Life in India's Largest Red-Light District

Saganachi is widely known as India's most famous village, home to nearly 10,000 flower sellers and considered the country's largest red-light district.

Life in India's Largest Red-Light District

Each room features a double bed with an iron cupboard, a few storage bins tucked away in a corner, and a mini fridge placed on a wooden stool. Bamboo curtains hang over the windows, and images of Bollywood actors adorn the walls, while young women roam around the house in towels or nightgowns, chatting in Bengali, with doors constantly opening and closing. This is the scene in a typical shanty house that any visitor stepping into Sonagachi witnesses.

Sonagachi is the largest red-light district in India, with around 10,000 sex workers living and working in high-rise buildings clustered together (2012 figures from the Indian government). Many of them say they have no choice but to engage in prostitution to survive.

“I am a flower seller. Just like other professions such as engineers, doctors, my job is to provide happiness, pleasure for everyone,” Geetha Das said, glancing at the men standing in groups and washing themselves under the roadside taps, in the alley leading to the Sonagachi village. They are also staring at this 39-year-old woman.

Although prostitution is illegal in India, the government does not interfere with Sonagachi's affairs. 'Authorities accept it as a part of life and society,' said Smarajit Jana, advisor to Durbar, a non-governmental organization.

Durbar has long helped sex workers in Sonagachi protect themselves, advocating for safe sex practices. Today, thousands of sex workers in this largest red-light district in India are union members and refuse to engage with clients without condoms.

Furthermore, people here are educated on protecting themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and reporting abuse to authorities.

As dusk falls, the area becomes even busier. Women in scanty attire and heavy makeup spill onto Kolkata's Chittaranjan Avenue, where many clients seek them out.

In Sonagachi, many temples have closed their doors. Bollywood music blares, accompanied by the laughter and chatter of sellers and buyers in establishments with names like Lover's Night—setting the stage for a festive night in this red-light district.

According to Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour