Legacy of College street

The matchless scheme one gets as he saunters down the crowdy lanes of College street is the aura of
Books--Its like Books, books everywhere. Its the eminent center of the literary flock of the city.
Also colloquially known as ‘Boi Para’ (book-mart),---
The present day picture of College Street is enthralling. Dotted with makeshift book stalls constructed with bamboo, wood, canvas and sheets of corrugated tin on both the side-walks, College Street is a paradise for book lovers.

Figure showing Indian Sepoys delving into books at Boi Para :)

College Street which was earlier known as Potol Danga, owes its nomenclature to the Hindu College (now known as Presidency College). Lord Wellesy first introduced the construction of planned roads in Calcutta. It was under him that the Central Road or the Great Arterial Road which later came to be known by the name of College Street, Wellesley Street, Wellington Street, and Cornwallis Street was
constructed by the Lottery Committee between 1817 and 1836. The road runs from Lower Circular Road (A.J.C. Bose Road) to Shyambazar five point crossing.
According to a journal--

"It is the largest second-hand book market in the world and largest book market in India and collectively boasts of a collection of almost any title ever sold at Kolkata." 

 Hindu College
Straight from the heart of a Presidencian, The Hindu College (and now the Presidency College) was the brainchild of David Hare, who wanted to set up ‘an institution for giving a liberal westernized 
education to the children of the members of the Hindu Community.’ This noble idea of the British man found admirable acceptance from eminent figures of the Hindu community. Babu Buddinath Mukherjee along with the support of the Chief Justice, Sir Edward Hyde East, and some European and Hindu gentlemen helped Hare to establish the college. With unanimous approbation finally Hare successfully established the Hindu College with twenty scholars. Thus, the street on which the Hindu college was located came to be known as College Street under the Governorship of Lord Wellesley.

Lord Wellesley first introduced the construction of planned roads in Calcutta. It was under him that College Street formerly known as The Great Arterial Road found its name.

Transform of Hindu College to presidency University--
On 21 October 1853, Lord Dalhousie, the Governor of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, suggested that

“ a new general college should be established at Calcutta by the government and designated "The Presidency College" ... the College should be open to all youths of every caste, class or creed.

”
The 'scholars' of the College Department of Hindu College were transferred to Presidency College and 101 new students were freshly admitted. Of these 101 pupils, two were Muslims, while the rest were Hindus.
Another fact which grabs attention is that the colege is also the hub of the present ISI--Indian
Statistical institute which was founded in the Statistical Laboratory of this college by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1931.


Hare School--

Set up under the inititiative of David hare, This is among the oldest schools of India,
imparting education to young minds in vernacular. it is said, David Hare himself took care of the
residential students. First called the Arupuli Paathshaala, set up in 1820 and Later christened Colootola Branch School, it was finally settled as Hare School in 1867. The founder is celebrated to
date in this institution


University of Calcutta-

Established under the Universities Act under Lord Curzon, this is the first University set up in the
nation during the colonial regime.Set in stone on January 24, 1857, it was credited as the first modern multidisciplinary university of the country;
The University established its catchment area covering the area from Lahore to Rangoon (now in Myanmar), and Ceylon, the largest of any Indian university.
Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu became the first female graduates of the country in 1882. Among the eminent alumni are-- four Nobel Laureates — CV Raman, Rabindranath
Tagore, Ronald Ross and Amartya Sen — linked to it, it’s easy to understand why it commands the respect it does.

The Albert House--
Founded in April, 1876; Later, the Coffee Board decided to start a coffee joint from the Albert Hall in 1942. Notable citizens, including Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose, were frequent visitors to the place.In 1947, the Central Government changed the name of the place to "Coffee House"
A breathtaking connection of the Albert house can also be connected for being the hub of the Indian
Freedom Movement--It was named after Prince Albert Victor of Wales, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. On the incentive of the Indian Association in 1883, the first session of the Indian National Conference was held here, and from that gathering came the organization that led to the founding of the Indian National Congress in Bombay in 1885. Political meetings in the 1930s continued to be held here, some led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose followers increased with every occasion.

The Indian Coffee House has several branches in Kolkata, including the College Street branch, Central Avenue branch, Medical College Kolkata branch and Jadavpur branch.

----College Street Coffee House-- Coffee Houser Shei adda ta aaj ar nei--aaj ar nei--

Branch of the Indian Coffee House.The Coffee House is Kolkata's most venerable social institution for the city's intellectuals, a seminal salon from which ideas are debated or debunked. It is casual, sometimes serious, mostly impromptu and sometimes even planned.
The famed Coffee House is located at College Street. It has been the rendezvous place of many illustrious and notable personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose, Satyajit Ray, Manna Dey, Amartya Sen, Mrinal Sen, Shashi Kapoor and Aparna Sen etc. Many talented geniuses have penned down pieces of lyrics, poems, story scripts or exchanged brimming ideas related to the world of art and culture in this cafeteria. The Coffee House is a part of the Indian Coffee House restaurant chain in India, run by a series of worker co-operative societies. Presently, the place is regularly thronged by students from nearby premiere institutions, literary intellectuals and enthusiastic tourists.

Medical College and Hospital--

Established in 1835, welcome to the second college to teach European medicine in the continent, and in English.The British East India Company established the Indian Medical Service (IMS) as early as 1764 to look after Europeans in British India.The college broke all caste and religion barriers when it first set out to teach youngsters the art of medicine. Incidentally, David Hare was a student here.Madhusudan Gupta performed the first human dissection in modern India and modern Asia.Soorjo Koomar Chukkerburty became the first Indian to obtained the MD degree of the University College of London and became the first Indian to pass the examination for the Indian Medical Service and join the covenanted Medical Service


From text and reference books to novels and anthologies, there is something to quench everyone's thirst  for knowledge. Book lovers and avid readers are often spotted trying to strike an extensive bargain on their chosen pick. One also hears stories of chance discoveries of rare books acquired at almost throw-away prices.


College Street and Bengal Renaissance--
The entire amplitude of the College street is known as the heart of the Bengal Renaissance movement in Kolkata. It is a historic place that you can today call a famous hangout spot, a hub or just another street that holds back nostalgia of the heroic era of our country.
A multitude of small and big book stalls lined together that are always bustling with book lovers as well as students of several reputed institutes, including the premiere Presidency College College), the Calcutta University and the Calcutta Medical College, has been a part of this area since ages. The renowned Coffee house is also located here in the College street. It is a huge open cafe in the heart of the city that has always been the hub for the classic 'adda' of Bangla intellects, students and random people.

A stroll along the College street offers a spectacular insight into the socio-intellect issues that has shaped the very backbone of India, culminating the endeavour of the freedom movement. Walking through the area you can witness the varied philosophies and belief systems that concerns the educated youth population of the nation. The harmonious blend of the nineteenth century Kolkata and the modern times could be experienced in the College street.

In addition to schools, colleges and universities, this area is also home to reformist social movements like the Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj, which have their own unique belief systems.The Sanksrit COllege, which was chaired by Vidyasagar also bears paradigm of excellence in the spread of western education and free thought.
Henry Loius Vivian Derozio, who started the Young Bengal movement, and a teacher in Hindoo College also revitalized the petty Indian thinking and inspired the ideologies of free thought and Revolt against the existing social and religious structure of Hindu society.
Buddhist Mahabodhi Society’s headquarters are also here--thus epitomize the hub of religious reform movements in the 19th century.

College Street is also a great political hub. It was this place that witnessed the beginning of the
Naxalite Movement in Bengal. Innumerable political movements of national importance and political upsurges have been initiated from here. College Street has witnessed several political gatherings and meetings till date. Many famous politicians have delivered path-breaking speeches at various political gatherings here. So, the next time you want to feel the energetic vibes that give Kolkata its distinct fervour, take a stroll down the pavements of College Street. You can hear life calling out to you from every nook and corner. You just have to heed the call!

Even now the college and university elections are carried out with rapt political zeal and nail-biting excitement. (and Being an ex-Presidencian I still remember where we the Class representatives elected through elections were not allowed to return to our homes till 3 days, till the elections of Office bearers were complete )