Rajabazar, Kolkata
| Rajabazar | |
|---|---|
| Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta) | |
| Country |
 |
| State | West Bengal |
| City | Kolkata |
| District | Kolkata |
| Municipal Corporation | Kolkata Municipal Corporation |
| KMC ward | 28, 38 |
| Population | |
| • Total | For population see linked KMC ward page |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Area code(s) | +91 33 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Kolkata Uttar |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Beleghata, Jorasanko |
Rajabazar is a locality in the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. It is located approximately in North-Central Kolkata, between CIT Road and AJC Bose Road. The locality has grown around Narkeldanaga Main Road, now renamed as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Sarani, which acts as a connector between CIT Road and AJC Bose Road. Thus, Rajabazar can be said to be located between Phoolbagan, Narkeldanga and Sealdah.
Rajabazar is in a prime location, and Sealdah Railway Station is a stone's throw distance from Rajabazar crossing. There is a tram depot in Rajabazar also. All civic amenities, such as hospitals, colleges, schools, sanitation, malls, gyms, shopping complexes, cinema halls, mosques, temples are located in and around Rajabazar. Dr. B. C. Roy Children's Hospital is located at a distance of 2–3;km from Rajabazar.
History
The bazaar was established about 1842 AD on land owned by Raja Ramlochun Ray, a petty zamindar, by Muslim merchants, businessmen, butchers and cattle traders from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, who had immigrated to Calcutta due to the poor economic condition of Muslims in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh following the Sepoy Mutiny. However, Rajabazar area was settled by Urdu-speaking Muslims from 1880 onwards. The market-place colony was established around the same time as the Harrison Road, now called Mahatma Gandhi Road, was being built in Calcutta, connecting Sealdah station to Howrah station. A mosque was built which still exists today known as the Rajabazar Barri Masjid and there is another larger mosque being renovated which is Jama Masjid Darur-Salaam on Narkeldanga Main Road and several residential quarters were established around that area. A police station (Narkeldanga Police Station) was established in 1915, near the canal, on Canal West road. The area is known as "Khalpul" due to the bridge over the canal that connects Rajabazar to Narkeldanga. Before the building of the bridge in 1910, there was a bamboo-stilt bridge over the canal. Boat ferries were also used to transport people and supplies across the canal. Over the decades, further population growth and immigration resulted in the growth and extension of the original settlement further, up to Narkeldanga and Phoolbagan in the east, Sealdah to the south, Mechua and Kelabagan to the west, and further north. Today, the area is densely populated and crowded, with alleys and lanes established. In the Partition of India riots in 1947, in which Muslims were targeted across Calcutta and Bihar, many Muslims from other parts, like Sealdah, Manicktalla and Beliaghata moved to Rajabazar. The anti-Muslim riots in Calcutta in 1964, further made Muslims living in areas like Manicktalla, Sealdah, Beliaghata, and throughout Calcutta, flock to Rajabazar for safety. Over time, therefore, it got transformed into a ghetto. After the 1992-93 Hindu-Muslim riots in Calcutta, further Muslims moved to Rajabazar, as a result of which, today, Rajabazar boasts of having the second largest Muslim population in Calcutta after Metiabruz.
There is a shrine (mazaar) of a Muslim Sufi saint in Rajabazar. The area spans the canal, and crosses over the bridge. There are 9 Mosques located at Rajabazar. The bazaar is famous for its jewellery (SHYAM JEWELLERS is the most prestigious Jeweller), bangles, kites, sweetmeats and mutton and beef shops. Rajabazaar is a major cattle and goat trading center in West Bengal called Bakrichar. A movie hall, "Tasveer Mahal", is also located at Rajabazar.
Demographics
Majority of the population of Rajabazar is Sunni Muslim, mostly Urdu-speaking, descended from immigrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Mostly Deobandi theology is practised here, and Bareilvi theology population also co-exists peacefully.There are also many shia families. Many Hindus also live at Rajabazaar. Most of the population is middle-class and lower-middle class, but many rich, educated Muslims also live here in high-rises. More or less there are a total of 11 mosques in the area, 9 managed by the Tablighi Jamaat (Deobandi), and 2 mosques are managed by the Sunni Bareilvi sect.
Amenities
BC Roy Memorial Hospital is located at a stone's throw distance from Rajabaar, and Calcutta Medical College and Hospital is located just 5 km away, on College Street. Narkeldanga Police Station is located right in the heart and center of Rajabazar. Sealdah Railway Station and Rajabazar Tram Depot provide ample transport opportunities. Buses on Routes 44, 12C/2, 202, 30D, 34C, 230 and 30C/1 ply by Rajabazaar, besides there is the Kidderpore-Rajabazar minibus and the Metiabruz-Rajabara minibus. The Mechua-Kadapara-Phoolbagan auto route plies through Rajabazaar. Very soon metro services will also ply to Howrah and Salt Lake rrom Phoolbagan which is very near to Rajabazar.
For a long time Rajabazar was notorious as being one of the worst areas in Kolkata in terms of sanitation, cleanliness and amenities. However, from the late 1990s onwards, the pace has been slowly picked up on development, mainly through the efforts of local leaders.
Business
Apart from Market, Earlier there was a few businessmen were lived in this area after People settled here
Nawab Soap Company established by Late Haji Abdur Raheem in this locality was famous for its Bati Sabun (in Bengali) Dish Soap and detergent. It is 6 Decade old Company establish & continued by his Sons Late Md Osman & Late Jan Alam continue with this business for more than 3 decades, then come 3rd Generation they Establish One more Company namely Nawah Soap & Chemical Works there founders Haji Mahmood Aslam, Masood Javed, Rehan Ahmer continue this Soap Factory for 2 decades and due to crowding of this area they closed this business and started trading of Soap Materials.
Punjab Soap factory is another Famous Company in this Area, which is still Exist now.
Small Scale Industry is a lot in this area like Punching, Offset printing, Card Board Box Making are common in this are. Asia's one of the biggest Paper Market is also here in this area by name Patwar Bagan.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation
The area of Rajabazar is composed of Wards 29, 28, 36 and 32 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. These wards were created in 1909. Presently, the KMC maintains health centres and free malaria check-up centres in these wards. The elected Councillor of Ward 28 is Mr Md iqbal Trinamool Congress, Rajabazar is part of the Sealdah (Vidhan Sabha constituency). However, many parts of it also fall in the Beliaghata (Vidhan Sabha constituency). It is a part of the Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha constituency. Previously it was a part of Calcutta North East Lok Sabha constituency.
Somendra Nath Mitra (Somen Mitra) and Farzana Alam are the veteran politicians of this area. Mr. Prakash Upadhyay & Mousumi Ghosh is also a popular Councillor.
Education
- Momin High School, a Government-aided co-educational Urdu-medium school affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Higher Secondary Education. It was founded in 1945 by the Momin Education Board.
- Baitulmal Girls High School
- Rajabazar Boys & Girls' School, a co-educational English-medium school for minority people.
- "Azad National Day & Night School" in ward no 36 started as a privated scholl but was later transferred to the government. The building also housed the "Azad National Coaching Centre", until it merged with "Community Coaching & Counselling Center".