College Street (Kolkata)

College Street is a 900 metre long street in Central Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Also known as Boi Para, it stretches from Bidhan Sarani road up to Bowbazar via MG Road crossing and Surya Sen Street crossing. Its name derives from the presence of numerous colleges and universities like University of Calcutta, Calcutta Medical College, Presidency University, The Sanskrit College and University, City College of Commerce and Business Administration etc. The road houses many centres of intellectual activity especially the Indian Coffee House, a café that has attracted the city's intelligentsia for decades. College Street is the largest book market in India as well as Asia and the largest secondhand book market in the whole world.

Book stores

The College Street is famous for its small and big book stores, which gives it the nickname Boi Para. People from the whole city and different parts of the state flock the innumerable book stores along the side-walk for books. Many bigwigs of the Bengali publication industry are situated here. The street is also dotted with countless small book kiosks which sell new and old books. An article in the journal Smithsonian described College Street as ...a half-mile of bookshops and bookstalls spilling over onto the pavement, carrying first editions, pamphlets, paperbacks in every Indian language, with more than a fair smattering of books in and out of print from France, Germany, Russia and England.
One can buy rare books at throw-away prices and extensive bargaining takes place.

Recognition

In 2007, College Street featured among the famous landmarks of India which have made it to 6pm to 9pm Magazine's "Best of Asia" list.

Educational institutes

Well-known academic institutions situated on this street include:

Higher education institutions

Presidency University, established as Hindoo College in 1817, making it one of the oldest post secondary liberal arts colleges in South Asia.
University of Calcutta, established in 1857, and the first university in South Asia.
Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, established in 1835, the first college of European medicine in Asia.
The Sanskrit College and University, established in 1824, and Sanskrit Collegiate School.
Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, established in 1953, and affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It is India's first MBA offering institute.

Schools

Hare School, established in 1818.
Hindu School, established in 1817.