Calcutta Revisited by Keith Humphrey

Author:Keith Humphrey
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781781484296
Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing
Published: 2014-10-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

COLLEGE STREET – ‘BOI PARA’

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College Street and environs is regarded as the intellectual heart of Calcutta; a centre of learning and culture and the location of a number of respected academic institutions.

The College Street area is often referred to as Boi Para or book neighbourhood, famous for its bookshops, publishing houses and most of all, its hundreds of secondhand book stalls. Unusually for Calcutta, the place does not really get into full swing until about 10.30 to 11.00 am; so time your visit accordingly.

A good starting point is the north eastern corner of the now familiar and busy junction of CR Avenue and MG Road. Heading eastwards along MG Road you will see over to the right a number of headquarters premises of various musical bands, the pavements outside of which are usually thronged with resting bandsmen in the full regalia of their respective bands. Often as not this scene is complimented by the sounds of band practice taking place within the open fronted premises. These bands will be seen all over Calcutta at weddings, festivals and other celebrations. Some are very accomplished; others less so.

Keeping to the left hand (northern) pavement, you pass by numerous small scale catering enterprises, various pavement hawkers trading in shoes, umbrellas, miscellaneous hardware and newspaper and magazines. You will find goats, often in substantial numbers, tethered to the pavement railings along with bundles of leaves provided for their sustenance. Street dogs will be nosing in the rubbish strewn gutters with sometimes a roaming cow or two getting in everyone’s way. On your left, you pass a number of narrow, noisy and congested side lanes, all leading into the pullulating Mechua Bazar area.

The next major junction is that where College Street runs north to south across MG Road. Pause for a while here and try to spot the brown shirted, duty ‘Tram Points Man’. These chaps, employed by the Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC), are responsible for manually switching the tramline points so as to ensure the correct routing of passing trams. Watch as a number 11 tram comes clanking southwards down College Street. Once spotted the ‘Tram Points Man’ suddenly appears (I have never discovered where from) with his crowbar like implement. Defying the traffic he strides to the centre of the carriageway, inserts the iron bar in the tram track points, switching their direction thereby sending the oncoming tram on a right turn down MG Road. You will find these chaps at busy junctions all over Calcutta wherever trams still run.

Standing at the junction, the very large and as yet unfinished structure to your left is the new(ish) College Street Mall. This ongoing project occupies the site of the ancient College Street Market. Now partly occupied, the Mall when completed, will house many of the local booksellers. If you look closely at the iron railings running along the frontage of the Mall, you will see they incorporate a design detail depicting and open book in front of an outline of several human forms; a nice touch.

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