Boi para, the book quarter
College Street is one of the largest second-hand book markets anywhere: pavement stalls and old publishing houses side by side, with the Coffee House above them.
A district of West Bengal
Kolkataকলকাতা
The city of the book fair, the idol makers of Kumartuli and the emporia of Dakkhinapan.
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Stories from Kolkata
Where the goddess is made
In Kumartuli, north Kolkata, families of clay modellers build the idols for Durga Puja every autumn — straw and river clay first, paint and ornament last.
Kalighat pat
In the 19th century painters outside the Kalighat temple sold quick, bold watercolours of gods, dandies and scandals. The style lives on with today’s patuas.
Traditional to Kolkata
Tell us which one you want. A person at our Kolkata desk finds it and confirms the price within 24 hours.
- Books from College StreetAny Bengali title, new or out of print.
Kalighat paintingBold watercolours in the old bazaar style.
Kumartuli clay figuresSmall painted figures from the idol makers’ lanes.- Dakkhinapan emporiaHandloom and craft from the state emporia.
