College Street (Kolkata)

College Street (Bengali: কলেজ স্ট্রিট) is a 900 metre long street in Central Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Also known as Boi Para (Bengali: বইপাড়া; lit. Book Town), it stretches from Bidhan Sarani road up to Bowbazar (before Nirmal Chandra Street) via MG Road crossing and Surya Sen Street crossing.^[1][2] Its name derives from the presence of numerous colleges and universities like University of Calcutta, Calcutta Medical College, Presidency University, The Sanskrit College and University, City College of Commerce and Business Administration etc. The road houses many centres of intellectual activity especially the Indian Coffee House, a café that has attracted the city's intelligentsia for decades.^[3] College Street is the largest book market in India as well as Asia^[4] and the largest secondhand book market in the whole world.^[5]

College Street

Boi Para (Books Neighborhood)
Book stores and tram tracks along College Street
Native name	কলেজ স্ট্রিট (Bengali)
Maintained by	Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Length	0.9 km (0.56 mi)[1]
Location	Kolkata, India
Postal code	700012, 700073
Nearest Kolkata Metro station	MG Road, Central and Sealdah
Coordinates	22.575514°N 88.363354°E / 22.575514; 88.363354
North end	Bidhan Sarani
South end	Bowbazar

260m
283yds

College Street

   

Book stores

The College Street is famous for its small and big book stores, which gives it the nickname Boi Para (Colony of Books).^[2][6] People from the whole city and different parts of the state flock the innumerable book stores along the side-walk for books. Many bigwigs of the Bengali publication industry (like: Ananda Publishers, Mitra and Ghosh Publishers, DasGupta and Company Pvt. Ltd, Dey's Publishing, Rupa & Co. etc.) are situated here. The street is also dotted with countless small book kiosks which sell new and old books.^[2] An article in the journal Smithsonian described College Street as ...a half-mile of bookshops and bookstalls spilling over onto the pavement, carrying first editions, pamphlets, paperbacks in every Indian language, with more than a fair smattering of books in and out of print from France, Germany, Russia and England.^[7] One can buy rare books at throw-away prices and extensive bargaining takes place.

Recognition

In 2007, College Street featured among the famous landmarks of India which have made it to 6pm to 9pm Magazine's "Best of Asia" list.^[8]

Educational institutes

Front view of Hindu School, the oldest educational institution in College Street, in August 2022.

Well-known academic institutions situated on this street include:

Higher education institutions

• Presidency University, established as Hindoo College in 1817, making it one of the oldest post secondary liberal arts colleges in South Asia.
• University of Calcutta, established in 1857, and the first university (to be established as a secular multidisciplinary university) in South Asia.
• Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, established in 1835, the first college of European medicine in Asia.
• The Sanskrit College and University, established in 1824, and Sanskrit Collegiate School.
• Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, established in 1953, and affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It is India's first MBA offering institute.

Schools

• Hare School, established in 1818.
• Hindu School, established in 1817.^[2][6]

Gallery

• 
  College Street view
• 
  College Street on Holiday
• 
  College Street and Surya Sen Street crossing
• 
  Monument of the 49th Bengalee Regiment (Bangali Platoon) at Vidyasagar Udyan
• 
  Kolkata Tram route no. 5 on College Street
• 
  College Street and Mahatma Gandhi Road Crossing
• 
  Vidyasagar Udyan at Night
• 
  View of Vidyasagar Udyan Swimming Pool
• 
  Calcutta Medical College and Hospital main entrance at College Street
• 
  Old second-hand books being sold by a shopkeeper at the College Street
• 
  Inside view of Vidyasagar Udyan in Kolkata