Kolkata/ Calcutta: College Street
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Dasgupta & Co.
As of 2025 Feb
Nikita Mohta, March 6, 2025: The Indian Express
From being the seat of the British Empire to serving as the first stop for traders, industrialists, and explorers from around the world, to becoming the hub of communism in post-independence India, Bengal has for centuries been a sagacious witness to history unfolding in the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal Memory Project weaves the story of Calcutta and its hinterlands through the vivid recollections of its residents. From iconic booksellers and musicians to sweetshop owners and beyond, this project uncovers the untold tales of those who lived it. Through their stories, passed down from generation to generation, we trace the fascinating journey of Bengal’s transformation over the decades.
With the rhythmic clatter of trams in the background and the unmistakable scent of countless books in the air, Arabinda Dasgupta reflects on the pivotal moment in 1975 when he first stepped into the family bookstore, Dasgupta & Co.
“I must have been 24 or 25 when my father insisted I join the shop — I wanted no part of it. I fled after just two hours, convinced I’d never return. But this place had a way of pulling me back. Slowly, inevitably, it became a part of me.”
Born in 1951, Dasgupta became the fourth generation to carry forward a legacy that began in 1886 with his great-grandfather, Girish Chandra Dasgupta, who founded the bookstore. By the time he joined, Dasgupta & Co. was already a century-old institution.
“Just as some children grow up surrounded by parents and grandparents, I grew up surrounded by books,” he recalls. His childhood home on Beniatola Lane, close to the bookstore on College Street in central Calcutta, was filled with binderies where young Arabinda would spend hours observing artisans meticulously binding books. To him, nothing rivaled the scent of freshly bound books. When he wasn’t watching the craftsmen, he’d lose himself in the storeroom of their two-story house, eagerly tearing into cartons of newly imported international literature destined for the shop’s shelves.
This is the story of Calcutta’s iconic bookstore, Dasgupta & Co., through the eyes of its managing director, Arabinda Dasgupta.
Girish Chandra Dasgupta: The pioneering bookseller of the Bengal Renaissance
Girish Chandra Dasgupta arrived in Calcutta from Kalia, Narail District (now in present-day Bangladesh) during the peak of the Bengal Renaissance. It was an era of intellectual and cultural awakening.
In the late nineteenth century, the newly founded Dasgupta & Co. was actively building its sourcing networks to cater to the Bengali bhadralok (intelligentsia). Medical books were shipped from Bombay, religious texts arrived from South India, and Urdu publications came from Aligarh — transported by sea, as the railway had yet to connect these distant places.
The 1905 Partition of Bengal, aimed at undermining Bengali nationalism, ignited the rise of extremist tactics led by figures such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal. Secret societies like the Atmonnati Samiti and Anushilan Samiti laid the groundwork for more radical resistance to colonial rule. This period also saw the strengthening of networks among the Bengali bhadralok, with organisations like Dasgupta & Co. playing a crucial role in mobilising resources and support for the growing nationalist movement. Luminaries such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore were among the many distinguished visitors to Girish Chandra’s bookstore at 54/3 College Street.
“I remember being told by my great-grandfather that certain books on the extremist movement were kept hidden and sold discreetly at the store,” Arabinda recalls. “The British authorities would often seize them, yet the rest of the collection was left untouched.”
Beyond bookselling, Girish Chandra ventured into publishing, establishing Mahesh Press in the final decade of the 19th century. The press, according to Arabinda, was a tribute to Girish Chandra’s long-time friend and homeopathic doctor, Mahesh Bhattacharya. Here, he published books on Swaraj and India’s independence.
Dasgupta & Co. was among the first bookstores in colonial India to import international literature from the United Kingdom with shipments arriving via the Suez Canal after an 18-day journey.
As the decades passed, College Street evolved into the intellectual heart of the city, surrounded by institutions such as Hindoo School, which was later renamed Presidency College (1817), Hare School (1818), and Calcutta Medical College (1835). In this thriving academic environment, the bookstore flourished. Khitish Chandra Dasgupta: Navigating communism & Swadeshi movement
“My grandfather, Khitish Chandra Dasgupta, took over (the bookstore) from 1910 to 1944,” Arabinda recalls. “Despite the political turbulence of the time, our bookshop never saw a decline in readers.”
While novels were not in high demand, books related to the Communist Movement — Lenin, Stalin, Das Kapital, and Mao’s Little Red Book — were immensely popular. A particularly intriguing genre was the so-called ‘underground literature,’ where revolutionary writings were discreetly tucked into journals and magazines, purchased by members of the Communist Party, he says.
The store was more than just a bookseller; on the third floor, a mess housed a group of male students, some of whom were involved in revolutionary activities against the British. The bookstore had its own silent code to protect them — when danger approached, a sharp whistle would signal the students to flee, dashing across rooftops to safety. Arabinda added that between 1905 and 1921, literature centered on the Swadeshi movement saw brisk sales, reflecting the surge of nationalist sentiment.
Interestingly, women readers of the era had their own literary preferences. “To our surprise,” Arabinda notes, “they would arrive post-sunset in horse-drawn tongas, seeking all kinds of religious texts – the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Quran, and so on.”
Amulya Dasgupta: Selling books through Partition and in a newly independent India
Arabinda’s father, Amulya Dasgupta, joined the bookstore in 1929 after graduating from Presidency College, dedicating himself to its operations until 1995. It was during his tenure that one witnessed a major shift in the publishing industry — the introduction of affordable paperback books by Penguin in the 1930s, which revolutionised readership and accessibility.
His time at the store also coincided with some of College Street’s most turbulent years, as the area was swept by waves of student protests and political unrest in post-independence India. Among them was the Bengal Food Movement of 1959 — a desperate struggle against food shortages, soaring prices, and near-famine conditions. Between July and September of that year, the movement escalated into widespread protests.
Shops across College Street were impacted, but my father and his generation remained resolute. “They were steady and patient,” Arabinda reflects. “They led their lives with immense composure, always believing that books could never be forgotten, and that, no matter what, readers would return.”
Arabinda Dasgupta: Caught between legacy of the past and hopes for the future
Not much has changed, according to Arabinda — at least, not in sudden upheavals. Readership shifted in the 1960s when the Communist Party split, but the real transformation has been a slow, relentless decay. Between the late 20th century and today, it is not just readership that has dwindled, but also the quality of booksellers and publishers alike.
“There was a time,” Arabinda reflects, “when if you asked for a book on quantum mechanics or Socrates, the bookseller would know exactly what to give you. Today, that knowledge is scarce. And when knowledge fades, a bookshop cannot truly survive.”
Despite everything, Arabinda remains confident that Dasgupta & Co. will endure. The bookstore has weathered world wars, the Partition, the Communist Struggle, and numerous other challenges. Today, as the managing director, he sits in a quiet corner of the store, greeting a steady stream of loyal buyers, curious tourists, media personnel, and old friends. While overseeing the sourcing and sale of books, he also devotes time to mentoring the next generation of Dasguptas, teaching them the art and craft of being a true bookseller.
College Street, too, has stood the test of time, its charm unchanged by the passing decades. The rows of book-laden stalls, the vendors shouting for the best deal, the students lost in conversation at the Coffee House — everything continues to breathe life into this historic street. Rickshaws weave through the hustle, while the tram wheels turn with rhythmic precision. Amidst the lively chaos, hundreds of dreamers and doers gather, each one determined to carve out a successful future.
But despite this vibrancy, a lingering fear weighs on Arabinda’s mind. “I worry not that books won’t sell,” he says, “but that what people seek will change — shifting from Franz Kafka to quick-fix novels, from great academic literature to question banks that promise easy grades.”
Even as the landscape shifts, Dasgupta & Co. continues to uphold the vision it was founded upon in 1886. Its legacy was recently recognised by the Heritage Foundation, which honoured it with a blue plaque for its invaluable service to the people of Kolkata.
