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All pictures: Sourced by Correspondent
College Street is not just a hub for books and stationery. It is also a pop-culture moodboard. You can head there for books on a random afternoon, but return with an artsy tote, a dab of attar on your wrist and a quirky wooden bookmark tucked between the pages of a book you just picked from a bookstall.
Amidst college buildings and crowded bookstalls, My Kolkata explored shops along Bankim Chandra Street offering an eclectic mix of cotton outfits, bags and home decor.
Threads that breathe stories
Right opposite Paramount, a row of stalls along the footpath showcases breezy cotton outfits perfect for summer. From crop tops and printed kurtis to dresses in abstract, floral and geometric motifs — you’ll be spoilt for choices. Nearby, another shop leans into more funky and quirky styles, with denim jeans and shorts splashed with hand-painted faces, flowers and playful doodles, straight out of an indie film.
Trinkets for a delicate soul
At College Street, you’ll also come across a paradise of tiny things — things you may not need but can’t resist. Handmade wooden keychains, coasters, bookmarks, fridge magnets — each carries a rustic charm that mass-produced items can’t quite replicate.
Ceramic wonders
There are also ceramics. From pots and pitchers to coffee mugs, plates and other tableware, each floral-patterned piece evokes the charm of slow Kolkata afternoons and unhurried, home-style meals served with a touch of love.
Wearable moods and everyday art
T-shirts printed with images of Fossils, Mohiner Ghoraguli, Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray and lines from Rabindranath Tagore’s songs are hard to miss. T-shirts themed on Kolkata markets are also available. The printed tote bags, too, feel personal, each one carrying a fragment of who you are.
Scents, nostalgia and bliss
Somewhere in the middle of it all, a trail of fragrance teases your olfactory senses. It could be wood rose, jasmine, petrichor or simply nostalgia. Small bottles of perfume and attar sit on shelves or in tiny bowls, waiting to be opened. One dab is enough to transport you to an old-school wedding, a forgotten festival or a moment that still lingers in your memory.
For walls that speak for your personality
And finally, at several stalls, you will find posters for your space. A still from a Dev Anand or Uttam Kumar film, a concert by The Beatles or a casual jam session led by Chandrabindoo or Anjan Dutt, all in one place.
