Kolkata divides north to south along the Hooghly, and the halves are genuinely different cities. North Kolkata is the oldest part — Sutanuti, one of the three villages the city grew from — with the bonedi bari mansions, the idol-makers at Kumartuli and sweet shops founded before 1850. South Kolkata is residential and cultural, built around the lakes and the para. Central Kolkata holds the colonial city and the wholesale trade side by side. East is the planned city. Howrah is across the water and is a separate place.
North Kolkata
Shobhabazar · Shyambazar · Bagbazar · Hatibagan · Kumartuli · Jorasanko · Maniktala
Central Kolkata
BBD Bagh · Esplanade · New Market · Park Street · College Street · Bowbazar · Burrabazar
South Kolkata
Bhowanipore · Kalighat · Gariahat · Ballygunge · Lake Market · Jadavpur · Tollygunge
East Kolkata
Salt Lake · Sector V · New Town · Rajarhat · Tangra
Howrah & the River
Howrah · Shibpur · Salkia · the Hooghly ghats
Where each trade sits
| Name | Where | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| Gold and jewellery1800s | Bowbazar, and the karigar lanes behind it | Showrooms in front, several thousand craftsmen at the bench behind. |
| Wholesale trade1800s | Burrabazar and Posta | One of the largest wholesale markets in India; every lane a different trade. |
| Books and publishing1850s | College Street | Asia’s largest second-hand book market, with the publishers behind it. |
| Jute1855 | both banks of the Hooghly | The mills that built the city’s industry, running forty kilometres upriver. |
| IT and services1990s | Salt Lake Sector V, New Town, Rajarhat | The planned eastern city. |
| Leather1930s | Tangra, Topsia, Bantala | The tanning moved to Bantala; the finished-goods trade stayed. |
| Film1930s | Tollygunge | The Bengali film industry, and the origin of the word Tollywood. |
| Idol-making1700s | Kumartuli | Durga and Kali idols, built from Hooghly clay; exported worldwide. |
| Engineering1800s | Howrah, Shibpur, Belur | Foundries and machine shops that supplied the mills and the railways. |
| Tea1861 | BBD Bagh | One of the oldest tea auctions in the world. |
Read the city another way
A note on this page. Restaurants, shops and markets open, move and close far more often than industries do. Everything here is a snapshot of Kolkata as of 2026, offered as a starting point rather than a live listing. Check the address and the hours before you travel.
Restaurant, shop and company names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Inclusion is for independent discovery only, not endorsement, ranking or affiliation.
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