Streetwise Kolkata: Decoding British Indian Street’s many names through its history

Historical records of the city indicate that the British Indian Street was called ‘Raneemoody Gully.’ (Express Photo by Neha Banka)

Among the oldest streets in the city to have been mapped, before East India Company officials gave it the name ‘British Indian Street’, historical records of the city indicate that it was called ‘Raneemoody Gully’. James Blackburn Knight confirms the existence of this name in his book ‘W. Newman & Co.’s Hand-book to Calcutta: Historical and Descriptive’ (1875), as does Wood’s Map of Calcutta from 1784.

In his book ‘A History of Calcutta’s Streets’, historian P Thankappan Nair gives some more insight into the street’s first documented name. “Raneemoody Gully was given up to taverns, wine shops, and Girish Chandra Ghosh in his drama “Profulla” (1889) had correctly sung Rani mundiniquali/Sharaber dokan khali (Rani Mundini’s lane where there are only wine-shops). The name was earlier written as Ranneemoody or Ranna Moodie, the word mundini being never used,” writes Nair.

Like the other old streets and lanes of the city, most of British Indian Street’s old houses and structures have been long gone, pulled down and replaced with contemporary architecture that is devoid of any character or history. (Express Photo by Neha Banka)

However, diverging from other archival records of Kolkata, Nair says that the street has been recorded with other names as well in the city’s early years. “The earliest record (February 20, 1784) speaks of ‘Radhamuttey Gully’ and a year later, the name is written as ‘Radhamurtty Gully’. The correct name was probably Radhamati, as is evident from ‘Radhamuttey/Radhamurtty’, which are probably English corruptions. We are unable to say who this Radhamati was, but it was probable that she was also the proprietor of the nearby Radhabazaar,” writes Nair.

Nair quotes A K Ray’s ‘A Short History of Calcutta, Town and Suburbs’ that gives some more details on the lane’s nomenclature in its early days. “Formerly known as Rana Modda Gullee (the lane of the excited fight), it was here that the forces under Manick Chand fought a close battle with the English in the siege of Calcutta,” Ray has written.

Lone buildings, brutally cut down to less than half their size, are just managing to hold on, the exposed red bricks and wooden slatted windows indicating that they belong to purono Kolkata. (Express Photo by Neha Banka)

But Nair does not believe that the street’s name’s origins are linked to this incident. “However, old deeds of conveyances and old advertisements make it clear that the name was associated with Radhamati, a native lady,” writes Nair.

H E A Cotton’s book ‘Calcutta, old and new: a historical & descriptive handbook to the city’ also documents this street. Published in 1907, Cotton writes, “We are fast approaching the heart of old Calcutta. Many of the lanes around Bentinck Street and Dalhousie Square had the same names a century ago as at the present day….Until recently, it was possible to place Raneemoody Gully in the same category, but it has now been called British Indian Street, in compliment to the British Indian Association, which has offices there.” Today, the street and its buildings have no markings that record the existence of this association. Cotton’s writings indicate that sometime in the late 1800s, the name of this street was changed to British Indian Street, one that remained till 1965.

In November 1965, the name of this street was changed to Abdul Hamid Street in honour of Indian Army soldier Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, who was killed in action during the India-Pakistan War of 1965. (Express Photo by Neha Banka)

Change has come to British Indian Street, though many of the city’s residents continue to refer to it fondly with the prefix “old” before its name. Like the other old streets and lanes of the city, most of British Indian Street’s old houses and structures have been long gone, pulled down and replaced with contemporary architecture that is devoid of any character or history. Lone buildings, brutally cut down to less than half their size, are just managing to hold on, the exposed red bricks and wooden slatted windows indicating that they belong to purono Kolkata.

A handful of bars operate in this lane today as is common in this part of the city’s business district. While so much has changed in British Indian Street over the decades, it appears that the legacy of Raneemoody Gully—taverns and wine shops—has remained and evolved, only to exist in a different form.