Asia's Biggest Red Light Area

Sonagachi is the largest red-light district in Kolkata. It is an area with several hundred multi-story brothels and estimated 11,000 sex workers. Sonagachi is located in North Kolkata near the intersection of Chittaranjan Avenue Shobha Bazar and Beadon Street, a kilometre north of the Marble Palace. Several NGOs and government organizations operate here for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) including AIDS. According to some sources, prostitutes from Sonagachi who test HIV positive are not told about the results, and live with the disease without knowing about it because the DMSC is worried that HIV positive women will be ostracized. Some prostitutes in Sonagachi have stated that the clients, at least three quarters of them refuse to use condoms and if we force them to use the condom, they will just go next door. The Asia's Biggest Red Light Area Sonagachi ,Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty,Kolkata.