Park Street in Kolkata has been the center of all the works done by the Apeejay Surrendra Group since 1920. The group which is a century old has played a vital role in shaping the Park Street area into what it is now.

“Park Street Theke Phire Dekha” (Looking Back From Park Street / পার্ক স্ট্রিট থেকে ফিরে দেখা), a book by Mr. Pulak Kumar Chakraborti was launched at the Oxford Bookstore, Park Street, by Mr. Karan Paul, chairman of Apeejay Surrendra Group.

The Chief Guest for the evening was Mr. Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, the Government of West Bengal. The other dignitaries included painter Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharjee and Mrs. Maina Bhagat, Director, Oxford Bookstores.

In “Park Street Theke Phire Dekha”, the writer pens down a memoir of Park Street. Mr. Jit Paul of the Apeejay Surrendra Group held several of upscale homes, including Flurys, Park Mansions, Magnolia, Oxford Bookstore, and Sahib Sing.

The Punascha-published book continues by describing how Mr. Jit Paul made the decision to locate the Apeejay Surrendra Group’s headquarters on Park Street and turned the upscale residential area into the city’s thriving commercial center.

The author describes how the choices to construct the Park Hotel, purchase and renovate the historic Park Mansions, construct Apeejay House, the first commercial leasing building at Park Street, and take control of and operate the tea shop Flurys and the Oxford Bookstore, among other things, had transformed Park Street.

Author Mr. Pulak Kumar Chakraborti said that to honor the contribution of the Paul family and to honor Mr. Jit Paul and his brother Mr. Surrendra Paul, he proposed to name the

stretch of property encompassing Apeejay House, and The Park on the Northern side of Park Street as ‘Jit Paul Surrendra Paul Place /Square’ or ‘Paul Square’.

Subhaprasanna Bhattacharjee was behind the insightful cover for the book that depicts Mr. Jit Paul at the backdrop of Park Street Skyline.

The book has already been published in Bengali and will be available in English soon.

The book is priced at Rs 450.

If you want to know how Park Street became Kolkata’s high street, this book is a must-read!!

Priyanka Dutta