Kankurgachi

Coordinates: 22°34′35″N 88°23′15″E / 22.57625°N 88.387528°E / 22.57625; 88.387528
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kankurgachi
Neighbourhood in Kolkata
Maniktala

Kankurgachi (

Kolkata Airport, Bidhannagar Road railway station, Salt Lake (which houses the technological park of Kolkata, Sector V) and New Town
are close to Kankurgachi.

Etymology

It was an area which was reclaimed early from the Salt Lakes. Kankur, a species of melon, grew well in the area.[2]

History

The

Nawab of Bengal, it purchased these villages in 1758 from Mir Jafar and reorganised them. These villages were known en-bloc as Dihi Panchannagram and Kankurgachi was one of them. It was considered to be a suburb beyond the limits of the Maratha Ditch.[3][4][2]

Kankurgachi was developed by the Kolkata Improvement Trust (formerly Calcutta Improvement Trust).[citation needed] Kankurgachi township began in the 60s along with Salt Lake. Earlier it was planned to provide residential houses only to doctors and lawyers, but eventually this place developed into a cosmopolitan neighbourhood.

Transportation

CSTC (WBTC) Maniktala Depot, Kankurgachi

Kankurgachi is the junction of Maniktala Main Road and CIT Road.

Salt Lake, EM Bypass, Sealdah, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and Ganesh Talkies regularly. Kolkata tram route no. 18 serves Kankurgachi (via Maniktala Main Road-CIT Road).[5]

Kankurgachi Railway Bridge over Maniktala Main Road, Kankurgachi

Dumdum/Kolkata Airport) and New Town
.

Economy

Industry

The main gate of the Maniktala Main Road factory of BCPL, Kolkata

Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals was founded by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray at Maniktala in 1892. The company shifted to its present site on Maniktala Main Road at Kankurgachi in 1901. Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals is now owned by the Central Government.[6][7]

Commerce and services

EM Bypass

Kankurgachi is primarily marked by a huge outlet of

Pantaloons, one of India's leading retailers. Tanishq, Fabindia & M.P. Jewellers has been called a "jewellery hub" with several large jewelry stores in the area. Mani Square, one of the largest shopping mall-cum-multiplex of Kolkata, is also located here, which houses various luxury brands and restaurant. An outlet of the most famous diamond retail chain of India, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri is also located in Kankurgachi.[8]
The famous pan India optical chain Lawrence and Mayo apart from World Of Titan and Titan Eye have their outlets here too.

Kankurgachi is considered to have "an excellent social infrastructure."[1] Famous eateries dot the area viz. Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, The Rose and Honey Da Dhaba. Espresso bars like Barista and Cafe Coffee Day are also located here.

Domino's Pizza
and Sharma's Tea have outlets too. Besides the Bhujia barons like Tewary, Haldiram and Bhikharam Chandmall have their outlets here too. Bidhan Sishu Udyan,a historical play and activity centre founded by the Late Atulya Ghosh is located here too.

The largest Muslim burial ground in Asia, the Bagmari Kabristan is also in Kankurgachi.

In addition, the area is also noted for providing good health care services.[1] Apollo Hospitals, North City Hospital and a host of well equipped nursing homes and chemist shops like Frank Ross and Dhanwantary are located in Kankurgachi too. Kankurgachi has become home for all the major banks.

ICICI, SBI, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank, UBI, Yes Bank, Indusind Bank and PNB
are some of the major banks located here. Many renowned educational and training centres are also situated in this area, the most prominent one being Arena Animation Kankurgachi, one of Eastern India's largest animation centres.

Education

Harvard House, Purwanchal Vidyamandir are amongst the leading schools in this area, following

CISCE curriculum. Other schools situated in this area are Surah Kanya Vidyalaya Girls' School, Narkeldanga High School and Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Institution. Gurudas College, affiliated to the University of Calcutta
is also present in this area. Calcutta Boys' School, the iconic century-old educational institution also has its Beliaghata branch located in close vicinity. The zonal office of Damodar Valley Corporation, Uttarapan Shopping complex, Tata Teleservices (formerly Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd), the State Central Library, the State Labour Institute, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (ISI) are also located in Kankurgachi.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Real Estate Defines Lifestyle and Economy of West Bengal". India Blooms. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b Nair, P.Thankappan, The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta, in Calcutta, the Living City, Vol. I, pp. 14-15, Edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press, 1995 edition.
  3. ^ "District Census Handbook Kolkata, Census of India 2011, Series 20, Part XII A" (PDF). Pages 6-10: The History. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  4. ^ Cotton, H.E.A., Calcutta Old and New, first published 1909/reprint 1980, pages 103-4 and 221, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
  5. ^ Google maps
  6. ^ "Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd". BCPL. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Chemistry of Nationalism". The Telegraph. 7 December 2008. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  8. ^ Sutodia, Sandhya (30 April 2013). "Kankurgachi Emerges as the Jewelry Hub". Diamond World. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
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