Diamond Library Visuals
Established in 1877, this 142-year-old bookstore and publishing house in the Garanhata area of Chitpur holds a unique collection of more than 100 Jatra (folk theatre) scripts. The elderly Seal brothers are the last generation of publishers who run this only existing ‘library’ brand of book store which is the remnant of famous Battala print culture of nineteenth-century Kolkata. The book display the Jatra cover art and titles from yesteryears which are art pieces in their own right. |
Stamps
In the age of digital technology when polymer can make rubber stamps in the blink of an eye, Chitpur Road hosts some stamp shops who are carrying forward the old technique. The classic character of wooden stamps lay in its unique letterpress types. This unique lettering is still being used in rubber stamping. The small shops along the road are a hidden treasure trove for old unique and quirky stamps. |
Bamboo
The bylanes of Ram Bagan Dompara, in the vicinity of Chitpur Road neighbourhoods, is famous for its large scale bamboo crafts. At least 3000 artists earn their livelihood by working in the nooks and corners of this neighbourhood for at least three generations. They specialise in making artwork with bamboo, cane and thermocol. From decorating wedding venues, puja pandals to making the background structure of deities and exquisite home decorative items, gift items their skills and artisanry are deft and diverse. |
Sandesh Mould
In the Pathuriaghata area of Chitpur, we can see a dedicated line of shops which sell all wooden items mostly used in sweet shops across the state or for religious purposes. In the midst of huge wooden vessels, one can find at least four craftsmen carving wooden blocks to make sweetmeat (sandesh) moulds. Moulds typically have a design and a message engraved in it. From making small moulds (2-4 inch) for regular Sandesh to big moulds (10-12 inch) for special purposes like marriage, they offer a plethora of options. Some of them are talented enough to make custom special nineteenth-century woodcut print for you. |
Musical Instruments
Jorasanko area of Chitpur Road, once famous as ‘Tablapatty’, has a tradition of more than 100 years of making Indian classical instruments. This dwindling craft is continued in only five shops in this stretch of the road. They specialise in making percussion instruments such as Tabla, Dhol, Sri Khol, Nal etc. They also make harmoniums on special request. Flute, dancing bells, Dafli, Khanjani and Khartals are available as well. |
Book Binding
Handmade book binding probably started along with Chitpur’s Battala print culture which was thriving in the nineteenth century. Three to four remaining shops are skilled with yesteryear techniques of hand binding i.e. binding with needles, threads and gum. They make different patterns of notebooks in various sizes. A signature design is the red coloured hardbound business ledger associated with Bengali Halkhata during Bengali New Year or Poila Baishakh. |
Papercutting
India’s oldest China Town in Territi Bazar also lies along Chitpur Road. Papercutting is an ancient craft which goes back to South and North dynasties in China. It is still practiced by some artists who are 3rd generation practitioners. The patterns are influenced by jubilant festivals or stories of folk opera to name a new. During Chinese New year we can see such picture patterns often pasted on the lintels, windows or lanterns in appreciation of positive energies in life. |
Jewellery and Jewellery Mould
Chitpur’s Garanhata neighbourhood has been a prominent center of the Jewellery industry for over a century. In one tiny alleyway of Garanhata Street, around two thousand gold and silversmiths live and work. The interiors of houses contain manufacturing units and the exteriors are mostly trading units. Apart from gold and silver, in recent times costume jewellery and artificial jewellery have made their inroads. Among these, a rare craft of Jewellery mould making deserves special attention. These shops have their exclusive designer catalogues and masterpieces for each design. Jewellers from all over West Bengal come here to procure these brass moulds, which are sold by the weight. |
Brasswork and Ironwork:
The Notun Bazar area of Chitpur Road has a concentration of a series of trades, all specialising in utensils made of various materials, such as brass, copper, iron and aluminium. Utensils here vary in size and shape which can be used either for residential, commercial or religious purposes. Some of the ironwork takes place at the back alley of Rambagan area. One can witness huge iron woks, spatulas and ladles being made in the heart of the city in the junction between Chitpur road and Ramesh Dutta Street. All these shops practice their ancestral trade which can be traced back to at least three generations. |
Letterpress
Being the hub of nineteenth-century Battala print culture, Chitpur witnessed a series of printing technique revolution. At present offset and digital printing have taken over this sesquicentennial printing district of Kolkata but some of the shops have preserved the lost art of letterpress printing as a souvenir of past. Though at present, a limited set of items can be printed in these 140-year-old machines imported from abroad (for example- Chandler and Price Letterpress from Cleveland, Ohio) still these shops have kept these machines as part of their ancestral heritage. Shola
The Kumartuli area along Chitpur Road is famous for its religious clay idol making along with a number of ancillary crafts. Decorative items made of shola, a milky white sponge wood is one of them. There are at least five shops in the area that specialise in making and sourcing of shola products used for cultural and religious rituals, decorative jewellery, artificial flowers, garlands and toys. This is Bengal’s very own craft made from ecologically friendly, non-pollutant plant material found in marshy land in the interiors of Bengal. |
