Flocking to the Lakshminarayan Temple

Where: Bhowanipore (the Lansdowne-Chakraberia-Puddapukur belt)

Second home: Business brought the Gujaratis to Burrabazar, Chitpur and Ezra Street almost a century ago. But Bhowanipore is where they chose to strike roots.

"As business and lifestyle improved, many Gujaratis opted to live in Bhowanipore," says Dilip Shah, a professor of commerce at Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society.

The look and feel: Lakshminarayan Temple on Sarat Bose Road is the nerve centre of the people from Gujarat in Kolkata. It's far more than a place of worship.

The men in the courtyard sit and track the Sensex, while the women inside sing bhajans. The temple banquet hall gets ready to host a wedding even as a group of Gujarati travellers makes its way to the temple guesthouse.

"There's a very strong community feeling among Gujaratis in Kolkata," observes Shah. That is evident from a host of Gujarati associations and institutions - the Gujarat Samaj, Friend's Sporting Club and Bhawanipur Education Society - springing up over the years. Hulchul, a monthly newsletter, is a big hit in Bhowanipore.

Overheard: "Many people have left Kolkata as the economy in Gujarat has flourished over the past few years. There has been a reverse migration of sorts," says Shah.