Santoshpur, Kolkata

Santoshpur
Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Santoshpur
Country  India
State West Bengal
City Kolkata
Ward 33
Railway station Jadavpur
Parliamentary constituency Jadavpur
Assembly constituency Jadavpur
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 700075
Area code(s) +91 33 2416

Santoshpur (Bengali: সন্তোষপুর) is a neighbourhood in the southern part of Kolkata, India. It is loosely bounded by Garfa to the north, the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to the east, Jadavpur to the west and Bagha Jatin to the south.[1]

Rise of Santoshpur

From the fifties

This area was initially part of Jadavpur. 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[2] 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.[3]

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 organised 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 11 & 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.

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 Bypass. As more people started streaming in, Santoshpur has been becoming more cosmopolitan.Its well known for its proximity to Metropolis mall,Jadavpur University,Jadavpur Railway station, E.M.Bypass for its excellent connectivity to all parts of the city. kabi subash metro station is only 5 mins auto ride from santoshpur and through the main road you can get state bus,mini bus, volvo, auto and all forms of public transport available in Kolkata.

The great transport connection of santoshpur to important parts of city including Howrah, Sealdah, Gariahat, Esplanade, Salt Lake makes it one of the best sought after places in Kolkata.

At present

From a sleepy outpost to a teeming urban neighbourhood, Santoshpur has come a long way. It now faces problems of over development. The water supply, sewage system, drainage channels, and streets were not designed for this level of growth. Water-logging during monsoon is becoming common. The narrow streets meant for pedestrians and bicycles are being overburdened with cars, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws. In the coming years, unplanned growth need to be reined in to prevent Santoshpur from becoming a victim of its own success. In 2008 Santoshpur changed its look and appears more modern and has a decent look with a santoshpur lake pally duga puja, spectacular lake and an Arambagh Foodmart among others.santoshpur lake pally is a renowned and well respected Durga Puja in Kolkata.It is the main attraction of the South of Kolkata. There are liquor shops at Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and also at Jadavpur but recently one is added near to Jora Bridge a narrow lane goes down parallelly to the canal just next to a residential apartment and the name of the shop is Amit Das F.L. Off Shop. Being mostly a residential area, the place is scattered with numerous parks and children's playgrounds. Branches of all major banks are present in Santoshpur and there are numerous ATMs as well. The two main markets of Santoshpur are the Municipality Market and the Jora Bridge Market. The area lying between Jora Bridge and Eastern Metropolitan Bypass is known as Survey Park and is considered to be within Santoshpur as well. Being very near to Jadavpur University, Santoshpur is a preferred locality for lodging. Many foreign nationals who are students of Jadavpur University also stay at Santoshpur. The locality is very peaceful and the people are very friendly and helpful.

Buses Available

Santoshpur is connected well with other parts of the cities Via Jadavpur 8B, E.M Byepass, With Large no of govt, pvt bus and auto services. Recently Some new AC bus routes have also been introduced. The nearest railway Station is Jadavpur and Metro Station is Kavi Subhash (New Garia).

CSTC

CTC

WBSTC AC Marcopolo

Public Bus

SD Series

Mini Bus

References

  1. ↑ Santoshpur maps
  2. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/mobile/documents/30748095 Scribd article
  3. ↑ "Kolkata Discount Coupons, Kolkata Deep Discounts, Kolkata Daily Deals, Kolkata Sales & Offers, Kolkata Cashbacks". Khojguru. Retrieved 12 July 2012.

See also

Coordinates: 22°29′38″N 88°23′28″E / 22.494°N 88.391°E