College Street Kolkata - The heartbeat of students of Kolkata

 What happens when the government decides to build a lot of educational institutes on one street? Of course it is very convenient to the student community. It also becomes a hub of culture and knowledge. A walk down this street will make you feel alive. It has also meta morphed into the largest book market of Asia. 

Location of College Street Kolkata

History of College Street and How the various institutions came up

British got a foot hold in Kolkata on 24th August 1690 after purchasing three villages from the Mughals. That time Bengal was being ruled through a Subedar appointed by the Mughal Emperor based in Delhi. In 1717, Quli Khan took control of Bengal by appointing himself as the first independent Nawab of Bengal. Mughal rule had run into decline due to the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. The reign of independent Nawabs of Bengal ended in 1757, just 40 years which saw three ruler ascend the throne before the famed Siraj-ed-Daulah who was set aside by the East India Company. That was literally good news for Kolkata because the Nawabs ruled from Murshidabad. After the defeat of the Nawabs, British decided to move everything to Kolkata. 

In 1854, the Board of Directors of East India Company were approached by the British Government to setup universities at three locations in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The University in Kolkata was functional in 1857. Construction for a new building began in 1866 and was opened in 1873 on College Street. A second building called the Darbhanga Building was constructed in 1912 to cater for more students. A third building came up in 1926. 

Medical College Kolkata, one of the oldest medical college of Asia was setup in 1835. 

The idea for an institution to use English as a teaching medium came up during a meeting of a few people in 1816. The first classes began in 1817 and by 1818 the college moved to the present building of the Sanskrit College on College Street. 

Sanskrit College was established on College Street on 1st Jan 1824 followed by the City College of Commerce and Business Administration on 6th Jan 1879.

What will you find here

Students mainly come here to look for second hand books which are available at the most competitive rates. You will occasionally also find a book lover looking for some rare and out of print books. Some are also hunting for books no one know about, especially the book sellers. 

College Street is exactly in the heart of Kolkata. Between Bag Bazar to the north and Victoria Memorial to the south and Howrah Station and Sealdah Station west and east respectively, college street is central to culture of old Kolkata. 

You will find many heritages places surrounding the street. The metro Blue Line and Bidhan Sarai Road is passing through this area. Most of the landmarks are also close by. In fact if you are a tourist, this should be the central place for your visits to the old city. 

Even though this is not exactly a hotel hub, you can find a decent room in the vicinity and then plan your exploration. 

What is not so great

There is absolutely no parking for four wheelers. These are narrow lanes of the old city. While there are public transport but expect large crowds. Also public conveniences will be hard to find.