Southern Suburbs

The Southern Suburbs (দক্ষিণ শহরতলি Dakṣiṇ Śahartali) of Kolkata consist of the rapidly mushrooming areas south of the city.

Understand

The Southern Suburbs consists of several neighbourhoods, like Barisha, Bawali, Behala, Bijoygarh, Bishnupur, Budge Budge, southern Dhakuria, Santoshpur, Garden Reach, Garia, Lake Gardens, Jadavpur, Jodhpur Park, Joka, Maheshtala, New Alipore, Pailan, and Tollygunge. While most of these areas are now governed by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), other areas belong to South 24 Parganas. Historically, these areas were distinct towns or villages south of Kolkata with their own identities before being absorbed into the municipal borders. Even today, some of the suburbs within the city limits maintain their own separate identities with their own marketplaces and local traditions, for example Behala, Garden Reach, Garia, and Jadavpur. People there still talk about "going to Kolkata" when they are talking about going to northern and central parts of the city.

After the partition of India in 1947, the semi-urban areas began teeming with millions of refugees from East Pakistan. Although there are still refugee colonies here and there, most of these now sport a brighter look.

The suburbs of Baruipur, Narendrapur, Rajpur, Samukpota, Sonarpur, and Subhasgram are covered under the Rajpur Sonarpur and Baruipur.

Get in

By bus

A large number of bus routes from other parts of Kolkata and outside Kolkata ply into this district. Air-conditioned buses have also started plying, for example from Sulekha to New Town and from Tollygunge to Kolkata Airport. There are many long-distance buses from southeastern places to the north, which avoid the city crowds and travel via the EM Bypass.

Garia has three bus stands. Garia No. 5 handles buses coming along Raja SC Mullick Road. The second bus depot handles buses coming along NSC Bose Road. There is a bus stand in Patuli, handling 45 no. private bus. The Garia-Gol Park autos leave from opposite the No. 5 Bus Stand. Garia No. 6 handles buses coming along NSC Bose Road. Buses travelling south of Garia are handled by either the No. 5 or No. 6 depots depending on the direction they are coming from. Autos on the Garia-Tollyguge route leave from near this bus stand. There also are autos for Boral.

By metro

The city district is served by metro lines  1  and  3 , with Line  1  is the only one to get here from the rest of the city.

Line  3  runs across Diamond Harbour Road, from Majerhat to Behala to Joka. This line is locally called Behala Metro.

By train

The Southern Suburbs have the most extensive suburban railway coverage compared to other parts of the city, where only  Circular  dominates. This reflects the area's origin as a group of distinct towns and villages connected to Sealdah by railways. Most local trains to South Suburban stations depart from Sealdah South terminal, adjacent to Sealdah Main. Some also depart from the adjacent Majerhat, which is useful as it provides an interchange between metro and local train.

See

Bawali Rajbari

• 1 Bawali Rajbari, ☏ +91 33 4180 0305. A historic zamindar palace of the Mondal family. The family originally carried the title of Roy. Shovaram Roy was awarded the title of Mondal. Shovaram’s grandson, Rajaram Mondal, received the zamindari rights of 50 villages (including Budge Budge and Bawali), as a reward for his bravery, from the Raja of Hijli. They settled at Bawali around 1710. Rajaram Mondal’s grandson Haradhan Mondal, who enjoyed the patronage of British East India Company, and his sons built many temples in Bawali. The 300-year old Bawali Rajbari, with corinthian pillars, has been renovated for use as a hotel. (updated Jan 2023)
• Gopinath Jiu Temple, Bawali. A navaratna (nine-pinnacled) temple. Built-in 1794, the temple is rich in stucco works. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Komagata Maru Shaheed Ganj (Punjabi Monument), Budge Budge. A memorial dedicated to the people who were killed in the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru in 1914. A group of Indians attempted to migrate to Canada in the steamship in April 1914, but most were denied entry and forced to return to Budge Budge in 27 September. There, the Indian Imperial Police attempted to arrest the group leaders. A riot ensued, and they were fired upon by the police, resulting in some deaths. The Komagata Maru incident was widely cited at the time to highlight discrepancies in Canadian immigration laws, and the Canadian government apologised for this incident about a century later. (updated Nov 2024)
• 3 Sibtainabad Imambara, P-34, Garden Reach Rd. A major centre of Shi'a Islam in West Bengal. It was founded in 1864 by Wajid Ali Shah, former Nawab of Awadh. (updated Dec 2024)

Museums

• 4 Gurusaday Museum (গুরুসদয় জাদুঘর Gurusadaẏ Jādughar), P6, Diamond Harbour Rd (metro: Joka  3 ), gsmuseum@rediffmail.com. Tu–Su 10AM-5PM. Closed on M and national holidays. The outcome of a lifetime collection of traditional folk arts in Bengal by Sir Gurusaday Dutta. On his death in 1941, the collection was handed over to the Bratachari Society founded by Sir Gurusaday Dutta to preserve and protect Bengal folk arts. It was opened as a museum to the public with the help of the union government in 1963. It contains, among other fine handicrafts, terracotta panels, kantha (folk quilt work) and patas (hand-painted scrolls), notably of the Kalighat School. Students ₹2, adult Indians ₹10, foreigners ₹50. (updated Oct 2022)
• 5 Sabarna Sangrahashala (সাবর্ণ সংগ্রহশালা Sābarṇa Saṁgrahaśālā), 67/3 Diamond Harbour Rd, ☏ +91 33 24473550. 10AM–noon and 5–7PM. Closed on Th. The only family museum of Kolkata. It was established in 2005 by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad and is a popular tourist attraction, especially for those who want to know more about the history of Kolkata. It is also a research institute in the making. The museum possesses some of the rarest Kabulatipatras, documents and articles of historical importance besides several artifacts dating back to the 17th century. The museum is dedicated to students for creating an awareness of history, heritage, and culture of the land. Every year in the month of February, the museum organizes the International History and Heritage Exhibition which is only of its kind in Eastern India. Free. (updated Dec 2022)
• 6 State Archaeological Museum, 1, Satyen Roy Rd (metro: Behala Bazar  3 ). 10:30AM-4:30PM. Closed on M and Tu. The museum has a wide collection of antiques from the bronze age and various artefacts collected from excavations across West Bengal. ₹5. (updated Oct 2022)

Religious places

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

• 7 BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhasa no. 14, Diamond Harbour Rd. A temple built by Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the one who also built the famous Akshardham in Delhi. It has ben said that Shri Swaminarayan (1781–1820) once visited the Kapil Muni Temple in Sagar Island. (updated Nov 2022)
• 8 Tipu Sultan Shahi Masjid (crossing of Deshaparan Sasmal Rd and Prince Anwar Shah Rd). Replica of Esplanade's Tipu Sultan Mosque built by the Waqf Committee at Tollygunge. (updated Aug 2022)

Do

The remains of the at-chala house at Barisha

• 1 Durga Puja of Sabarna Roy Choudhury's family, Barisha. Sabarna Roy Chowdhury's jagirdari family has been celebrating Durga Puja since 1610 in their ancestral home at Barisha. It is the second oldest bonedi (family) Durga Puja in West Bengal and possibly the oldest organised festival in Kolkata. (updated Aug 2022)
• 2 Asoka Cinema Hall, 905/2, Diamond Harbour Rd. (updated Nov 2022)

Clubs

• 3 Royal Calcutta Golf Club. The oldest golf club in India, established in 1829. Exclusively for members and guests. (updated Aug 2022)
• 4 Tollygunge Club, Deshpran Sasmal Rd (metro: Mahanayak Uttam Kumar  1 ). Exclusively for members and their guests. This club, founded in 1895, spread over a hundred-acre campus, is acknowledged as one of the top clubs in the world. It offers facilities for golf, tennis, squash, indoor and outdoor swimming, riding and amateur equestrian sports. (updated Aug 2022)

Learn

Gate No. 4, Jadavpur University

• 1 Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Jadavpur (suburban: Jadavpur  Sealdah South ). It was founded in 1876 by Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar and is the oldest research institute in India. Sir C. V. Raman worked here during 1907 to 1933 on various topics of physics making the discovery of the celebrated effect on the scattering of light in 1928, which bears his name and that brought many accolades including the Nobel Prize. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Jadavpur University, Jadavpur (suburban: Jadavpur  Sealdah South ). Considered one of the top engineering universities in West Bengal. It was established by the National Council of Education in 1906, with the objective of challenging the British grip over education by offering education to the masses 'on national lines and under national control'. It was given the status of a university in 1955. (updated Aug 2022)

Buy

• 1 Bijaygarh Bazar, Jadavpur. (updated Aug 2022)
• 2 Charu Market, 54/1 Charu Chandra Ave (suburban: Tollygunge  Sealdah South ; metro: Rabindra Sarobar  1 ). A private roadside market spread across 0.66 acres (2,700 m²). Vegetables, fruits, betel leaf, fish, meat, egg and grocery are available. (updated Nov 2024)
• 3 Dakshinapan Shopping Complex, Gariahat Rd S. Tu-Sa 11AM-7:30PM, and Mondays after 2PM, closed on Sunday. An excellent place to buy Indian handicrafts and artefacts. There are many Indian state government emporiums there, stocked with fixed price goods from all over the country. It also has clothes shops, eateries et al. (updated Nov 2024)
• Diamond Harbour Rd (DH Road). Diamond Harbour Rd 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. The pavements of Behala are crowded with hawkers selling everything from toothpicks to bedsheets. (updated Dec 2022)
• Garia Bazar. (updated Oct 2022)

South City Mall

South City Mall

• 4 South City Mall, 375 Prince Anwar Shah Rd (Taltala Bus Stop). It has a food court on the third floor with a number of restaurants. Most of the restaurants have bars. The restaurants are splurge/mid-range. Apart from restaurants at the edges, there is a big open space in the middle with seating arrangements. This area is served by KFC and other outlets serving food ranging from South Indian to kebabs. The open-space food outlets are comparatively less costly. Spencer's also has a food zone within their outlet in the basement. Car parking is available @ ₹25 per hour. (updated Aug 2022)
  • Chilli's. (updated Nov 2024)
  • Fame - South City. 
  • Flame & Grill, Shop No. 310, 3rd Floor, ☏ +91 33 24228503. Variety of Kababs served hot 
  • Mainland China Restaurant, Shop No. 313, 3rd Floor, ☏ +91 33 64578361. Innovative Chinese food. 
  • Pizza Hut, 3rd Floor, ☏ +91 33 40653061. 
  • Subway, Shop no. 306, 3rd Floor, ☏ +91 33 40643116. 
  • Zara The Tapas Bar and Restaurant, Shop No. 309, 3rd Floor, ☏ +91 33 32568055. Mediterranean food 

Eat and drink

• 1 Chakhna Shakna Punjabi Dhaba (Flavours of Punjab.), 259-B, Lake-Gardens (near Rammohan Mission School), ☏ +91 9002107890, +91 9474453800. Specialist in Punjabi, tandoori & North Indian cuisine. Free home food delivery or sit'n'dine service. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 Don Giovanni's, 1/114 Jodhpur Park, ☏ +91 33 40007830, +91 33 24133243. Supreme pizza, momos, fried rice chicken, burgers, Margherita pizza. 
• 3 Fiya the Zayka, 44/1 Adi Ganga, Bansdroni Post Office Rd (opposite of Surya Sen Metro), toll-free: +91 9748079337, fiyathezayka@gmail.com. 3-10:30PM. Cooking the Royal Biryani is the profession of Fiya the Zayka’s; they serve Mughlai food, developed under the patronage of the Mughal Kings and Queens using the spices of the Mughals' adopted Indian homeland. ₹25/₹100. 
• 4 Hungry Tide, UBI Dhakuria Branch Bldg, 32/12A, Gariahat Rd S, ☏ +91 33 3099 1262. Noon-10PM. Chinese, Continental, North Indian, etc. (updated Mar 2018)
• 5 Lokaahar, 533, Jodhpur Park, ☏ +91 8420170529, +91 9007980125. 9AM-10PM. Tasty and varied Bengali dishes - mocha chingri, mochar ghonto, mutton kasha, dhokar dalna, posto bora et al. Must try bhetki fry. Special menu during the Poila Baisakh week, but beware of the crowds it attracts, because it is a small homely place. They also serve Continental, Chinese and Thai dishes. Drinks not served. (updated Apr 2018)
• 6 Suresh Mistanna Bhander, Shop 7, Sarat Ghosh Garden Rd, Dhakuria, ☏ +91 9836876365. All sorts of sweetmeat with unforgettable taste (updated Mar 2018)
• 7 Tandoor Park, 28/4 Gariahat Rd S (near Jodhpur Park Post Office), ☏ +91 33 40007588, +91 9836370051, +91 9831458972, +91 9830006647. North Indian and Chinese cuisine. Specialities - mocktails, shawarma, murgh musallam, masala kulcha, keema naan, murg reshmi kabab, manchow soup. Try their mixed kabab plate. Hard drinks served. 

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget	Under ₹2,000
Mid-range	₹2,000 to ₹5,000
Splurge	Over ₹5,000

• 1 Hotel East Palace, Diamond Harbour Rd, ☏ +91 6450 4025, +91 33 2497 9007, +91 9230613727. 

Budget

• 2 Hotel Artland, Joka. 
• 3 Sadhana Guest House, Jodhpur Park, ☏ +91 70440 83334. The first floor has four double-bed rooms, all air-conditioned. The twin bathrooms at both sides are fine, though not very neat, which is what you can expect in a budget hotel. (updated Jan 2023)

Mid-range

• 4 New Punjabi Hotel & Restaurant, 394 Diamond Harbour Rd, ☏ +91 9874661256. 

Splurge

• 5 Ibiza (The Fern Resort & Spa), Diamond Harbour Rd, ☏ +91 33 24809009, +91 33 24709929, +91 33 24809000, +91 33 24709928, info.tf.ibiza@fernhotels.com. 110 rooms, halls, conference rooms, swimming pool and many other indoor facilities. Arrangements for weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, conferences, corporate award shows and dinner, dealer’s meet, training sessions etc. Lunch also available for non-boarders. Price starts from ₹4,720. (updated Jul 2018)

Cope

Police stations

• 3 Behala police station, ☏ +91 33 23967350. 
• 4 Charu Market police station, ☏ +91 33 24249900. 
• 5 Jadavpur police station, ☏ +91 33 24730146.