Chowringhee Road

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Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Former name(s)Chowringhee Road
Maintained byKolkata Municipal Corporation
LocationKolkata, India
Postal code700013, 700016, 700071, 700087
Nearest Kolkata Metro stationEsplanade, Park Street, Maidan and Rabindra Sadan
north endEsplanade
south endRabindra Sadan (Exide More)

Chowringhee Road (also spelt Chourangi Road), located in the

Lower Circular Road (AJC Bose Road), in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the single most important road of the metropolis of Kolkata. It was officially renamed as Jawaharlal Nehru Road after Jawaharlal Nehru
, India's first Prime Minister, but the original name Chowringhee Road is used commonly.

History

Arguably one of the first roads in the city, prior to the coming of the

independence of India
during the rule of the Congress regime.

After the British started expanding their settlement outside the Fort area in the mid-18th century, the area around Chowringhee was one of the first expansions. And the same area remained their pride and commercial centre until their departure in 1947. During the early British developments around the Chowringhee area, they built huge bungalows and houses all along the eastern end of the road, thus earning Kolkata the sobriquet - 'City of Palaces'. It was a prosperous era of Kolkata, which came to be the second city of the British empire. Rows of huge palatial houses flanked by gardens and the area along the western edge of the road was a huge open area called the Maidan. The Maidan was intentionally kept open and development-free due to security purposes of Fort William.

Later there were tanks made on the western stretch of the road at each important crossing right from the Lower Circular Road junction (now the Exide crossing) to the Esplanade near Curzon Park. Of these only a couple exist now - the Manohar Das Tarag and the one at the junction of Park Street and Chowringhee. Of the reclaimed tanks, one was where the Calcutta Information Centre and the Maidan Police Station now stand, another one where the Maidan metro station now stands and still a third on where the Esplanade bus-terminus now stand. The beauty of the road no longer exists and can only be seen in drawings and sketches of the bygone era.

With the advent of trams, tram-tracks were laid along the western edge of Chowringhee to connect the southern areas of Tollygunge and Ballygunge to Esplanade. These tracks, also, no longer exist due to trams' slow speed and the advent of metro rail.

Of the grand palaces and mansions of the era, only a few still remain - "the Oberoi Grand Hotel", the "

Lindsay Street
intersection, which used to house the famous Italian joint Firpo's, was razed in a blaze in 2002.

Chowringhee still remains very much the heart of Kolkata and the place of choice for many large business houses. This saying of old must have been followed by each architect who designed the newer buildings on Chowringhee, showcasing their extravagant self. Examples include the

Jeevan Sudha (at the Middleton Street intersection), Everest House (next to Tata Center), J K Centre, SAIL Building, The Reliance House, the Metro Railway Building, among others. Chatterjee International Center
is the tallest building situated on this road. It rises up to a height 91 metres (299 ft) from the ground and comprises 24 floors.

Places of interest

Chowringhee Road is not only the commercial heart of the city, but also the cultural heart. The Indian Museum and the Government Art College are located here, along with the afore-mentioned The Asiatic Society. The Bishop's House, housing the residence of the Bishop of Kolkata and the St. Paul's Cathedral, is located here.

The

Victoria Memorial (on Queens Way) is a stone's throw away from here. The neo-cultural centres of Rabindra Sadan, Nandan and the Academy of Fine Arts
are next to Chowringhee on Lower Circular Road and the Cathedral Road.

The Tipu Sultan Mosque is at the intersection of Chowringhee Road, Chittaranjan Avenue and Lenin Sarani (formerly Dharmotollah Street).

The huge expanse of the Maidan is busy throughout the year with fairs and political meetings.

Gallery

  • Manohar Das Tarag in 2011
    Manohar Das Tarag in 2011
  • High rises
    High rises
  • Eateries on a footpath in the area
    Eateries on a footpath in the area
  • Hawkers do brisk business on pavement
    Hawkers do brisk business on pavement
  • Park Street Flyover
    Park Street Flyover

References

External links

Media related to Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Wikimedia Commons