As a neighbourhood, it covers a small area but its importance is primarily because of the police station.

Shyampukur, like its neighbour Shyambazar, is likely to have been named in honour of Shyam Rai (or Gobinda), the attendant of the goddess Kali, the household deity of the Basaks(বসাক), who with the Setts(শেঠ) were amongst the first to have settled in Sutanuti, after having cleared the jungles.

Shyampukur was overtaken in importance by Shyambazar and Baghbazar, the area being the citadel of Bengali aristocracy.

[3] Amherst Street Women police station covers all police districts under the jurisdiction of the North and North Suburban division i.e. Amherst Street, Jorabagan, Shyampukur, Cossipore, Chitpur, Sinthi, Burtolla and Tala.

[5] When Jamshedji Framji Madan entered the ‘bioscope’ scene in 1902, he began to screen films in tents set up on the Maidan and in Shyampukur.