Bowbazar is the gold quarter: retail showrooms on the main road and, in the lanes behind, several thousand karigars — craftsmen, many of them from Midnapore and Bankura — working in small rooms at the bench. Bengali gold work is thinner, lighter and more filigreed than the heavy Rajasthani or South Indian styles, and the sital pati and filigree traditions are specific to the region.
Central Kolkata
BBD Bagh · Esplanade · New Market · Park Street · College Street · Bowbazar · Burrabazar| Name | Where | What they carry |
|---|---|---|
| Bowbazar gold market1800s | Bowbazar, BB Ganguly Street | The jewellery quarter; showrooms in front, karigar workshops in the lanes behind. |
| B. Sarkar & Sons1930s | Bowbazar | An old Bowbazar jewellery house. |
| Senco Gold1938 | Bowbazar and city-wide | Founded in Kolkata; now a listed company. |
| Anjali Jewellers1974 | Bowbazar and city-wide | A large Bengal jewellery chain. |
| P.C. Chandra Jewellers1939 | Bowbazar and city-wide | One of the best-known Bengali jewellery names. |
| Karigar workshops | lanes behind Bowbazar | Where most of the city’s gold is actually made. |
South Kolkata
Bhowanipore · Kalighat · Gariahat · Ballygunge · Lake Market · Jadavpur · Tollygunge| Name | Where | What they carry |
|---|---|---|
| Gariahat jewellery showrooms | Gariahat | The South Kolkata retail cluster. |
| Rashbehari jewellers | Rashbehari Avenue | Family jewellers serving the neighbourhood. |
North Kolkata
Shobhabazar · Shyambazar · Bagbazar · Hatibagan · Kumartuli · Jorasanko · Maniktala| Name | Where | What they carry |
|---|---|---|
| Shyambazar and Hatibagan jewellers | Shyambazar, Hatibagan | North Kolkata retail. |
Worth knowing
- Bowbazar for the trade, the showrooms on the main road for retail
- Hallmarking is mandatory; buy hallmarked and take the bill
- Bengali work is lighter and more filigreed than the northern styles
- The making charge is negotiable; the gold rate on the day is not
- Wedding season and the weeks before Durga Puja are the busiest
Other shopping
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