Cossipore is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata. It is connected with Kolkata metro by Shyambazar. Kashipur or Cossipore is one of the old neighbourhoods of Kolkata developed in 17th Century. It has a police station and is an assembly constituency.
History of Cossipore
History of Cossipore says that the British East India Company purchased thirty-eight villages in the year 1717 and added them to their property at Kolkata. They later reconstituted them as fifty-five villages or mouzas. Cossipore was one of those villages. The Cossipore Reach was one of the finest on the river, and is lined by a number of British and the rich aristocratic villa residences. From those days Cossipore had a number of industrial units. - the Government Gun Foundry, the Snider and Rifle Shell factories, sugar mills and jute screw houses. In the first phase of 18th Century, one of the disciples of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, built a garden house for Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansadeva called Kashipur Udyanbati, and it is now maintained by Ramkrishna Mission.
Geography of Cossipore
Cossipore is the ward No. 1 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It has six prominent ghats on the Hooghly - from south - Cossipore Ghat, Sadhur Ghat, Ranir Ghat, Pramanick Ghat, Ramakrishna Mahasashan and Ratan Babu Ghat.
Demography of Cossipore
Cossipore police station area spread over ward nos. 1 (Cossipore) and 2 (Sinthee) of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and had a total population of 96,043 in the 2001 census, of which 51,401 were males and 44,642 were females. The area recorded a negative decadal growth.
Economy of Cossipore
Cossipore is the oldest hub of Gun and Shell Factory in India. It was during the rule of British East India Company after 1757, the gun and shell factory was established here. The more than two centuries old Gun and Shell Factory at Cossipore is the oldest surviving factory in the Indian subcontinent. It was set up in 1802 and functions under the Ordnance Factories Board. Along with technological evolution, the plant has successfully altered its product mix to suit the requirements of changing times. The plant has recently undergone large scale modernisation. Its product-mix ranges from big barrel guns to small barrel pistols, different varieties of shells and fuses and civil trade items. It started off as Gun Carriage Agency, but after shifting of the agency first to Allahabad in 1814, and then to Fatehgarh in 1816, its importance was diminished. Finally in 1829, all the machines were shifted to Fatehgarh. However, it had the strength of springing back to life again and again. The vacant space was utilised for the much-needed expansion and renovation of the Gun Factory of Fort William. Besides casting of brass guns, it also took up manufacture of iron shot and shells.
Culture of Cossipore
The branch of the Ramakrishna Math at Cossipore is popular as Udyanbati. This garden house was sanctified by Ramakrishna`s stay with his disciples during the last few months of his life and also by his "Mahasamadhi". It was made a branch of Ramakrishna Math in 1946. Kalpataru Utsab is organised in the 1st January every year.
Tourism in Cossipore
Cossipore is rich in tourist development. Cossipore has the beautiful ghats, decorated by Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Ramkrishna Mission, while it has Kashipur Udyanbati and the aristocratic Bengali residential buildings.
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