century, the area around Chowringhee was one of the first expansions. And the same area remained their pride and commercial centre until their departure in 1947. During the early British developments around the Chowringhee area, they built huge bungalows and houses all along the eastern end of the road, thus earning Kolkata the sobriquet - 'City of Palaces'. It was really a wonderful era of Kolkata, which came to be the second city of the British empire. Rows of huge palatial houses flanked by gardens and the area along the western edge of the road was a huge open area called the Maidan
. The Maidan was intentionally kept open and development-free due to security purposes of Fort William
.
Later there were tanks made on the western stretch of the road at each important crossing right from the Lower Circular Road junction (now the Exide crossing) to the Esplanade near Curzon Park. Of these only a couple exist now - the Manohar Das Tarag and the one at the junction of Park Street and Chowringhee.
Of the reclaimed tanks, one was where the Calcutta Information Centre and the Maidan Police Station now stand, another one where the Maidan metro station now stand and still a third on where the Esplanade bus-terminus now stand. The beauty of the road no longer exists and can only be seen in drawings and sketches of the bygone era.
With the advent of trams, tram-tracks were laid along the western edge of Chowringhee to connect the area of Tollygunge
to Esplanade
. These tracks, also, no longer exist.
Of the grand palaces and mansions of the era, only a few still remain - "the Oberoi Grand Hotel", the "Janbazar
" Building (which was owned by Rani Rashmoni
) at the junction of Corporation Street (now S.N.Banerjee Road), "The Chowringhee Mansions" (now housing several offices) at Kyd Street intersection, the "Asiatic Society" at the Park Street crossing and the majestic "Indian Museum
" are the well known ones. Some buildings from a later period include the "Kanak Building" (now housing offices of Citibank
and Standered Chartered Bank) at the junction of Middleton Street, "Virginia House" (housing the headquarters of ITC) and the New Market Watch Tower building. The building at the Lindsay Street
intersection, which used to house the famous Italian joint Firpo's, was razed in a blaze in 2002.
Chowringhee still remains very much the heart of Kolkata and the place of choice for many large business houses. But in spite of all the changes one thing remains constant - "When you build on Chowringhee, build it like Chowringhee, in style". This saying of old must have been followed by each architect who designed the newer buildings on Chowringhee, showcasing their extravagant self. Examples include the Tata Center at the intersection of Harrington Street (now Ho Chi Minh Sarani), Jeevan Deep (at the Middleton Street intersection), Everest House (next to Tata Center), J K Centre, SAIL Building, The Reliance House, the Metro Railway Building, among others.
and the Government Art College are located here, along with the afore-mentioned Asiatic Society. The Bishop's House, housing the residence of the Bishop of Kolkata and the St. Paul's Cathedral, is located here.
The M. P. Birla Planetarium is on the junction of Jawahalal Nehru Road and Cathedral road, the Victoria Memorial is a stone's throw away on Queensway. The neo-cultural centres of Nandan
, Rabindra Sadan
and the Academy of Fine Arts are next to Chowringhee on Lower Circular Road and the Cathedral Road.
The Tipu Sultan Mosque is at the intersection of Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Chittaranjan Avenue
) and Lenin Sarani.
The Chowringhee is home to four stations of the Kolkata Metro
i.e. , Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan and Rabindra Sadan.
The huge expanse of the Maidan is busy throughout the year with fairs and political meetings.
Chowringhee
Chowringhee is a neighbourhood in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. Jawaharlal Nehru Road runs on its western side...
neighbourhood, is the arterial road running from the eastern fringes of Esplanade
Esplanade, Calcutta
Esplanade is an area in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. This is not a conventional esplanade in the sense that the place is not exactly situated alongside a waterbody. However, the river Ganges, also known as the Ganga or the Hooghly, is located nearby...
southwards up to the crossing with Lower Circular Road (renamed Acharya Jagadish Bose Road), in the city of Calcutta, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the single most important road of the metropolis of Kolkata. It was renamed after Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, India's first Prime Minister.
History
Arguably one of the first roads in the city, prior to the coming of the BritishGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the road used to link the villages of Kalighat
Kalighat
Kalighat is a locality of Kolkata, India. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant -- with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time....
and Chowringhee. The village of Chowringhee was named after a Jain religious figure of those days, and the name stuck on in spite of the British rule and was changed only after the independence of India.
After the British started expanding their settlement outside the Fort area in the mid-18th century, the area around Chowringhee was one of the first expansions. And the same area remained their pride and commercial centre until their departure in 1947. During the early British developments around the Chowringhee area, they built huge bungalows and houses all along the eastern end of the road, thus earning Kolkata the sobriquet - 'City of Palaces'. It was really a wonderful era of Kolkata, which came to be the second city of the British empire. Rows of huge palatial houses flanked by gardens and the area along the western edge of the road was a huge open area called the Maidan
Maidan (Kolkata)
The Maidan is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a vast stretch of field and home to numerous play grounds, including the famous cricketing venue Eden Gardens, several football stadia, and Kolkata Race Course. Maidan is dotted with several statues and...
. The Maidan was intentionally kept open and development-free due to security purposes of Fort William
Fort William, India
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England...
.
Later there were tanks made on the western stretch of the road at each important crossing right from the Lower Circular Road junction (now the Exide crossing) to the Esplanade near Curzon Park. Of these only a couple exist now - the Manohar Das Tarag and the one at the junction of Park Street and Chowringhee.
Of the reclaimed tanks, one was where the Calcutta Information Centre and the Maidan Police Station now stand, another one where the Maidan metro station now stand and still a third on where the Esplanade bus-terminus now stand. The beauty of the road no longer exists and can only be seen in drawings and sketches of the bygone era.
With the advent of trams, tram-tracks were laid along the western edge of Chowringhee to connect the area of Tollygunge
Tollygunge
Tollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata. It is flanked by the Eastern Railway south suburban line to the north, Lake Gardens and Golf Green in the east, the Pashchim & Purba Putiaries in the south, and Behala in the west.-History:...
to Esplanade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
. These tracks, also, no longer exist.
Of the grand palaces and mansions of the era, only a few still remain - "the Oberoi Grand Hotel", the "Janbazar
Janbazar
Janbazar is a neighbourhood in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, 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.-History:...
" Building (which was owned by Rani Rashmoni
Rani Rashmoni
Rani Rashmoni was the founder of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Kolkata, and remained closely associated with Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa after she appointed him as the priest of the temple...
) at the junction of Corporation Street (now S.N.Banerjee Road), "The Chowringhee Mansions" (now housing several offices) at Kyd Street intersection, the "Asiatic Society" at the Park Street crossing and the majestic "Indian Museum
Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is the largest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings...
" are the well known ones. Some buildings from a later period include the "Kanak Building" (now housing offices of Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
and Standered Chartered Bank) at the junction of Middleton Street, "Virginia House" (housing the headquarters of ITC) and the New Market Watch Tower building. The building at the Lindsay Street
Lindsay street
Lindsay Street is a street connecting Chowringhee Avenue with Mirza Ghalib Street in Calcutta.New Market, Globe Cinema, Badshah restaurant bar and Hotel Lindsay are some important landmarks on this street....
intersection, which used to house the famous Italian joint Firpo's, was razed in a blaze in 2002.
Chowringhee still remains very much the heart of Kolkata and the place of choice for many large business houses. But in spite of all the changes one thing remains constant - "When you build on Chowringhee, build it like Chowringhee, in style". This saying of old must have been followed by each architect who designed the newer buildings on Chowringhee, showcasing their extravagant self. Examples include the Tata Center at the intersection of Harrington Street (now Ho Chi Minh Sarani), Jeevan Deep (at the Middleton Street intersection), Everest House (next to Tata Center), J K Centre, SAIL Building, The Reliance House, the Metro Railway Building, among others.
Places of interest
Jawaharlal Nehru Road is not only the commercial heart of the city, but also the cultural heart. The Indian MuseumIndian Museum
The Indian Museum is the largest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings...
and the Government Art College are located here, along with the afore-mentioned Asiatic Society. The Bishop's House, housing the residence of the Bishop of Kolkata and the St. Paul's Cathedral, is located here.
The M. P. Birla Planetarium is on the junction of Jawahalal Nehru Road and Cathedral road, the Victoria Memorial is a stone's throw away on Queensway. The neo-cultural centres of Nandan
Nandan
Nandan may refer to:*Nandan, Hyōgo, a town in Mihara District, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan*Nandan , a cultural center in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal*Meera Nandan , an Indian actress*Satya Nandan, a diplomat and lawyer...
, Rabindra Sadan
Rabindra Sadan
Rabindra Sadan is a cultural centre and theatre in Calcutta, located near the Nandan cinema and cultural complex and the Academy of Fine Arts on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata. Construction began on 5 August 1961 and ended October 1967...
and the Academy of Fine Arts are next to Chowringhee on Lower Circular Road and the Cathedral Road.
The Tipu Sultan Mosque is at the intersection of Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Chittaranjan Avenue
Chittaranjan Avenue
Chittaranjan Avenue, more commonly C.R. Avenue, is the previous Central Avenue, a principal north-south thoroughfare in north and central Kolkata.-Stretch:...
) and Lenin Sarani.
The Chowringhee is home to four stations of the Kolkata Metro
Kolkata Metro
The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line and five lines currently under construction...
i.e. , Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan and Rabindra Sadan.
The huge expanse of the Maidan is busy throughout the year with fairs and political meetings.