A deep-fried chhana sweet, cylindrical, soaked in syrup — a Bengali cousin of the gulab jamun. Bhim Chandra Nag made it in 1858 for the birthday of Lady Charlotte Canning, wife of the Governor-General. The name was her name, worn down by use into ledikeni.
12places named
2things to know
3areas covered
2026snapshot year
North Kolkata
Shobhabazar · Shyambazar · Bagbazar · Hatibagan · Kumartuli · Jorasanko · Maniktala| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Girish Chandra Dey & Nakur Chandra Nandy1844 | 56 Ramdulal Sarkar Street, Hatibagan | The sandesh shop by which others are judged. Heritage-listed by the city. |
| Nalin Chandra Das & Sons1841 | College Street area | Possibly the oldest sweet shop in Kolkata. |
| Chittaranjan Mistanna Bhandar1900s | 34B Shobhabazar Street | Over a century of doi, roshabesh and madhuporko. |
| Adi Haridas Modakc.1780 | Shyambazar More | Among the oldest food shops in the city. |
| Sen Mahasay1935 | Shyambazar and city-wide | Sandesh, and a serious nolen gur range in winter. |
Central Kolkata
BBD Bagh · Esplanade · New Market · Park Street · College Street · Bowbazar · Burrabazar| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Bhim Chandra Nag1826 | 5 Nirmal Chandra Street, Bowbazar | Founded 1826; the ledikeni was invented here in 1858. The Cooke and Kelvey clock with Bengali numerals still hangs. |
| K.C. Das1868 | Esplanade and city-wide | The family credited with the rosogolla, and the firm that canned it. |
| Putiram1920s | College Street | Sweets, kochuri and radhaballavi. |
South Kolkata
Bhowanipore · Kalighat · Gariahat · Ballygunge · Lake Market · Jadavpur · Tollygunge| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick1885 | Bhowanipore and city-wide | The most inventive of the old houses; baked rosogolla, chocolate sandesh, nolen gur. |
| Mouchak1950s | Rashbehari Avenue | A South Kolkata standard. |
| Hindusthan Sweets1946 | Rashbehari and city-wide | Large and reliable, with a heavy festival trade. |
| Jadab Chandra Das1800s | Bhowanipore | An old Bhowanipore sweet house. |
Worth knowing
- Named after Lady Canning, and invented in 1858.
- Bhim Chandra Nag is where it was first made.
The other dishes
RosogollaSandeshKacha GollaNolen Gur SandeshKheer KadamJol Bhora SandeshMishti DoiSitabhog and MihidanaCham ChamRasmalaiPayeshKathi RollPhuchkaJhalmuriTelebhajaKosha MangshoKolkata BiryaniMughlai ParathaChelo KebabLuchi and Alur DomMacher Jhol and Bhetki FryTangra ChineseNimki and Bengali Savouries
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.
Company, mill, factory and shop names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Inclusion is for independent discovery only, not endorsement or affiliation.