The Gariahat neighbourhood, a microcosm of the city’s history, commerce, culture and daily life, has evolved with the onslaught of times but its lively and dynamic environment characterized by shopping on pavement as well as din and bustle has not changed over the last several decades. With the cacophony of street vendors in the backdrop, Gariahat, pulsating with commerce and culture, encapsulates daily rhythms of life. The area, spread over Ballygunge, Golpark and Rashbehari, has had a different look with high-rises, malls, restaurants, cafes and retail outlets. The 9.3km Gariahat Road serves as a lifeline of south Kolkata, cutting through Ballygunge, Dhakuria and Jodhpur Park.
ORIGIN
The area, including Gariahat and Ballygunge, was once part of Dihi Panchannagram, a cluster of villages purchased by the East India Company in 1758 after the fall of the then Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah. The major part of Gariahat neighbourhood falls in Ballygunge and after opening of the suburban railway part of Gariahat neighbourhood falls in Ballygunge and after opening of the suburban railway connectivity in 1862, middle-class educated people settled here. In the 19th century, Gariahat market was set up as a small market and has since grown into one of the biggest markets in south Kolkata.
Personalities like poet Jibanananda Das, writer Sunil Gangopadhyay, politician Subrata Mukherjee, yesteryear actors Suchitra Sen, Bikash Roy and Pahari Sanyal were associated with this place.
BIG COMMERCIAL HUB
Being a shopping district, Gariahat presents a kaleidoscopic view of the city’s dynamism. The pavements serve as shoppers’ paradise — from garments, sarees, handicraft items to other household items. Over 3,000 hawkers run their stalls on both sides of the road visited by thousands daily. Ahead of Durga Puja or Poila Baisakh, customers’ turnout swells nearly three times, turning the place into a traffic chock-a-block. The fish market at Gariahat is known for its wide variety.
The Dakshinapan Shopping Centre situated on Gariahat Road near Dhakuria was set up by Kolkata Improvement Trust in 1988 with 141 shops selling garments and handicrafts. In the garments and handicrafts. In the past one decade, several malls sprang up in this prominent shopping district of the city.
Septuagenarian Rekha Lodha, who has been living here for over four decades, said, “From my younger days I preferred buying sarees from Gariahat, a place where a woman can shop till she drops. Whenever guests come to my house, they don’t give a miss to shopping in Gariahat.” The road heading towards Ballygunge station from Gariahat has turned into a jewellery hub with branded showrooms and standalone shops.
Septuagenarian Rekha Lodha, who has been living here for over four decades, said, “From my younger days I preferred buying sarees from Gariahat, a place where a woman can shop till she drops. Whenever guests come to my house, they don’t give a miss to shopping in Gariahat.”
The road heading towards Ballygunge station from Gariahat has turned into a jewellery hub with branded showrooms and standalone shops.
TRANSFORMATION
The first makeover of Gariahat came with KMC’s Operation Sunshine, a drive to evict illegal hawkers to free up pavements and carriageways. Earlier, encroachments spilled on to median dividers and pavements, narrowing down space for pedestrian-vehicular movement.
The second transformation came in 2002 with the construction of 571-metre Gariahat flyover. It also resulted in the abolition of a cobweb of tram tracks near the crossing.
The Gariahat tram depot that was set up in 1943 used to operate services on different routes like Dalhousie Square, Bidhannagar, Howrah, Kalighat, Behala, Joka and Galiff Street. Now, only 25 no. route tram service between Gariahat and Esplanade is operational.
Manju Baid (68), a resident of Purna Das Road, said, “I have a soft corner for tramways in this area as it is the most convenient and easily available transport. I still avail myself of the Gariahat-Esplanade service to go to Park Circus or Chandni market.”
REALTY DEVELOPMENT
The skyline of Gariahat started changing in the 1980s when the development of residential project Rajwadi Complex started there. Over the past two decades, several high-rises like Megh Malhar Apartment and Nilanjan Apartment came up while various real estate developers, including PS Group, Mani Group and Orbit Group, built projects in Ekdalia and other localities of Gariahat. Several old buildings at Ekdalia, Dover Lane, Mandeville Gardens, Hindustan Park and Triangular Park have been razed, making way for new apartments. Despite booming realty, many century-old private properties are still well-maintained here, thereby presenting a slice of old south Kolkata. Sunita Mussadi, a Ballygunge Circular Road resident, said, “While charms of old Kolkata are getting wiped out in many parts of the city, Gariahat still presents a fusion of the old and the new. Here you can find century-old buildings as well as new high-rises; old shops and new swanky stores. It contains a unique blend of tradition and evolution.”
SOCIAL LIFE
For south Kolkatans, Gariahat has been a prominent attraction for addas and socializing since the time when roadside tea stalls and small eateries were the only hangout zone. Of late, several snazzy cafes and restos have come up and the adda zone of the locality remains intact even among tech-savvy youngsters.
Along with old-timers, the area has a significant footfall of youngsters studying in different educational institutions like Basanti Devi College, South Point High School and The BSS School.
Anjan Chatterjee, chairman and MD of Speciality Restaurant Ltd, said, “I may live in Mumbai and visit London frequently but my bond with Gariahat remains as strong as ever in the past five decades. Gariahat was a meeting point for our local friends and we still maintain this. I have lived in Jadavpur, then Dover Lane followed by Gurusaday Road. Even today when I go to Kolkata, I catch up with my friends in the Gariahat area.”
Debasish Kumar, Trinamool MLA and KMC councillor, said, “Gariahat always evokes nostalgia in me. There was a time when we used to have addas at local tea stalls and would share one ‘bhand’ tea with friends because of a small amount of pocket money. Now time has changed and the adda at the tea stall has moved to swanky coffee shops.”
FOOD, CULTURE & GAME
The area is also known for its cultural mosaic. The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, set up in 1961 — the most popular place in the city for learning foreign languages — brought the area under a cultural enclave.
From ‘phuchka’ and ‘kathi roll’ stalls to restos preparing different cuisines, this area serves everyone’s palate.
The space under Gariahat flyover hosts an open air public chess playing arena.
Abhijit Sadhu, a resident of Triangular Park, said, “Watching the game and having addas with friends over tea in ‘bhand’ (earthen pot) in the evening has been my weekend schedule for past few years.”
