Point of interest
College Street Book Market
1 local recommends,
Tips from locals
Mandira
July 14, 2020
College Street is a 900 metre long street in Central Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It stretches from B.B. Ganguly Street crossing (Bowbazar) to MG Road crossing (Barna Parichay Market) via Dr. Lalit Banerjee Sarani crossing and Colootola Street/Surya Sen Street crossing. South of Bowbazar, College Street becomes Nirmal Chandra Street and north of Barna Parichay Market, College Street becomes Bidhan Sarani. Its name derives from the presence of many colleges (Presidency University, The Sanskrit College and University, City College of Commerce & Business Administration to name a few). The road houses many centres of intellectual activity especially the Indian Coffee House, a café that has attracted the city's intelligentsia for decades. Kolkata’s historic College Street is India’s largest book market, lending it the endearing nickname Boi Para (”Book Town”). The College Street is most famous for its small and big book stores, which gives it the nickname Boi Para (Colony of Books) People from the whole city and different parts of the state gathers here for their 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., Asha Book Agency etc.) are situated here. The street is also dotted with countless very small book kiosks which sell new and old books. 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. One can buy rare books at throw-away prices and extensive bargaining take place.
College Street is a 900 metre long street in Central Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It stretches from B.B. Ganguly Street crossing (Bowbazar) to MG Road crossing (Barna Parichay Market) via Dr. Lalit Banerjee Sarani crossing and Colootola Street/Surya Sen Street crossing. South of Bowba…
College Street Book Market by Airbnb Experiences
Get to know this iconic landmark through Airbnb Experiences, small group activities led by locals
Location
Kolkata, WB