Kolkata today is filled with shopping malls in every corner.

The most popular ones happen to

situated in areas like Bhawanipur, Park Circus and Kankurgachi. But before the mall culture
took over Kolkata there was a market which every Calcuttian used to visit and that market is
known S S Hogg Market. This particular market had opened way back in 1874 making the oldest
market of Kolkata. The S S stands for Stuart Hogg; he is the person after which this market has
been named after. The market was designed by R.R Bayne at that time. Not much has changed
to-date from then and if you visit this market you would still get a feel of the British era. In this
article, I would be telling you 7 Interesting Things You Need To Know About S S Hogg Market
Kolkata
1. History
At the time when S S Hogg market was constructed, it used to be a spot for the Britishers to
come and shop for their needs. When it was being constructed Stuart Hogg used to be the
municipal chairman of Kolkata (that time known as Calcutta). The market is so huge that it feels
like you are in an maze. When you enter the market and notice the huge roof constructed over it;
you would understand the gothic style used by the architect. It has a huge complex with over
2000 shops under 1 roof! It was Kolkata’s first municipal market which offered hardware, food,
manufactured goods, clothes under a single roof.
2. What can you get here?
Everything! And I really mean everything can be found here. Be it clothes, accessories,
equipment, hardware, software, chocolates, flowers, bottles, utensils, silver, gold, toys and
whatever you can think of. The only problem here is that it is not air-conditioned and shopping
during the summer here can be a very painful task. If you are thinking if it such a prestigious
market then why don’t the authorities convert it into an air-conditioned market.? Well, the
answer is that it is too huge to convert it into an air-conditioned market. It would require
installation of at least 2500 Air conditioners due to its huge area.
3. Price Range
It depends upon what you are buying. Let’s assume that you want to buy clothes. S S Hogg
market ensures that it serves all kind of customers. You would find the cheapest to most
expensive clothes in this particular market. One thing, I would say that this market is really very
huge so you need to have the patience to roam around and explore stuff. Don’t pay anything
which the shopkeepers ask; there is a big scope for bargaining in the S S Hogg market. In fact,
this is the market where the most bargaining happens. If the shopkeeper quotes you Rs.300, you
quote them Rs. 200. Don’t be ashamed to do this or else you would end up paying way more
than required.
4. Wars have come and gone but it has remained unaffected
One very interesting thing about this market is that this market has seen the world’s biggest
wars. The world war I and II and still it has remained unaffected by it. It is strange because
during these times you expect the market the fall like anything but S S Hogg market has survived.
The biggest reason maybe that at that time there was not much competition and it used to be a
central spot for all the shoppers but still the trade here has not fallen down despite numerous
malls opening around in the city.
5. Famous shops
Honestly, there are no particular shops which one would be able to tell you about. However,
Nathoums bakery, nizam eateries, Imperial confectioners, D Gama confectioners and Chamba
Lamba is popular among the residents of the city. Don’t try to bargain at these shops, they are
highly reputed and charge you the right amount. There is a slaughter house inside the market
which gives a very bad experience.
6. Other experiences
After you complete exploring the S S Hogg market you can always step outside and explore the
area. There are plenty of options for eating like KFC, Barista, Scoop and different shops. There
is one particular shop called Badshah which serves this amazing katti roll. The size of the roll is
really small and it is very light; on any given day a average person can eat atleast 2 of them.
You also get daal ki pakori in this area which is sold by street vendors. Give it a try it tastes
really awesome.
7. Timings
This market is open from Monday to Saturday. The timing on weekdays if from 10 am – 8pm and
on weekdays it closes early at 2.30pm. There are multiple options to reach here; you can take a
cab, almost every bus goes through this area. Sit on any buss which goes to Esplanade, Park
street or Dharamtalla they would drop you here. There is no entry fees for entering the market
and it would take you approximately 2 hours to explore the entire market.
S S Hogg Market is kind of a heritage for Kolkata. Many localities prefer to shop from this
market because they get the best stuff at the best prices here. You should see the crowd during
Durga Puja; you would understand the popularity which it has among the residents of the city.
So, these are the 7 things you need to know about S S Hog Market. There maybe a few things
which I might have missed out, so ensure that you explore this place as much as you can.