Behala

The word Behala is commonly believed to have its root in Behula, the female protagonist of the Bengali narrative Manasamangal Kāvya.^[15] Alternatively, the name may have been derived from the Bengali term Bahulapur ("land of many rivers" or "dark city").^[15] "Bahula" is also an epithet of the goddesses Chandi and Kali.^[15] Rev. James Long, an Anglican priest who lived in Kolkata during the 19th century, described the name of the neighborhood as Byala in one of his early works.^[15]

Prior to the locality's urbanization, Behala comprised several small, largely independent villages, with each village name containing the suffix -behala,. Examples of this include the old village names of Bazarbehala, Tamtelbehala, and Sorshunnobehala (known today as Sarsuna). The additional names of Rajarbaganbehala, Sahapurbehala, Naskarpurbehala, and Santoshbatibehala are found in old records of the South Suburban Municipality in Tollygunge.^[15]

During the early 1980s, Behala experienced a period of rapid population growth due to a large influx of blue-collar and white-collar professionals. The largest road in the neighborhood, Diamond Harbour Road, serves as the locality's primary conduit for vehicular traffic. In 2017, the road was closed along multiple stretches due to the construction of an overpass near Taratala; this caused traffic to be diverted to the parallel James Long Sarani road, promoting development in the adjoining areas of the neighborhood.^[16] The main roads in Behala are often encroached upon by street vendors.^[17][18]

Prior to 2006, a series of trams provided transportation services through Behala from Joka to Mominpur via the Diamond Harbour Road. However, the service was ended due to ongoing contruction of the Taratala flyover, leaving an orphaned line from Behala to Joka that was later abandoned. The subsequent loss of inter-connectivity between the tram lines led to additional traffic in the neighborhood.^[19] To alleviate the congestion, an elevated metro railway was constructed on Diamond Harbour Road to replace the defunct tram line and provide service to Behala as part of the Kolkata Metro's Purple Line.^[20]

On 24 March 2017, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, visited Behala to inaugurate the newly-constructed SL Dhanuka Girls' Hostel on Diamond Harbour Road.^[21]

Several secondary and post-secondary educational institutions are located in Behala.

Multiple metro, railway and bus stations provide transportation service in Behala. The 2018 collapse of Majerhat bridge, which connected Bahela to the downtown areas of Kolkata, led to a significant increase in traffic congestion until the completion of the Jai Hind bridge in 2020 restored the connection.^[23][24]

Railway

Behala is serviced by railway stations located in Majherhat, Brace Bridge and New Alipore. All three stations are part of the Sealdah South section of the Kolkata Suburban Railway.

Prior to 1957, Behala was also served by the Gholesapur, Sakherbazar, and Thakurpukur railway stations of the Kalighat Falta Railway (KFR).^[25] Following KFR's closure, the train tracks were converted into the James Long Sarani road.

Airport

Behala Airport, commonly known as the Behala Flying Training Institute (BFTI), is the second of two airports in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, the other being the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. In 2011, plans were announced to renovate and expand the airport in order to accommodate more traffic.^[26] A commercial helicopter route connecting Behala Airport to Digha and Durgapur was suspended in 2018.^{[citation needed]}

Metro Railway

In 2010, a Kolkata Metro route connecting Joka to the Esplanade via Behala began construction; the foundation stone was laid by Indian president Pratibha Patil in a ceremony boycotted by officials of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).^[27] The completed metro was inaugurated by the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on 30 December 2022.

Seven active metro stations provide service to Behala: Joka Metro Station, Thakurpukur Metro Station, Sakherbazar Metro Station, Behala Chowrasta Metro Station, Behala Bazaar Metro Station, Taratala Metro Station, and Majherhat Metro Station. An additional metro station at the Esplanade is under construction, and is expected to be completed by 2029.

Vidyasagar State General Hospital, a 1,100-bed hospital located near the Behala Bazaar metro station, serves as the primary state-owned medical care facility in Behala. In 2024, the hospital was attacked by a mob of over 100 people following the death of a patient on the hospital's premises.^[28]

The Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute, founded in 1973 by oncologist Saroj Gupta, is one of the oldest cancer treatment centers in Kolkata. Located in Thakurpukur, the 311-bed facility offers subsidized cancer treatment to adults and children and conducts blood drives in conjunction with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.^[29][30]

Behala is also serviced by multiple private hospitals and Apollo clinics. One of the neighborhood's prominent private hospitals, Narayan Memorial Hospital, was ordered to pay a Rs. 30 lakh fine by the state government in 2026 for "serious lapses in patient care."^[31]

Chandi Mela, a 10-day fair held between November and December in the locality of Barisha, attracts numerous artists and street performers. The festival has been held annually since 1792, and is dedicated to Chandi, a form of the Hindu goddess Durga.^[32]

During the annual Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, a series of theme-based Durga Pujas are held in Behala and neighboring localities. In 2024, the cultural organization Behala Nutan Dal collaborated with the Irish embassy in India to display a pandal honoring Durga alongside Danu, an Irish folk goddess. The following year, the "Behala Friends Durga Puja" featured exhibits highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Bengal famine of 1943.^[33]

Jagaddhatri, a five-day festival, is also commonly celebrated in Behala.^[34]

• State Archaeological Museum, an archaeological museum on Satyen Roy Road.

• Sonar Durga Temple, a location for Durga Puja festivities.^[35]

• Siddheshwari Kali Temple

• 72 Banamali Naskar Lane, Behala, Kolkata-60: The fictional address of Ghanashyam Das, the protagonist of the Bengali science fiction novel Ghanada.

• Sabarna Sangrahashala, Baro Bari, Barisha^[36]
• St. Peter's Church, Church of North India^[37]