The Gariahat neighbourhood — an upscale residential pocket in south Kolkata and the biggest shopping district of the city — has donned a new avatar in consonance with the changing times. Be it architecture, old shops, trams and restaurants, the past coexists with the vibrant present.
The area was once home to noted personalities like linguist Suniti Kumar Chattopadhyay, authors and poets Jibanananda Das, Buddhadeb Basu, Sunil Gangopadhyay and Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Rabindrasangeet singer Debabrata Biswas, actors Suchitra Sen and Pahari Sanyal, former chief minister Jyoti Basu and film director Anik Dutta, who died in May.
Earlier, the Gariahat tram depot — set up in 1943 — used to run services on different routes. Gariahat flyover, which came up in 2002, has transformed the look of the area,” said Kaustav Majumdar, a professor. Now, in the festive season, the biggest shopping district of the city, driven by around 3,000 roadside hawkers as well as numerous standalone shops, including branded showrooms, is catering to thousands of shoppers daily. Many old-timers recount that late actor Asit Baran Mukherjee, who used to live in the Pratapaditya Road house called ‘Matrismriti’ since 1946, would shop at this market every morning until his demise in 1984. Navya Khetan (34), a local, said, “Catching up with friends at cafes on Hindustan Park is my common evening schedule on weekends. The Dover Lane Music Conference — an Indian classical music festival — that is now held at Nazrul Mancha had begun its journey in 1952 from the house of the late Narendra Singh Singhi here. Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, established in 1961, is a popular destination for lessons in foreign languages.
Green activist and senior citizen Bonani Kakkar, who has been living on Hindustan Park Road all her life, said, “The green cover has been lost with old buildings pulled down one after another and apartments coming up in their place.
With the onslaught of times, greenery has vanished from the neighbourhood, making way for a “concrete jungle”, feel residents. The green view I would have as I looked out of the casement is no longer there. ” “Many Bengali families who used to live here sold off their properties and moved out. This has led to a rise in the number of private cars,” said Hiranmoy Gon, a local. When thinking of Gariahat, the first thing that comes to mind is “shop till you drop”. “Pantaloons opened their first outlet in the country at Gariahat,” said Sujata Sen, a shopper.
Now, only the Gariahat-Esplanade service remains. But it’s not frequent. The population of this area has also increased with apartments bringing new people. For generations, the place has been a shoppers’ paradise. Be it saris, jewellery or other items, Gariahat even woos shoppers from suburbs. The old traders are now witnessing the emergence of a Gen Z shopping trend as well. For the last seven or eight decades, Gariahat Market has risen to fame as the city’s top destination for procuring fresh fish, vegetables and fruits. Several markets selling household essentials later came up in the city but Gariahat Market remains on top. Satyabati, wife of Byomkesh Bakshi — a detective character created by author Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay — was known for visiting this market daily to buy ingredients to cook the sleuth’s favourite dishes. Till the 1990s, when cellphones had not become commonplace, electronic shops like Anandamela and Bambino used to be landmarks for young couples or groups of friends to meet up at Gariahat. Now the area has turned into a popular hangout zone, with cafes and restaurants coming up on the ground floors of old buildings. Rabindrasangeet singer Debabrata Biswas’s house became a cafe (Mud Cafe) about a decade ago. These cafes provide respite for hungry and tired shoppers, as well as an adda spot for friends. For many, pandal-hopping during Durga Puja is incomplete without dropping into the Gariahat neighbourhood known for four big pujas — Ekdalia Evergreen, Singhi Park and two others in Hindustan Park. Revellers’ attendance at these pandals usually starts from Panchami. The neighbourhood is also known for cultural richness. And the space beneath Gariahat flyover is also famous as an open-air chess arena where locals assemble for matches in the evening.
“Today, tram lines can be seen but the service has come down to a trickle.