DUM DUM

the industrial suburbs of Calcutta, southeastern West Bengal state, northeastern India. The name was derived from the Persian word damdama, which refers to a raised mound or battery. The four towns that bear the name are Dum Dum, North Dum Dum, South Dum Dum, and Dum Dum Aerodrome Area (the site of Calcutta's international airport). All of the towns are part of the Calcutta urban agglomeration. North Dum Dum still contains large rural enclaves. South Dum Dum constitutes the northern fringe of Greater Calcutta. The best known of the towns is Dum Dum, founded in 1783. It was the headquarters of the Bengal artillery until 1853 and has an ammunition factory in which the dumdum expanding bullet was first made. Jute mills, a tannery, iron- and steel-rolling works, glass, match, and soap factories, and several large engineering concerns are also located there. The town has several hospitals and a college affiliated with the University of Calcutta. The town was enlarged by the amalgamation of Kadihati municipality in 1883. Pop. (1981) Dum Dum, 33,604; North Dum Dum, 96,418; South Dum Dum, 230,266; Dum Dum Aerodrome Area, 3,159.