- Bagbazar
] under Shyampukur police station, which broadly covers Bagabazar, had a population of 20,012, as per 2001 census. Out of this 10,518 were males and 9,494 were females. [cite web | url = http://www.wbcensus.gov.in/DataTables/02/Table4_17.htm
title = Census of India 2001 | accessdate = 2007-08-05 | last = | first = | work = Provisional Population Totals, West Bengal, Table 4 | publisher = Census Commission, Government of India]Culture
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Alaler Gharer Dulal " (The Rich Man’s Spoilt Child) (1857) byPeary Chand Mitra has an interesting piece of women's conversation centred on Bagbazar, possibly when they went for a bath in theHooghly River : :: “Some are speaking of their oppressive sisters-in-law, some are cursing their tyrannical mothers-in-law, some are tired of life because of the kicks they receive from their daughters-in-law, particularly when their sons are too timid to intervene; some complain of the intolerable behaviour of the wives of their husband’s brothers and some say how keen they are to get their ten-year-old sons married.” [Dasgupta, Rabindra Kumar, "Old Calcutta as Presented in Literature", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, p. 130]Bagbazar has been home to many a creative person.
Nagendranath Basu (1866ndash 1938) took twenty years to edit the 22 volume "Biswakosh", Bengali encyclopaedia. He lived and worked at 8 Kantapukur Bylane in Bagbazar. Kolkata Municipal Corporation renamed it Biswakosh Lane. This is possibly the only road in the world named after a book. [Majumdar, Swapan, "Literature and Literary Life in Old Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, p. 111]
Mohanchand Basu, who lived in Bagbazar in the 19th century and was a disciple of Nidhu Babu, introduced "kheur" in Bengali "akhrai" songs. [ Mitra, Rajyeshwar, "Music in Old Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, p. 182]
Bhola Maira (18th-19th century), the renowned Kabiyal (verse-contestant) had a sweet-meat shop on Bagbazar Street. [Banerjee, Sumanta, "The World of Ramjan Ostagar, the Common Man of Old Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, p. 82]
Two auditoriums, side by side on Bagbazar Street, still testifies to active cultural life of Bagbazar. Girish Mancha, opened in 1986 has over 900 seats. . [cite web | url = http://www.wbgov.com/e-gov/English/Tour/Html/Places_of_Interests_in_and_around_Kolkata.htm
title = Places of Interest In and Around Kolkata
accessdate = 2007-08-05 | last = | first = | work = Girish Mancha| publisher = West Bengal Government] The auditorium of Paschim Banga Jatra Akademi is next door. However, the 125 year-old Bagbazar Reading Library is not in good shape because of paucity of funds. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070620/asp/calcutta/story_7944648.asp | title = Reading landmark in the doldrums | accessdate = 2007-08-05 | last = Sarkar | first = Sebanti | work = | publisher = The Telegraph, 20 June 2007]Bagbazar Durga Puja continues to a major crowd puller with its deity of traditional design and innovative decoration.
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References
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