Other areas not peripheral to celebration as ‘mini Park Streets’ come up across city
Times of India | 25 December 2025
Kolkata: On Christmas Eve the service road between Lake Town and Sreebhumi on VIP Road was packed with groups of young revellers, and visitors from across Kolkata. Fairy lights stretched overhead, food stalls did brisk business and Christmas carols played in the background.
For years, Park Street was the hub of Christmas celebrations. Over the last few years, however, the festival has started unfolding in different parts of the city, from Lake Town and Patuli to Bow Barracks, Serampore and Bandel.
"Park Street still remains Kolkata's hub of Christmas celebrations, its restaurants, pubs and bakeries drawing crowds year after year. The festival grew as Kolkata expanded, spreading into satellite towns and newly developed neighbourhoods," said Maria Fernandes, member of the committee organising the Kolkata Christmas Festival.
Celebrations in Patuli now attract revellers from across Kolkata, while Bow Barracks in central Kolkata continues to draw visitors seeking more intimate, community-led celebrations. Elgin Road, pockets of New Town, Entally, Maniktala, and Behala are also decked up, and almost all major malls in the city have scheduled Christmas programmes. A special Christmas market on Lindsay Street has also been drawing shoppers.
"Earlier, Christmas meant braving traffic jams and huge crowds on Park Street," said Gunjan Saraf, a Lake Town resident. "Now the celebrations happen at our doorstep, and people from south and central Kolkata come here because it is less crowded and well connected. It almost feels like Park Street, with more space and a good crowd." The Lake Town–Sreebhumi Christmas carnival is organised by the Sreebhumi Sporting Club.
Bow Barracks has become a huge draw on Christmas and New Year. Built in 1918 to accommodate soldiers during World War I, the red-brick complex later became home to displaced Anglo-Indian families. "Christmas in Bow Barracks has always been about community," said Angela Govindraj, a resident of Bow Barracks. "People come not just to see the lights, but to experience how we celebrate together."
Towns like Serampore and Bandel are also asserting their place on the festive map. This year, the govt scaled up celebrations in Serampore, a former Danish enclave. "We treat Christmas as an investment in the future of the town," said Giridhari Sha, chairman of Serampore Municipality. This year, the compound of St. Olav's Church, built in 1805 by Colonel Bie, was specially illuminated under the guidance of Reverend Anup Mondal.