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Change a "0" to an "o" - also some copy editing

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement



|name = Shobhabazar 
|official_name =
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|nickname =
|settlement_type = Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta) 
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|image_skyline = LAL MANDIR AT CENTRAL AVENUE.jpg
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|image_caption = Lal Mandir, Shobhabazar
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|pushpin_map = India Kolkata
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|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kolkata
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|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{IND}}
|subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[West Bengal]]
|subdivision_type2 = City
|subdivision_name2 = [[Kolkata]]
|subdivision_type3 = [[List of districts of West Bengal|District]]
|subdivision_name3 = [[Kolkata district|Kolkata]]
|subdivision_type4 = [[Kolkata Metro|Metro Station]]
|subdivision_name4 = [[Shobhabazar Sutanuti metro station|Shobhabazar-Sutanuti]]
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|subdivision_type6 =
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|seat_type = [[Municipal corporation]]
|seat = [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation]]
|parts_type = [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation|KMC]] wards
|parts_style = 
|parts = [[Ward No. 8, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|8]], [[Ward No. 9, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|9]], [[Ward No. 10, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|10]], [[Ward No. 18, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|18]], [[Ward No. 19, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|19]]
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|population_total = For population see linked KMC ward pages
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|timezone = IST
|utc_offset = +5:30
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|coordinates = {{coord|22.596111|N|88.365278|E|region:IN-{{IndAbbr|[[West Bengal]]}}|display=inline,title}}

|postal_code_type = PIN
|postal_code = 700005, 700006
|area_code = +91 33
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Lok Sabha]] constituency
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Kolkata Uttar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Kolkata Uttar]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = [[Vidhan Sabha]] constituency
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Shyampukur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Shyampukur]]
|website =
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}}
'''Shobhabazar''' (also spelt '''Sovabazar''') is a neighbourhood of [[North Kolkata]], in [[Kolkata district]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]].

==History==
[[Sutanuti#Sheths and Basaks|Sheths and Basaks]], well-to-do traders at [[Saptagram]], were among the first to settle in [[Sutanuti]] and are said to have cleared much of the jungles in the area. Neighbouring [[Shyambazar]] was named after the family deity of the Basaks, Shyam Roy (or Gobinda), the attendant of goddess [[Kali]] by [http://thegangeswalk.com/sobharam-bysack-the-lost-icon-of-bengal/ Shobharam Basak], one of the richest native inhabitants of 18th-century Kolkata.<ref name = "Cotton">[[H. E. A. Cotton|Cotton, H.E.A.]], ''Calcutta Old and New'', 1909/1980, p. 289-291, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref>

When Ramcharan Deb was murdered by [[Maratha]] marauders in the jungles of [[Midnapore]], his widow came back to their house at [[Gobindapur, Kolkata|Gobindapur]] with her three sons and five daughters. The house was washed away by the [[Hooghly River]] and they moved to Arpooly, and from there to Shobhabazar. Ramcharan's youngest son [[Nabakrishna Deb|Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb]] rose to fame and power.<ref name="Bonedi">Bandopadhyay, Debashis, ''Bonedi Kolkatar Gharbari'', {{in lang|bn}}, Second impression 2002, pp. 101-102, Ananda Publishers, {{ISBN|81-7756-158-8}}</ref>

The glorious days of Shobhabazar starts with the decision of the [[British Raj|British]] to build, after their decisive win in [[Battle of Plassey]], the new [[Fort William, India|Fort William]] in the heart of Gobindapur. The inhabitants of the village were compensated and provided with land in [[Taltala]], [[Kumortuli]] and Shobhabazar.<ref>Cotton, H.E.A, p. 72</ref>

[[Nabakrishna Deb|Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb]] built his [[Shobhabazar Rajbari|Rajbari]] (palace) at Shobhabazar. Some say that he acquired it from Shobharam Basak and made major extensions, matching his taste for pomp and grandeur.<ref name="Bonedi"/> At least money was not in short supply. After the death of [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], Nabakrishna Deb along with [[Mir Jafar]], Amir Beg and Ramchand Roy earned eight crore rupees worth of treasures from the secret treasury.<ref>Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali, ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (Biographical dictionary) {{in lang|bn}}, Vol I, 1998 edition, p 242. {{ISBN|81-85626-65-0}}</ref>

[[Nabakrishna Deb|Maharaja Nabakrishna Deb]] is said to have constructed the road from Upper Chitpur Road (now [[Rabindra Sarani]]) to Upper Circular Road (now [[AJC Bose Road & APC Road|Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road]]) and named with his own name. However, while half of the street was merged with Grey Street (now [[Aurobindo Sarani]]), another half became Shobhabazar Street. Another street north of it was named [[Raja Nabakrishna Street]].<ref name = "Cotton"/>

Amongst those in the Deb family, who had streets named after them are: Raja Gopi Mohun Deb, Raja Sir Radhakanta Deb, Raja Rajendra Narain, Raja Mahendra Narain, Raja Debendra Narain (adopted side), Raja Raj Krishna, Taja Bahadur Kali Krishna, Maharaja Kamal Krishna, Maharaja Bahadur Sir Narendra Krishna and Rajah Bahadur Harendra Krishna (own side).<ref name = "Cotton"/>

==Geography==
{{OSM Location map 
| coord = {{coord|22.596111|88.366278}} 
| zoom = 15 
| label = Shobhabazar
| mark-coord = {{coord|22.596111|88.366278}}
| label-pos = right
| float = left
}}
Shobhabazar is spread over [[Ward No. 8, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|Ward No. 8]], [[Ward No. 9, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|Ward No. 9]], [[Ward No. 10, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|Ward No. 10]], [[Ward No. 18, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|Ward No. 18]] and [[Ward No. 19, Kolkata Municipal Corporation|Ward No. 19]] of [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation]] and is bounded by [[Baghbazar]] on the north, [[Shyambazar]] and [[Hatibagan]] on the east, Beniatola and [[Nimtala crematorium|Nimtala]] on the south and the [[Hooghly River]] on the west.<ref>''Detail Maps of 141 Wards of Kolkata'', D.R.Publication and Sales Concern, 66 College Street, Kolkata – 700073</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:Outside view of Sovabazar Rajbari, Kolkata, MA10.jpg|thumb|Outside View of [[Shobhabazar Rajbari]]]]
[[File:DurgaPuja2016_-_Sovabazar_Rajbari_02.jpg|thumb|Thakurdalan of [[Shobhabazar Rajbari]]]]
[[Nabakrishna Deb|Maharaja Naba Krishna Deb]] started the [[Durga Puja]] in [[Shobhabazar Rajbari]] in 1757. He set a pattern for the [[puja (Hinduism)|puja]] which became a fashion and a status symbol among the upcoming merchant class of Kolkata. The number of Englishmen attending the family [[Durga Puja]] became an index of prestige. Religious scruples fell by the wayside. The [[nautch]] girls were mostly from [[Muslim]] ''[[gharana]]s''. The Englishmen attending the dance-parties, dined on beef and ham from Wilson's Hotel and drank to their heart's contentment.<ref>Jaya Chaliha and Bunny Gupta, ''Durga Puja in Calcutta'' in ''Calcutta The Living City'' Vol II, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press, first published 1990, paperback edition 2005, pp 332-333. {{ISBN|0-19-563697-X}}</ref>

The Shobhabazar Durga Puja is split into two parts, near each other, but both the Pujas continue with their characteristic distinctions. [[Karttikeya]] is dressed in [[Breeches|breaches]] worn by Englishmen. In most Bengali pujas [[Ganesha]] dons the traditional ''dhuti-chadar'', but at Shobhabazar he is an idol worshipped by the [[Marwaris|Marwari]] ancestors of [[Jagat Seth]]; and [[Durga]] wears jewellery designed after the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] or [[Nawab of Awadh|Nawabs of Oudh]].<ref name = "Telegraph1">{{cite news | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-21/kolkata/27968219_1_family-puja-shibkrishna-daw-glorious-saga | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019075443/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-21/kolkata/27968219_1_family-puja-shibkrishna-daw-glorious-saga | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-10-19 | title = Old is gold, even in Pujas | access-date = 2008-02-15 | first1=Ratnottama | last1=Sengupta | work = [[The Times of India]] | date=2007-10-21}}</ref> In earlier days [[Nidhu Babu]] and [[Kavigan|kabials]] like [[Anthony Firingee]] and [[Bhola Moira]] vied for attention with the nautch girls and [[Baiji]]s.<ref name = "Times">{{cite news | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-08-10/kolkata/27318354_1_debs-durga-puja-music-and-dance | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121024230259/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-08-10/kolkata/27318354_1_debs-durga-puja-music-and-dance | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-10-24 | title = Time stands still in rajader para | access-date = 2008-02-08 | last = Rudra | first = Aeya | work = [[The Times of India]] | date=2002-08-10}}</ref> As the non-[[Brahmin]] patrons of Sovabazar Rajbari were not allowed by tradition to offer ''annobhog'' or [[rice]] in any form, they offered homemade sweets to the goddess. For the past 250 years, generations of haluikars (traditional confectioners) from [[Bardhaman]] come down to the Sovabazar Rajbari and make lip-smacking delicacies like jibe gaja, khaja and nimki.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Opulence-dims-but-not-the-tradition/230401/ | title = Opulence dims but not the tradition | access-date = 2008-02-15 | publisher = Indian Express, 20 October 2007}}</ref>

It was in the Shobhabazar Rajbari ''dalan'' (courtyard) that [[Swami Vivekananda]] was accorded a civic reception after his return from the [[Parliament of the World's Religions]] at [[Chicago]].<ref name = "Times"/>

[[Shobhabazar Rajbari]] is identified as heritage building by [[Kolkata Municipal Corporation]].<ref>{{cite web| url =http://www.wbtourism.com/kolkata/heritage_buildings.htm| title =Heritage buildings in Kolkata| access-date =2008-02-15| publisher =West Bengal Tourism| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20061128183102/http://www.wbtourism.com/kolkata/heritage_buildings.htm| archive-date =2006-11-28}}</ref>

===Others===
Apart from the Debs, the [[Bhagyakul Roy family]] and the Nattas (pioneers of jatra) have given the neighbourhood much of its architectural and cultural uniqueness. The Nattas’ putulbari (house of statues) used to be a major attraction for tourists. The Sovabazar club, founded in 1886, still organises football and badminton tournaments, and keeps younger generations attached to their roots.<ref name = "Times"/>

==Transport==
===Road===
Buses ply along Rabindra Sarani, B.K. Paul Avenue-Shobhabazar Street and Jatindra Mohan Avenue in Shobhabazar.<ref>Google Maps</ref>

===Train===
[[Sovabazar Ahiritola railway station|Shobhabazar Ahiritola railway station]] on [[Kolkata Circular Railway]] line serves the locality. [[Kolkata Station]], one of the major railway hub stations of the city, is also located nearby.

==See also==
* [[Shobhabazar Rajbari]]
* [[Nabakrishna Deb]]

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage-inline|Kolkata/North Kolkata}}
* [https://www.thebengalitoday.com/2020/08/Sovabazar-Rajbari-Durga-Puja.html Sovabazar Rajbari Durga Puja - A Tryst With Heritage And History ]

==References==
{{Commons category|Sovabazar}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Kolkata neighbourhoods}}

[[Category:Neighbourhoods in Kolkata]]

Shobhabazar - Revision history

imported>SchreiberBike: Change a "0" to an "o" - also some copy editing