Choosing your moving date
Durga Puja is the one week to avoid on this route: both Jamshedpur and Kolkata fill with pandals, crowds and closed roads, and crews are hard to find. Kolkata's monsoon, from about June to September, is heavy and humid, with waterlogged roads after downpours, so a rainy-season move needs plastic over every mattress, sofa and wooden piece.
November to February is usually the most comfortable window, dry and cool at both ends.
Handing back company quarters
If you're leaving a company quarter in Bistupur, Kadma, Sonari or Telco, the township will usually need a vacating notice, a handover date and an inspection of fittings, and may issue a gate pass for the truck. Fix these before booking the mover, and ask the crew to leave fittings, fans and lights that belong to the quarter.
If your employer is paying, ask what documents they need, such as an itemised quote and a GST invoice. Every mover we work with provides a GST invoice.
The drive east
From Jamshedpur the road runs south-east through the forested country to Baharagora, crosses into West Bengal and joins NH 16 near Kharagpur, then runs north-east through Kolaghat and across the Hooghly towards the city. Expect heavy freight on NH 16 and slow traffic on the approach to Kolkata.
At about 271 km, goods usually arrive the morning after dispatch. Ask whether your goods travel alone or in a shared truck, and agree the arrival time.
Which part of Kolkata
Coming in from the south-west, the truck crosses the river into the city's southern and central parts first. North and central Kolkata have old houses on narrow lanes where a truck may need to stop well away from the door, while Salt Lake, New Town, Rajarhat and the towers along the EM Bypass usually have room but ask for notice, permitted hours and a lift booking.
Tell the mover the exact address and floor, and share the building's rules before loading day.
From a township to a big city
Life in Jamshedpur's townships, with company-run utilities, quiet roads and clubs, is very different from Kolkata's crowds and traffic. Ask how your new building gets its water and power, whether there's backup for the lift, and how long the commute takes at peak hours before you settle on a home.
Bengali is Kolkata's main language, and Hindi and English are widely understood.
Damp and the monsoon
Kolkata is humid for much of the year. After unloading, keep fans running, open cartons of books, clothes and bedding early and use silica gel in drawers. Keep polished wood and leather away from walls that get damp.
Settling in
Register with your building or society for parking and visitors on the first day, and book internet as soon as you have the address. Update your bank, employer and delivery apps with the new address; our guide to address changes after moving covers the main official updates.