Jadavpur is one of the major southern suburbs of Kolkata (Calcutta). Several of India's major institutes are located in Jadavpur around the Raja S C Mullick Road. The Jadavpur University , the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, the Regional Computer Centre are some of the establishments in Jadavpur. Dr CV Raman (1888-1970)discovered the Raman effect while working in the Indian Institute for the Cultivation of Science. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1930. Jadavpur is a ward of Kolkata and home to Jadavpur University.
Quality of Life
Jadavpur is considered to be a residential area close to the shopping districts of Golpark and Gariahat, and adjacent to the upscale residential district of Tollygunge , and the middle class residential districts of Golf Green and Dhakuria. The far side of Jadavpur is connected to Santoshpur by the Santoshpur Flyover Bridge. Jadavpur is one of the busiest local train stations on the Sealdah line. Jadavpur also has a large number of buses servicing the area, some of which utlize the near proximity of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, and the large 8B bus stand.
The Jadavpur market, across from Jadavpur University, is also one of the busiest markets in South Kolkata, besides Gariahat Market and Lake Market. This area now also has a few air-conditioned restaurants and pastry outlets that cater to the local residents as well as to the students of Jadavpur University. It boasts of a large farmer's market, serviced by the rail line. Jadavpur is also green by Kolkata's standards, and boasts quite a few playgrounds.
Javapur is generally considered to be a quite desirable place to live in, with two major problems being high traffic and the high malaria rates. Narrow, pre-urban roads lead to traffic congestion, compounded by cycle rickshaws and a high population cause some of the worst traffic snarls in South Kolkata. The marshy surrounds and uncovered drains give Jadavpur a malaria rate a few times more than other parts of South Kolkata.
On the cultural front, Jadavpur hosts one of the major Kali Pujas in Kolkata, called Nava-Kali (Nine different forms of goddess Kali).
History and Culture
Now, more on the history of Jadavpur as to how and when it all started. A city thrives and grows if there is a rhythmic flow of people from outside. Calcutta is no exception. By 1951, the city recorded an enormous influx of people from East Bengal, now Bangladesh, a migration so large that the ‘displaced persons’ made up nearly 18 percent of the city’s population.
As a result of this, a large number of colonies emerged within the Calcutta Corporation area itself. One of the areas of concentration of the refugee colonies was the south east portion of the CMD in the Jadavpur, Tollygunj, Kasba, Santoshpur Garfa areas. The refugees were interested in building their huts of ‘darma and bamboo` in the low lying and marshy areas near Calcutta and many of them, belonging to middle-classes, wanted to be near the metropolis for occupational interests, and this is how it all started in Jadavpur.
The displaced population had a different language, different culture, different food. Although they spoke Bengali, their dialect soon came to be known by a term ‘Bangal’ -- a langauge still prevalent in Jadavpur among senior prople --that had often derogatory implications.
The city of Kolkata still has the ghoti-bangal divide, between the East Bengalis(balgal) and West Bengalis(ghoti). No place in West Bengal represents the `bangal` part of the equation than Jadavpur does! Both Ghotis and Balgals speak Bengali, but with different accents; Bangals love the Hilsa fish, while the Ghotis love prawns. Nowhere in Calcutta is Hilsa more appreciated than in Bangal Jadavpur!
Although the advent of cable TV has diminished the importance of local sports in Kolkata, the Ghoti-Bangal rivalry still perhaps go up a few notches of a barometer on the days of soccer matches between East Bengal and Mohan Bagan. East Bengalis -- hence Jadavpur -- support their club of that name while ghotis support Mohunbagan. Even if one did not follow football, one knew which team had won by the price of Hilsa fishes in Jadavpur market.
Academic Institutions
The ward of Jadavpur is distinguished by the presence of one of India's top universities - Jadavpur University, and the leading research institutes of Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI),National Instrument (Jadavpur University undertakes this in last year) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB). Jadavpur is also home to Jadavpur Vidyapith, one of the leading South Kolkata schools.
Jadavpur Coffee House
Jadavpur boasts one of Kolkata's two original coffee shops - the Jadavpur Coffee House - one of the two Kolkata coffee houses ( the other being the College Street Coffee House - an institution unto itself) . Generations of South Calcuttans have visited the Coffee house daily for romance, adda, and food for thought . The Coffee House "infusion" is adored by generations of students, political rebels, and localites.
Recent Events
At 12 noon, Jadavpur embodies everything ugly and bad and life-threatening in Calcutta. If 8B is hell, then the road to hell is Jadavpur Station Road. Station roads in Calcutta suburbs are pandemonium everywhere. But the JSR boasts certain salient features — it serves a station that is the gateway to the city for many daily wage-earners, shophands, labourers, masons, small traders, clerks and babus. More importantly, Jadavpur, along with Dhakuria and Ballygunge, is one of the three stations that supply south Calcutta with its maids.
In 1988, technological obsolescence and financial crunch forced Sulekha’s closure in Jadavpur. The good news is that commercial production at the Jadavpur factory started in 2005. Sulekha makes computer printer ink, adhesives, art material, school stationery and home products like phenyl and room fresheners.
Alternative Names
The entire Jadavpur area is often casually referred to as the "8B" area - due to the sprawling 8B bus terminus, which dominates the major crossing of the area. It is center of Jadavpur downtown, righr across from Jadavpur university and a few hundred yards from T.B. Hospital.