Fire in 2004
A large portion of the bookshop was destroyed in a massive fire on 30th May 2004. The fire gutted most of the first and second floors, destroying books of over INR 40 lacs. Among the rare items lost forever were Kautilya's Arthashastra, books on religion, and maps of Bengal dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
It took for 3 months to reconstruct the shop. New furniture and machinery were installed to replace the gutted ones.
The owners were however overwhelmed by the emotional support they received from the citizens of this city and book-lovers from around the world. The state administration, bureaucrats, educationists, prominent citizens and the common man came together to strongly reinforce their patronage to this century-old institution.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040531/asp/calcutta/story_3311972.asp
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041201/asp/calcutta/story_4060106.asp
Shooting in progress for a
documentary by Al-Jazeera
(http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/general/2011/06/201161614739848930.html)
at the family home in Kolkata
Celebrating 100 years of the National Anthem at Victoria Memorial in collaboration with Das Gupta & Co. Pvt. Ltd. Speakers
(L-R) : Prof. Sugata Bose, Justice Chittatosh Mukherjee & Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen
during one of his visits
in December 2011
The spiraling staircase of the
heritage bookshop
Telegraphic Address
Once, while travelling in a tram, Shri Amulya Chandra Das Gupta (grandson of the founder) had two students sitting behind him. He overheard their discussions where they were referring to him as the 'boiwala'- Das Gupta. Shri Das Gupta took an instant liking to this endearing epithet and thus originated the shop's telegraphic address - 'boiwala'.
Grihadaha
Shri Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the famous Bengali novelist, was a close friend of the founder Shri Girish Chandra Das Gupta.
Once on a rainy evening, the writer called on his friend. He was in a great hurry and worriedly asked his friend to help him with a loan of rupees thirty five only. In exchange, he was ready to part with the manuscript of one of his most celebrated novels, Grihadaha.
Being a true friend Girish Chandra refused to derive any benefit out of this opportunity and helped his friend with the required financial assistance. The manuscript thus continued to remain in the custody of Shri Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Annecdotes
Book Fair at the University Institute, Kolkata - 1957
Photo Gallery
The family's ancestral home in Village Kalia, Dist Jessore
(now Bangladesh)
Family of Girish Chandra
- wife (seated left), son (standing), daughter-in-law (seated right) and grand-children
Shri Girish Chandra Das Gupta
Founder - Das Gupta & Co. Pvt. Ltd.
Introduction
In searching for new markets Shri Kshitish Chandra Das Gupta (son of the founder) once landed in Berhampore (District Murshidabad). He interacted with an Englishman, who before placing an order asked for a customary introduction.
Kshitish Chandra asked him, "Is there any employee working under you Sir, who is a matriculate from Calcutta? He will surely tell you who I am". Though a strange proposal, a matriculate employee was accordingly summoned and on being asked to identify, he burst out in utter praise - "Why should I not recognize him? He is the owner of a large book-shop near the junction of College Street and Harrison Road (now Mahatma Gandhi Road) and I had been to his shop on several occasions to purchase my textbooks". The Englishman was convinced instantaneously and Kshitish Chandra returned to Kolkata with a big order.