North Kolkata

North Kolkata (উত্তর কলকাতা Uttar Kalkātā) is the oldest area of Kolkata, a fascinating district dominated by narrow little lanes and hundreds of century-old buildings. Old heritage buildings and temples are there, as well as Sovabazar Rajbari. Because of its rich cultural heritage, the district is commonly referred to as Babu Kolkata.

Understand

A narrow lane in North Kolkata

North Kolkata is bounded by Baranagar at the north, Dum Dum and the Circular Canal at the east, Mahatma Gandhi Road (MG Road) at the south and the Hooghly River at the west. It includes neighbourhoods like Ahiritola, Bagbazar, Hatibagan, Hedua, Jorasanko, Kumortuli, Maniktala, Nimtala, Rajabazar, Sealdah, Shyambazar and Sovabazar. On the opposite bank of the Hooghly River lies Howrah, Kolkata's its twin city, and the main crossing point lies in this district.

Kumortuli (also spelt Kumartuli) is a traditional quarter for the potters (kumors). Renowned for its sculpting prowess, the area not only manufactures clay idols for various festivals (especially for Durga Puja) but also regularly exports them.

Get in

Most roads in North Kolkata have a north–south alignment and plenty of road transport available from this district to other parts of Kolkata. However, the roads grind to a halt during rush hours.

By metro

Two metro lines cross this district. The North–South Metro  1  runs over Chittaranjan Avenue, with stops at Shyambazar, Sovabazar Sutanuti, Girish Park, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Central. The East–West Metro  2  stops at Sealdah.

By train

North Kolkata is home to Sealdah railway station, one of the busiest railway stations in India. The district can also be reached by the Circular Railway with stops at Bagbazar, Sovabazar Ahiritola and Barabazar.

By tram

While Kolkata's tram network has shrunk, there's still a route running from Esplanade to Shyambazar.

By car

A taxi on an alley in North Kolkata

Despite being narrow, some alleys in North Kolkata are wide enough to accommodate large vehicles like cars. However, smaller vehicles like bicycles and motorcycles are more common.

By ferry

• Jagannath Ghat. (updated Sep 2022)

See

Sovabazar Rajbari thakur dalan during Durga Puja

The northern part of Kolkata houses the old buildings belonging to the zamindars (landlords), other rich Bengalis who used to trade with the British. It preserves the cultural heritage of Kolkata. The building structures give an impression of the royal folk who occupied them. In College Street area, a visit to the Coffee House is a must.

• House of Sarada Devi, Bagbazar. (updated Nov 2022)
• 1 Residence of Sister Nivedita, Nivedita Ln, Bagbazar. (updated Nov 2022)
• 2 Shyambazar Crossing. The famous five-point crossing connects APC Road, Barrackpore Trunk Road, Bidhan Sarani, Chittaranjan Avenue and Jessore Road. A statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is at the centre of the crossing. (updated Oct 2022)
• 3 Sovabazar Rajbari (শোভাবাজার রাজবাড়ি), 33 & 36 Raja Nabakrishna Deb St. The Rajbari, now partly in shambles, was probably built around or before 1757 by Raja Naba Krishna Deb. The Durga Puja was started in 1757, after the British victory in the Battle of Plassey. (updated Nov 2022)

Howrah Bridge

The illuminated Howrah Bridge at night

Howrah Bridge trivia It took over six years to build and the entire project costs ₹25 million. The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge, meaning the bridge was built with no nuts and bolts.

• 4 Howrah Bridge (হাওড়া ব্রিজ, Rabindra Setu (রবীন্দ্র সেতু)). 24 hours daily. Free. (updated Nov 2022)

One of the iconic bridges of West Bengal, the 705 m (2,313 ft) long Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge with a suspended span over the Hooghly River. The bridge was commissioned in 1943 by Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction Company, replacing the older pontoon bridge.

The area around Howrah station and Howrah Bridge has grown as a world of its own, catering to the needs of a huge floating population. This bridge frames the skyline of the Howrah Riverfront. The ambience is as amicable and profound as the river that flows alongside.

Museums

Police Museum A.P.C. road

Jorasanko Thakur Bari

Marble Palace

Raja Rammohan Roy Memorial Museum

• 5 Kolkata Police Museum, 113 APC Rd, ☏ +91 33 23607704 (director). Tu-Su 10AM to 5PM. The museum collects, preserves and interprets objects related to the history of the Kolkata Police. Exhibits includes various items seized during the freedom struggle of the country. (updated Sep 2022)
• 6 Jorasanko Thakur Bari (জোড়াসাঁকো ঠাকুরবাড়ি, House of the Tagores, Rabindra Bharati Museum), 6/4, Dwarkanath Tagore Ln, Jorasanko, ☏ +91 33 22181744, registrar@rbu.ac.in. 10:30AM–5PM (closed M). The ancestral home of the Tagore family. The huge sprawling brick mansions were the cultural hub of Kolkata for close to a century and a major force in the women's liberation movement. It hosted the first Brahmo wedding and was an important centre of Indian independence movement. The house was converted into a museum in 1961. The museum has three large galleries—one of the life and works of Rabindranath Tagore, a second gallery about his close relatives such as father Debendranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore etc. and a third gallery on the Bengali Renaissance in general. ₹50; students ₹25. (updated Nov 2022)
• 7 Marble Palace, 46, Muktaram Babu St, Jorasanko (metro: Mahatma Gandhi Road  1 ). 10AM-4PM. Built in 1835 by Raja Rajendra Mullick, the palace is now a museum. Spend your afternoon among precious objects d’art including works of Rubens and Sir Joshua Reynolds. When tired, take a tram ride along Indira Gandhi Sarani (Red Road) with the green expanse of the Maidan around you. The perfect antidote. A real garden, of maybe an acre with a Palladian Mansion, set square in the centre. Today this place has an incongruous collection of statues and paintings. There is also a private zoo housing a collection of birds from different corners of the world. (updated Dec 2022)
• 8 Raja Rammohan Roy Memorial Museum, 85A, Amherst St (Raja Rammohan Roy Sarani), ☏ +91 33 2360 5122, rammohunmuseum2000@gmail.com. 1AM-4PM (closed M). The memorabilia in the museum consists of photographs, sketches, paintings and excerpts from the writings of Ram Mohan Roy and others reproduced, wherever possible, in facsimile. Also, period furniture and diorama representations were designed to recreate the times. Together they not only give you glimpses of the various facets of one of the greatest personalities of the modern age, but at the same time takes you back into a period in history when India was at crossroads, and Ram Mohan Roy heralded the coming of the modern age. Indian children (up to 11 years) ₹5, Indian adults ₹10, foreigners ₹50. (updated Jul 2022)
• 9 Swami Vivekananda's Ancestral House, 3, Gour Mohan Mukherjee St, Simla, vivekananda.ancestralhouse@rkmm.org. The 18th-century building was in a dilapidated condition, worsening day by day. The Ramakrishna Mission acquired it, along with an adjacent plot, in May 1999. Ramakrishna Mission restored Vivekananda's ancestral house without changing any of its original architectural features. It houses Vivekananda's birthplace, meditation hall (first floor) and museum, where some of the articles used by Vivekananda, his father, mother and brothers are preserved. (updated Nov 2022)
• 10 Vidyasagar Smriti Mandir (বিদ্যাসাগর স্মৃতি মন্দির), 36 & 36/1 Vidyasagar St (approach from APC Rd or from Amherst St), ☏ +91 33 22413018. The erstwhile residential house of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, social reformer, language pioneer and a key figure in bringing about the renaissance in Bengal, has been converted into a women's college which runs various professional and language courses. The heritage building was renamed 'Vidyasagar Smriti Mandir'. A part of the building has been converted into a museum. (updated Jul 2022)

Religious attractions

• 11 Calcutta Jain Temple, Gouribari, Maniktala. (updated Nov 2022)
• 12 Holy Rosary Cathedral (ক্যাথিড্রাল অব দ্য মোস্ট হোলি রোজারি). Also known as the Portuguese Church. Built in 1799, it's the only remaining major building of Kolkata’s lesser-known Portuguese colonial history. (updated Apr 2023)
• 13 Nabodebalaya (নবদেবালয়). Literally a "new abode of god", it consists of a prayer building and a cemetery of the Brahmo sect of Hinduism. Although dead bodies are usually cremated in mainstream Hindu traditions, they are buried in Brahmoism. (updated Nov 2024)
• 14 Nakhoda Mosque (নাখোদা মসজিদ Nākhodā Masjid). The largest mosque in Kolkata. It was built by Abdur Rahim Osman in 1926, who came from Kutch in Gujarat. It is one of the few religious buildings built in Indo-Saracenic architecture. An exhibition of exquisite ornaments is held regularly inside the mosque. (updated Nov 2024)

Do

• 1 Deshbandhu Park, 165B, Raja Dinendra St. (updated Nov 2022)
• 2 Kumortuli Park. (updated Jul 2022)
• 3 Mahajati Sadan (মহাজাতি সদন MAW-hah-jah-tih SHAW-dohn, House of the Nation), 166, Central Ave. Auditorium and cultural centre planned as part of the independence movement by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The foundation stone was laid in 1939 by Rabindranath Tagore, who named it Mahajati Sadan. It was completed by Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy in the early 1950s. 
• 4 Star Theatre (near Hatibagan crossing). (updated Jul 2022)

Learn

• 1 Bose Institute (বসু বিজ্ঞান মন্দির), 93/1, APC Rd (next to Rajabazar Science College), ☏ +91 33 2355-9219. A scientific research institute founded by Jagadish Chandra Bose in 1917 in what was his residence. It is now the main campus with branches. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Medical College & Hospital (মেডিকেল কলেজ ও হাসপাতাল). Established in 1835, it was the first medical college in Asia. (updated Jul 2022)
• 3 Presidency University (প্রেসিডেন্সি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়). Established as Hindu College in 1817, renamed Presidency College in 1855, and upgraded to a university in 2010. (updated Jan 2023)
• 4 University of Calcutta (কলকাতা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়). Main campus of India's first western-style university established on 24 January 1857. It features Asutosh Museum of Indian Art, which is India's first university museum. The museum has specimens of various phases of Indian art with special emphasis on the art of Bengal. (updated Jul 2022)

Buy

North Kolkata is generally crowded and has some interesting bazaars including the famous Barabazar. College Street is the place one can trace many out-of-print books with a little patience.

• 1 Barabazar (বড়বাজার Baṛabājār). One of the busiest shopping districts of Kolkata. The place was the old Sutanuti Hat before the British came. With the influx of the Marwaris (a trading class) during British rule from Western India, it was transformed into Barabazar (big market). The saying goes that if one is willing to pay the price, everything is available in Barabazar. The market thrives on selling larger quantities at cheaper prices. (updated Feb 2023)
• 2 Maniktala. A big market for varieties of fish. (updated Jul 2022)
• 3 Mullick Ghat, Strand Rd. At the base of the Howrah Bridge is the city’s bustling wholesale flower market. Flowers are an essential part of life in the city, they are bought not just for temple prayers but also for wedding decorations, events and festivals. (updated Jul 2022)
• 4 Tiretta Bazaar (টেরিটি বাজার Ṭeriṭi Bājār). Named after Edward Tiretta, a late 18th-century Italian immigrant from Venice but often refereed to as Old China Market due to its historic association with Chinese Indian nationals. While the population has dropped significantly the bazaar is still the place to buy Chinese goods in central Kolkata and to eat Chinese food. (updated Apr 2023)

Eat

• 1 Allen Kitchen, 40/1, Jatindra Mohan Ave (near Sovabazar Sutanuti metro station). 4-9PM. Famous for its Prawn Cutlet. One of the oldest restaurants in Kolkata, founded in the late 19th century. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 Bhojohori Manna, Star Theatre, 79/3/4 Bidhan Sarani, ☏ +91 33 2533 8519. It serves a wide variety of home-cooked Bengali cuisine. (updated Apr 2018)
• 3 Chinese Breakfast, Sun Yat Sen St (behind Poddar Court). Early before 8:30AM when things start wrapping up. A delicious Kolkata experience, where Chinese fish dumping comes steamed, fried or in soup. ₹30. (updated Jul 2022)
• 4 Golbari (New Punjabi Hotel), 211, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Rd (Shyambazar 5 point crossing), ☏ +91 33 2554 6096. 12:30PM-11PM. Famous for Kosha Mangsho (spicy goat meat). 
• Niranjan Agar (beside the northwestern exit of Girish Park  1 ). 4-9PM. Famous fry shop. Try their deviled duck eggs, mutton koftas and special fish fry. (updated Jul 2022)
• Mitra Cafe. North Indian fast food outlet famous for its brain chop. Fish Kaviraji, brain chop, Chicken Kaviraji, Mutton Kaviraji, mutton cutlets, fries, Prawn Kabiraji. Also go for the various chops, cutlets or Afgani. 
  • 5 47, Jatindra Mohan Ave, ☏ +91 8420161111, +91 9830342665. 5-10PM. 
  • 6 3A, Bhupen Bose Ave, ☏ +91 33 2543 8192. 4:30-10PM. (updated Apr 2018)
• 7 New Madras Tiffin, 138, Bidhan Sarani, Hatibagan, ☏ +91 9804237342. 10AM-10PM. Good vegetarian South Indian joint. Must-try items are Mysore plain dosa, Dahi vada and Kulfi. (updated Oct 2015)
• 8 Only 4 Chinese Gazab (Gazab), 34C, Shyampukur St, Hatibagan, ☏ +91 33 30859011. Noon-10:30PM. Quality Indian Chinese and great pork items. Also, try their Darsaan with vanilla ice cream. (updated Oct 2015)
• 9 Rupa, 222A, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Rd (Shyambazar 5 point crossing). Quality Bengali lunch. Famous for shukto bhat (Bengali bitter gourd dish and rice) and kôsha mangso (spicy goat meat). (updated Jul 2022)
• 10 Chittaranjan Mistanna Bhandar, 73, Shyampukur St, Shyambazar (near Shyambazar A V School). A century-old sweet shop famous for Bengali sweets like Rosogolla, Rajbhog, Chomchom etc. Must-try items are Rosogolla and Modhuporko. (updated Sep 2016)
• 11 Girish Chandra Dey and Nukur Chandra Nandy, 56, Ramdulal Sarkar St, ☏ +91 33 2241 0048. Established in 1844. Famous for Sandesh and traditional sweets (updated Apr 2018)

Drink

• 1 Indian Coffee House, 1F, 15 Bankim Chatterjee St (just off College St), ☏ +91 33 2241 4869. A venerable old establishment run by the Indian Coffee Workers Co-op Society. The high ceilings, peeling paintwork, skylights and workers in traditional uniforms create an image straight out of the 1920s or 1930s movie. In addition, the coffee (and the food) is good and cheap. 

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget	Under ₹1000
Mid-range	₹1000 to ₹3000
Splurge	Over ₹3000

Budget

• 1 Mahabodhi Society of India, 4A, Bankim Chatterjee St, ☏ +91 33 2219 9294. A small, but interesting Theravedan Buddhist temple located in an historic building. There is a library and shrine room on the second floor. Meditation classes are held every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. There's a guesthouse as part of the monastery which is although simple has a lot of features. ₹250 room with a private bathroom, ₹150 for a room with a communal bathroom; ₹60 dormitory. 

Stay safe

While most of North Kolkata is safe to visit, one noted problem is with the red-light district of Sonagachi (সোনাগাছি Sonāgāchi), one of the largest in India. Women should avoid visiting the areas around Sonagachi as solo travellers unless really necessary.

Connect

Libraries

• 5 Bangiya Sahitya Parishat (বঙ্গীয় সাহিত্য পরিষদ), 243/1, APC Rd, sahityaparishatbangiya@gmail.com. 12:30PM-7:00PM. A unique library with ancient Bengali manuscripts. (updated Dec 2022)

Cope

Police stations

• 6 Barabazar Police Station, ☏ +91 33 22687554. 

• 7 Shyampukur Police Station, 47, Shyambazar St, ☏ +91 33 25557585. 

Post offices

• 8 Barabazar Head Post Office. (updated Nov 2022)