Gold souk or gold street
Bowbazar
Kolkata, India
Central Kolkata's gold quarter: jewellery shops on the main streets and thousands of small goldsmith workshops in the lanes behind, a craft tradition going back to the 1800s. Busiest before Durga Puja, Dhanteras and the wedding season.
Bowbazar, in central Kolkata, is the gold quarter of eastern India. Bengali goldsmiths have worked in its lanes since the 19th century, and the area is known for fine handmade work, including filigree and delicate bridal jewellery.
What you find
Jewellery shops along B. B. Ganguly Street and the main roads, and in the lanes behind them thousands of small workshops where karigars (craftsmen) make and repair jewellery, many supplying shops across India.
How it works
The shops sell to the public; the workshops work for shops and wholesalers. Gold is priced at the day's rate plus a making charge. Bengali karigars from Bowbazar also work in jewellery centres across India and the Gulf.
Tips
- Busiest before Durga Puja, Dhanteras and the wedding season.
- Look for the BIS hallmark with its HUID number.
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