Santoshpur
Encyclopedia
Santoshpur is a suburban area in the southern
part of east
Kolkata
, India
. It is loosely bounded by Garfa
area to the north, the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
to the east, Jadavpur
to the west and Garia
to the south.
. The area was mainly shallow marshy lands and agricultural fields even as late as the seventies. Some houses were built in the fifties and sixties mostly on the eastern side of the Jadavpur
Rail Station. Residents mostly East Bengali migrants walked to the station or to the Jadavpur
Bus Stand to board Bus Routes 8B or 9. The seventies saw an uptick in the number of houses constructed and spread more to the east. It was common sight at this time to see agricultural fields, small dairy operations and residential houses coexist on the same street. The main Santoshpur Avenue, which started near the Jadavpur
Railway crossing, was metalled. Other streets were being built and were mostly unmetalled. The new residents would pitch in their money and arrange for truckloads of dirt to be dumped on the road to make them passable during the monsoon season.
Bus Stand which was a little more than 2 km. away. It was quite common to spend half an hour on the bus to cover this distance mainly due to the narrow roads and the railway level crossing. Another bus route (Route 1A) started connecting Santoshpur to Garden Reach area in the southwestern part of Kolkata
. The bus provided direct connection to Jadavpur
, Lake Gardens, Tollygunge
, Rashbehari, Kalighat
, Hazra, Gopalnagar, Alipur Zoo
, Khidirpur areas with convenient connections to virtually all areas of Kolkata
. After some time, the Golpark to BBD Bag
(Route 106) minibus route was extended to Santoshpur and provided direct connection to the central business district. Office workers could reach their offices in the B.B.D.Bag
, Esplanade
, Park Street, Camac Street
, Theater Road areas without changing buses. Within a few years, another bus route (Route 206) started operations to Babughat providing cheaper alternative transportation to the office area.
In the meantime, the area which were under Panchayats and saw little organized development morphed into the Jadavpur Municipality. The headquarters were established in the "Battala Bazar" area - which became the heart of the new area. A new permanent market was planned a few hundred metres east of the streetside market. With the incorporation of the municipality in Kolkata Municipal Corporation
as part of Borough 12, Santoshpur was poised for a quantum leap.
The opening of the southern stretches of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
provided the residents with the option to commute via either Jadavpur or the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
. With the explosive population growth, traffic snarls became very common around the Jadavpur
railway crossing. A railway overbridge over Jadavpur
Railway Station was planned connecting Santoshpur Avenue with Raja Subodh Mullick Road, about half a kilometre to the south of the Jadavpur
Bus Stand. The construction was completed in record time. The travel time fell dramatically. New bus routes were introduced and Santoshpur became a sought after place to live for the Bengali
middle-class.
. As more people started streaming in, Santoshpur has been becoming more cosmopolitan.
Now(2008) Santoshpur changes its look and appears more modern and has a decent look with a spectacular lake and an Arambagh foodmart.
South Kolkata
South Kolkata refers to the southern areas of the city of Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Bhawanipore, Lansdowne, Park Circus, Ballygunge, Alipore, New Alipore, Tollygunge, Dhakuria, Jodhpur Park, Lake Gardens, Golf Green, Jadavpur, Santoshpur, Garia, Chak Garia, Taratala,...
part of east
East Kolkata
East Kolkata refers to the eastern areas of the city of Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Salt Lake City, New Town, VIP Nagar, Metropolitan Township, East Calcutta Township, Ajaynagar, Santoshpur, Mukundapur and certain parts of Garia like Baishnabghata-Patuli Township, Chak Garia and...
Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is loosely bounded by Garfa
Garfa
Garfa is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. The postal code of Garfa area is 7000075 and 700078.-Educational Institution:*Garfa Dhirendranath Memorial Boys' High School*Garfa Dhirendranath Memorial Girls' High School...
area to the north, the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, or simply E.M. Bypass, is a major road on the east side of Kolkata that connects Bidhannagar on the northeast to southern parts of Kolkata. It was designed like a bypass or beltway on the eastern side of Kolkata to lessen the perennial traffic congestion on the...
to the east, Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
to the west and Garia
Garia
Garia is a posh neighbourhood in south Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Naktala, New Garia, Chak Garia, Garia Park, Baghajatin, Baishnabghata-Patuli, Techno City, Model Town, Ganguly Bagan, Tentulberia, East Tentulberia, Ramgarh, Briji, Kamalgazi, Mahamayatala, Boral, Sreenagar,...
to the south.
From the fifties
This area was initially part of JadavpurJadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
. The area was mainly shallow marshy lands and agricultural fields even as late as the seventies. Some houses were built in the fifties and sixties mostly on the eastern side of the Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
Rail Station. Residents mostly East Bengali migrants walked to the station or to the Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
Bus Stand to board Bus Routes 8B or 9. The seventies saw an uptick in the number of houses constructed and spread more to the east. It was common sight at this time to see agricultural fields, small dairy operations and residential houses coexist on the same street. The main Santoshpur Avenue, which started near the Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
Railway crossing, was metalled. Other streets were being built and were mostly unmetalled. The new residents would pitch in their money and arrange for truckloads of dirt to be dumped on the road to make them passable during the monsoon season.
Bus transport
With the coming of scheduled bus transport, Santoshpur started seeing faster growth. A shuttle bus service (Route 9A) started which connected the residents to JadavpurJadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
Bus Stand which was a little more than 2 km. away. It was quite common to spend half an hour on the bus to cover this distance mainly due to the narrow roads and the railway level crossing. Another bus route (Route 1A) started connecting Santoshpur to Garden Reach area in the southwestern part of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. The bus provided direct connection to Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
, Lake Gardens, Tollygunge
Tollygunge
Tollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata. It is flanked by the Eastern Railway south suburban line to the north, Lake Gardens and Golf Green in the east, the Pashchim & Purba Putiaries in the south, and Behala in the west.-History:...
, Rashbehari, Kalighat
Kalighat
Kalighat is a locality of Kolkata, India. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant -- with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time....
, Hazra, Gopalnagar, Alipur Zoo
Alipore
Alipore is headquarters of South 24 Parganas district and a neighbourhood in South Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.Alipore, Kolkata, not to be confused with Alipore, Gujarat, is one of the poshest and costliest localities in Kolkata, along with the area Ballygunge...
, Khidirpur areas with convenient connections to virtually all areas of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. After some time, the Golpark to BBD Bag
B. B. D. Bagh
B.B.D. Bag , formerly called Dalhousie Square, is the shortened version for Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bag . It is the seat of power of the state government, as well as the central business district in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Origin of name:B.B.D...
(Route 106) minibus route was extended to Santoshpur and provided direct connection to the central business district. Office workers could reach their offices in the B.B.D.Bag
B. B. D. Bagh
B.B.D. Bag , formerly called Dalhousie Square, is the shortened version for Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bag . It is the seat of power of the state government, as well as the central business district in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Origin of name:B.B.D...
, Esplanade
Esplanade, Calcutta
Esplanade is an area in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. This is not a conventional esplanade in the sense that the place is not exactly situated alongside a waterbody. However, the river Ganges, also known as the Ganga or the Hooghly, is located nearby...
, Park Street, Camac Street
Camac Street
Camac Street is a street running in the central business district of Kolkata, India, from Park Street to AJC Bose Road. The road was named after William Camac, a senior merchant in the days of Lord Cornwallis and Lord Wellesley...
, Theater Road areas without changing buses. Within a few years, another bus route (Route 206) started operations to Babughat providing cheaper alternative transportation to the office area.
Rapid Development
Santoshpur started to grow faster and faster. Vacant plots were filling up fast. Agricultural lands were becoming scarce and could be found only on the other side of the Panchannagram canal (popularly called "khaal"). The cheaper land costs and proximity to the city proved to be an irresistible attraction for middle-class Bengalis. Government employees, bank employees, school teachers, college professors, and small businessmen started flocking to this new area.In the meantime, the area which were under Panchayats and saw little organized development morphed into the Jadavpur Municipality. The headquarters were established in the "Battala Bazar" area - which became the heart of the new area. A new permanent market was planned a few hundred metres east of the streetside market. With the incorporation of the municipality in Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Kolkata Municipal Corporation is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city of Kolkata. The organization is known, in short, as KMC . This civic administrative body administers an area of 185 sq. km. Its motto, Purosree Bibardhan, is inscribed on its emblem in Bengali...
as part of Borough 12, Santoshpur was poised for a quantum leap.
The opening of the southern stretches of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, or simply E.M. Bypass, is a major road on the east side of Kolkata that connects Bidhannagar on the northeast to southern parts of Kolkata. It was designed like a bypass or beltway on the eastern side of Kolkata to lessen the perennial traffic congestion on the...
provided the residents with the option to commute via either Jadavpur or the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, or simply E.M. Bypass, is a major road on the east side of Kolkata that connects Bidhannagar on the northeast to southern parts of Kolkata. It was designed like a bypass or beltway on the eastern side of Kolkata to lessen the perennial traffic congestion on the...
. With the explosive population growth, traffic snarls became very common around the Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
railway crossing. A railway overbridge over Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
Railway Station was planned connecting Santoshpur Avenue with Raja Subodh Mullick Road, about half a kilometre to the south of the Jadavpur
Jadavpur
Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Dhakuria to the north, Tollygunge to the west, Santoshpur to the east and Garia to the south...
Bus Stand. The construction was completed in record time. The travel time fell dramatically. New bus routes were introduced and Santoshpur became a sought after place to live for the Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
middle-class.
Apartments and High Rises
To accommodate this heavy demand, mid-rise apartment buildings started being built by real estate developers. Apartment complexes were also built in the erstwhile marshy lands on the Eastern Metropolitan BypassEastern Metropolitan Bypass
The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, or simply E.M. Bypass, is a major road on the east side of Kolkata that connects Bidhannagar on the northeast to southern parts of Kolkata. It was designed like a bypass or beltway on the eastern side of Kolkata to lessen the perennial traffic congestion on the...
. As more people started streaming in, Santoshpur has been becoming more cosmopolitan.
At Present
From a sleepy outpost to a teeming urban neighbourhood, Santoshpur has come a long way. It now faces problems of overdevelopment. The water supply, sewage system, drainage channels, and streets were not designed for this level of growth. Waterlogging during monsoon is becoming common. The narrow streets meant for pedestrians and bicycles are being overburdened with cars, rickshaws, autorickshaws. In the coming years, unplanned growth need to be reined in to prevent Santoshpur from becoming a victim of its own success.Now(2008) Santoshpur changes its look and appears more modern and has a decent look with a spectacular lake and an Arambagh foodmart.