Janbazar

Janbazar is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district 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.

Janbazar
Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta)
House of Rani Rashmoni
Janbazar Location in Kolkata
Coordinates: 22.56°N 88.35°E / 22.56; 88.35
Country	India
State	West Bengal
City	Kolkata
District	Kolkata
Metro Station	Esplanade and Sealdah(under construction)
Municipal Corporation	Kolkata Municipal Corporation
KMC wards	46, 52
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	700013
Area code(s)	+91 33
Lok Sabha constituency	Kolkata Uttar
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Chowranghee

Janbazar in 1867

Geography

Janbazar is broadly spread across Ward Nos. 46 and 52 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.[1]

The road from Chowringhee to Circular Road, about a mile long, was called Jan Bazar Road till the end of the 19th century. It was then renamed Corporation Street[2] and was further renamed Surendranath Banerjee Road.

In olden days, Kolkata streets had oil lamps. Then came the gas lamp and electricity. For sometime there was a tussle between gas lamps and electricity. In 1914, high-powered Keith lamps of 1,000 candle power were fixed on Corporation Street, and Chowringhee Road. Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation bore the cost to demonstrate the advantage of electricity.[3]

Janbazar is served by New Market Police Station of Kolkata Police.[4] The police station is located in Janbazar.

Police district

New Market police station is part of the Central division of Kolkata Police. It is located at 133/2 S.N. Banerjee Road, Kolkata-700013.[5]

Taltala Women police station covers all police districts under the jurisdiction of the Central division i.e. Bowbazar, Burrabazar, Girish Park, Hare Street, Jorasanko, Muchipara, New Market, Taltala and Posta.[5]

Rani Rashmoni's house

The most famous resident of Janbazar was Rani Rashmoni. Married at the age of 11 to Raj Chandra Das (Marh), the Zamindar of Janbazar, she constructed Dakshineswar Kali Temple and engaged in numerous philanthropic activities.[6][7]

What is now known as Rani Rashmoni's house at the crossing of Rani Rashmoni Road and Surendranath Banerjee Road, was initially 70&71 Free School Street. Rani Rashmoni's father-in-law, Pritaram Das, started constructing this house in 1805. It took some 7–8 years to complete construction of the big house.[6]

Rasmani used to celebrate Durga Puja at her residence with traditional pomp, including all-night jatras (folk theatre), rather than by entertaining the sahibs with whom she carried on a running feud… After Rasmani's death in 1861, the sons-in-law took to celebrating Durga Puja in their respective premises. Amalnath Das, fifth generation descendant from the eldest daughter, worships his paternal forefather's Durga brought from Sinthi. One branch of the family moved across the street about a century ago and began holding their own puja. Unlike the Dases, they sacrifice seven goats. The modeller comes from Chandannagar, and the dresser from Bardhaman, The Choudhuri Babu's magnificent image wears a tall shola crown.[8]

Jaya Chaliha and Bunny Gupta

Rani Rashmoni had four daughters – Padmamani, Kumari, Karunamoyee and Jagadamba. Mathuramohan Biswas, the husband of Rani Rashmoni's youngest daughter Jagadamba, had always been like a son to Rashmoni which she did not have biologically. The house is now divided into three parts. Jagadamba's descendants live in 13 Rani Rashmoni Road, Kumari's descendants live in 18/3 Surendranath Banerjee Road, and Padmamani's descendants live in 20 Surendranath Banerjee Road.[6]

Rani Rashmoni was a pillar of strength in the male dominated society of mid-nineteenth century. Almost all the rooms of her house are occupied or are still in use. There is a natmandir in front of the verandah, where the famous Durga Puja is held. The family is finding it difficult to maintain the house and although Kolkata Municipal Corporation has declared it a heritage building, it has no funds needed for restoration.[9] Parts of the house are collapsing.[10]

Traffic

Road

Many buses ply along Lenin Sarani, Surendranath Banerjee Road (S.N. Banerjee Road), Chowringhee Road and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. Kolkata trams route no. 5 (via Lenin Sarani) and 25 (via Lenin Sarani-Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road) also serve the locality.[11] The traffic across Janbazar, is extremely heavy. Normally, it is a scene of chaos and when a mishap takes place, it is further chaos.[12]

Train

Sealdah Station, one of the five major railway-terminals of Kolkata Metropolitan Area, is located nearby.

Around Janbazar

• 
  Jan Bazar 2007
• 
  Hogg Street with Futnani Chambers on the left and Corporation building on the right, declared a heritage building by KMC
• 
  Metropolitan Building at the crossing of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and S.N..Banerjee Road.

References

1. Map nos 29 and 33, Detail Maps of 141 Wards of Kolkata, D.R.Publication and Sales Concern, 66 College Street, Kolkata – 700073
2. Cotton, H.E.A., p 248
3. Nair, P. Thankappan, Civic and Public Services in Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, p. 231
4. "New Market Police Station". Kolkata Police. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
5. "Kolkata Police". Central Division. KP. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
6. Bandopadhyay, Debashis, Bonedi Kolkatar Gharbari, (in Bengali), Second impression 2002, pp. 45-6, Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7756-158-8
7. Deb, Chitra, The 'Great Houses' of Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, p. 61
8. Chaliha, Jaya and Gupta, Bunny, Durga Puja in Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. II, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, first published 1990, 2005 edition, pp. 334-335, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-563697-X.
9. "Pillars of strength, then and now". Kolkata Plus. The Statesman, 7 May 2003. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
10. "Trapped in heritage cave-in - Water tank collapse linked to heavy showers". The Telegraph, 5 October 2006. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
11. Google maps
12. "9-yr-old run, mob torches 3 buses". Page One. The Statesman, 2 October 2002. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2007.

See also