To Kolkata With Love !!
A month and a half ago as I finished the last amount of packing I braced myself to take a flight out of Toronto back to a distant land I was once born in. Two years was a long time I had not prepared myself for all the changes I was about to experience. The plane flew on through the night with the gentle buzz of the turbines. After a journey over the turbulent Atlantic, historic Europe and war torn Middle East my final mode of transportation circled in the sky as it dramatically lowered itself bracing to grip the warm black tarmac and screech to a halt. The plane covered in tiny icicles from the freezing atmosphere lowered slowly its wheels gripping the tarmac. As the plane screeched to a halt the passing tall grass and the brown earth made me realize I was finally home after almost two years.
The luggage carousal swung around lazily releasing luggage to weary passengers almost ready to leave the confines of the airport. Phones rang as eager relatives tried to contact their dear ones hoping they had reached safely. I dragged my luggage of the nearest carousel and headed towards the gate. Like most people visiting home after a long time as I emerged into the city the crumbling buildings and signs of decadence in my beloved city was a stark reminder that the city was slowly being eroded by the cruel hands of time. Kolkata my city is a decadent city of art, culture and literature. It was once a great city and the home of the East India Company during British Rule. Overtime the decadence had drained it of all its youth. Economically it was stagnating but socially and culturally it held the reminders of a decadent glorious past.
As I reached home mum brought out the steaming white rice a speciality in Kolkata with some home made chicken curry and spicy garlic pickle. The Bengali cuisine is demure and humble but the flavours are intense. Only one born into it knows how much the Bengali people love their own cuisine. But it is worth experiencing the Bengali flavours and culture whenever you can. Following my meal I decided to crawl into bed. The long journey home was now taking its toll on me and my eyes began to feel sleep coming over them. I woke up at moonrise and the chatter began with mum and me catching up with each other after almost two years. The smell of coal fires filled the air as the nearby slum areas lit up. People were returning to their small happy homes after eking out a living and toiling hard at work looking for a warm meal and a bed to lay their heads on before the dawning sun drags them back to the harsh conditions they work in.
Across the boundary the little girls were saying their prayers and getting ready for supper in the convent which became their home from a very impressionable age due to various circumstances. As night fell the distant sound of the cycle bell ,cars honking, people conversing over a cup of piping hot tea and children tying to eat as many golgappas as possible filled the neighbourhood with life by evening. Bikes whizzed around with youth running errands for their families on it. All this was a sharp contrast to the Chinese souls looking for eternal rest and peace in the nearby Chinese cemetery. The Chinese cemetery was the only one of its kind in the city. I never knew we had one till my grandparents came to live in the building from where I could now see it.
This time I came home for a very special reason after five years of living abroad. I had finally found my soulmate and wanted to spend my life with him. He was due to come to Kolkata and was I eager to show him around my beautiful decadent city. My lover was from another city in India which the British also favoured but not so decadent as Kolkata. Kolkata was one of those cities where the British left quite and indelible mark and lots of beautiful monuments. So I planned the itinerary because my lover like me had a love of history and was interested in seeing the British heritage of Kolkata. So as the days inched closer I grew more excited and could not wait to see him.
The day after he arrived as we sped of the flyover the green trumpeting angel which once rotated on mercury bearings now paused in time appeared through the foliage. Perched on the white dome of Victoria Memorial it seemed to herald the arrival of all the tourists. Victoria memorial stood in all its splendour by the gleaming pond amidst the lush greenery and pebbled pathways. The splendid horses and carriages decorated with intricate stones and mirror work stood a glow with different colour lights waiting to take you on joy rides with your lover or loved ones. Very tempting it was indeed. Along side that were stalls selling salted munchables to keep hungry stomachs at bay. I saw Victoria memorial with my lover and our families after years that day and it took me back to my childhood.From there we trooped of to view the historic St Paul’s cathedral another historic remanent of the British. With teak wood pews and statues carved in teak wood and beautiful plaques left to the honour of many Englishmen this church is a treasure filled with remnants of an era gone by one perhaps which if it extended would have been better for Kolkata in the long run maybe but who knows where we are heading with the current political situation. Like the europeans the Bengali people treasure the historic aspects of their city and lots has gone into maintaining such historic buildings though some residential ones are mere tinder boxes with tonnes of knotted unmaintained electric wires.
Parkstreet is the oldest and most renowned party and fine dining district in Kolkata filled with night clubs discos and restaurants it is the street that never sleeps. Of course the older restuarants from the colonial era put up a stiff competition against the new age American restaurants infiltrating the area day by day. Fine dining in Kolkata on Park street has retained its British Taste and Class. Restaurants like Mocambo and Peter Cat being our family favourites serve out mouth watering continental food along side the spicy contemporary Indian dishes and deserts like Caramel custard. which captures the essence of the once colonialized Kolkata.The Brass Finger bowls with steaming water and slivers of lime gently floating on the surface is a welcome relief after a nice hearty meal in the older restaurants but it is a trend that is slowly fading away in time. Flurys still serves its traditional English breakfast which still remains a Bengali favourite on special occasions and it is on those crazy occasions that most Bengalis make the effort to arise from their slumber and arrive at Flurys for a sumptuous breakfast fit for and English man. Olly Pubs Steaks are unbeatable and are as popular as Flurys English Breakfast.
The first thing that struck me about Kolkata is our diverse booming population which is equal to the population of the whole of Australia. The booming population here makes the fight for resources and survival a harder one. The decadence and stagnating economy has forced many of the lower strata people to embrace poverty. There is the upwardly mobile class of people but poverty stricken are in majority. The scuffle over bus seats and the attempts to pay less for basic services in some way or the other is an indicator of how a major city is slowly dying in the midst of despair, poverty and political strife. Kolkata has the capacity to blossom but while politicians busy themselves with name changing and communal issues the city is being left to die a natural slow death.
In the midst of this despair and poverty Mother Teresa’s work has flourished for years she has looked after the dying, destitute, vulnerable women and children from the lowest rungs of society in need of help. She has several homes across the city. I was privileged to work at Shishu Bhavan many moons ago but this time life’s journey took me to Kalighat along with some guests we received from Canada who had a keen interest in Mother Teresa. Kalighat is an interesting area it is where you could say the actual Kolkata lies. Lanes filled with shacks selling decorations, flowers and ingredients for the spiritual rituals at the local kali temple wind on. In the midst of this maze of lanes brightly adorned with various things for sale lies the hugest kali temple and one of many famous Hindu pilgrimage spots.
But what is even still more amazing is that the walls of this same kali temple is home to Nirmal Hirday Mother Teresa’s home for the Dying and Destitute People. This was Mothers first project in Kolkata and from there she went on to open three other homes in Kolkata. This area and the temple is an example of the cycle of life. On one side you have people getting ready to meet their creator and on the other side you have people forming marital unions in front of the temple deity so that they can share their lives together and create life all over again. Its like reincarnation in a different sense. In the middle of all this there is a section of people quite happy to make the streets of Kalighat their home. Some lay reclined on the road sun bathing while others enjoyed a cup of tea or avidly read the papers keeping track of the ongoing current political debates.
Besides people institutionalized and people choosing the streets there were people choosing the sacrament of marriage in front of the temple deity. Droves of young men and women with fragrant jasmine and colourful clothes came dancing down the street following the bride and groom in a riot of colours and sounds. While standing there I experienced three such processions with a riot of colours. Tourists from all over the world frequent Kalighat and some of them seemed thrilled to see this riot of colours and documented it in photographs some of them could even be travel photographers making a travelogue on the true heart of Kolkata. In the excitement of capturing the dancing and the riot of colours and sounds people forget all about the bride and groom and so it is I who proceed to explain to the tourists the Hindu Marriage customs and tradition so that they get a clearer picture of what is happening in the moment.
Standing there in Kalighat at a Street Corner you see the whole cycle of life pass you by. Kalighat is a standing example of love, tolerance and life. Kalighat is also home to prostitution one of Bengals biggest plagues. Bengal is home to the Largest Red light Area in Asia. But the Deity gives the women enslaved in sex work in Kalighat a chance to share their problems with her. Unfortunately even the deity has failed to save these women in a country that worships female deities as reincarnations of god, power and emancipation. When I visited Kalighat I realized Kolkata has a soul which no other city has. It is a friendly city where neighbours keep in touch with each other and keep a track of each other. It is a close knitt community in Kolkata held together by their love for politics ,literature, culture and soccer. It is also the city of romance and has its various spots where lovers retreat for some privacy in public places. Kolkata is a City of Love, Tolerance and Harmony.
Since I live abroad now I miss the monsoon season in Kolkata which was my favourite time of the year after Christmas. The heavy rain pelting the windows and the watery streets flowing like rivers, on occasion an open drain with a stick swirling in the mini Bermuda Triangle caused by the force of the flowing water are what I remember of Kolkata in the rain drenched season. Not to forget Hot steaming khichudi when all the groceries had run out and there was no way of restocking supplies with the endless rain showers and off course spending hours playing in the rain on the roof top. This time I spent a month in Kolkata and felt I reconnected with my city a little more after living abroad for five years. The crumbling buildings, the crowded buses with cranky people and the struggling economy is what Kolkata hides behind its beautiful history and historic buildings.
The following day as the sun shone bright we arrived at millennium park for a ferry ride across the Hooghly. The Hooghly is a more muddier and commonly used distributary of the Ganges to avoid the chaotic traffic and reach the train station on the other side so that one can reach home on time. The ferry ride on the gleaming waters of the Hooghly as the Howrah bridge and Vidyasagar Setu tower on either side in total splendour was relaxing and pictorially pretty appealing. The Howrah bridge is another remanent of British rule and has stood tall and brave against the winds of change and time and is symbolic of Kolkata and every Kolkatan’s connection to Kolkata. It is the only suspension cantilever bridge in Kolkata. As a child I remember the numerous trips across Howrah bridge to catch the train to the next town where my grand parents lived and the train special spicy puffed rice. Spicy puffed rice was a childhood delicacy on trips to grandma and grandpas place. I bought my fair share back this time so at least for a short time I have a little bit of Kolkata in my kitchen.
Very renowned for intelligent people and beautiful women Kolkata is an erudite city. It is home to a street of books where you could find the most rare and priceless books. The beauty of women in Kolkata is likened to that of the various female deities worshipped in Kolkata. No matter where they live when a Kolkata girl drapes a sari she always looks like a true beautiful Bengali girl.It is this combination of beauty and erudition which makes the women here more appealing to men around the world.People in Kolkata are very keen and avid followers of politics and soccer with the up comping soccer World Cup I’m sure all the local messi’s must be getting euphoric in anticipation of when Brazil and Argentina would take the field. The euphoria is existent as long as Brazil and Argentina keep their place in the World Cup. Acumen wise I think Kolkata is a great store house of knowledge and most Kolkata people are very erudite and well read. When I was growing up and even currently education remains peoples top priority in Kolkata.
Kolkata is a city that knows to celebrate starting in October with the five day celebration of Durga Puja followed by all the other festivities of Diwali, Kali Puja and Christmas Kolkata celebrates in a big way. The city is adorned and shines with a million rice lights and exhibits its love for art through all the rare and exotic decorations and structures that house the deities for five days. The Durga Puja festivities especially exhibit art in different creative ways along side the spiritual aspect of the celebration as part of a contest where the best art is awarded. Besides the art the beauty of the women who would frequent the deities in years gone by was worth admiring and has been the topic of many articles in the media.Christmas is celebrated with great pompousness in Kolkata unlike any other city in India. My lover and I spent our first Christmas together this year in Kolkata.For him it was his first Christmas outside his city and he enjoyed Christmas with me in Kolkata. It took him by surprise that a city in India celebrates Christmas with such splendour and fanfare. The Christmas Carnival is something that has emerged in later years as a mode of attracting tourists to Kolkata. As a child Christmas was not complete if you did not walk down Park street to admire the Christmas lights with your family. That is why Christmas in Kolkata is always special. But now that I’m home in bed getting ready to get back to my regular life I say Kolkata is a whole experience in itself which I am happy I got to share with my lover this Christmas season.
The luggage carousal swung around lazily releasing luggage to weary passengers almost ready to leave the confines of the airport. Phones rang as eager relatives tried to contact their dear ones hoping they had reached safely. I dragged my luggage of the nearest carousel and headed towards the gate. Like most people visiting home after a long time as I emerged into the city the crumbling buildings and signs of decadence in my beloved city was a stark reminder that the city was slowly being eroded by the cruel hands of time. Kolkata my city is a decadent city of art, culture and literature. It was once a great city and the home of the East India Company during British Rule. Overtime the decadence had drained it of all its youth. Economically it was stagnating but socially and culturally it held the reminders of a decadent glorious past.
As I reached home mum brought out the steaming white rice a speciality in Kolkata with some home made chicken curry and spicy garlic pickle. The Bengali cuisine is demure and humble but the flavours are intense. Only one born into it knows how much the Bengali people love their own cuisine. But it is worth experiencing the Bengali flavours and culture whenever you can. Following my meal I decided to crawl into bed. The long journey home was now taking its toll on me and my eyes began to feel sleep coming over them. I woke up at moonrise and the chatter began with mum and me catching up with each other after almost two years. The smell of coal fires filled the air as the nearby slum areas lit up. People were returning to their small happy homes after eking out a living and toiling hard at work looking for a warm meal and a bed to lay their heads on before the dawning sun drags them back to the harsh conditions they work in.
This time I came home for a very special reason after five years of living abroad. I had finally found my soulmate and wanted to spend my life with him. He was due to come to Kolkata and was I eager to show him around my beautiful decadent city. My lover was from another city in India which the British also favoured but not so decadent as Kolkata. Kolkata was one of those cities where the British left quite and indelible mark and lots of beautiful monuments. So I planned the itinerary because my lover like me had a love of history and was interested in seeing the British heritage of Kolkata. So as the days inched closer I grew more excited and could not wait to see him.
Parkstreet is the oldest and most renowned party and fine dining district in Kolkata filled with night clubs discos and restaurants it is the street that never sleeps. Of course the older restuarants from the colonial era put up a stiff competition against the new age American restaurants infiltrating the area day by day. Fine dining in Kolkata on Park street has retained its British Taste and Class. Restaurants like Mocambo and Peter Cat being our family favourites serve out mouth watering continental food along side the spicy contemporary Indian dishes and deserts like Caramel custard. which captures the essence of the once colonialized Kolkata.The Brass Finger bowls with steaming water and slivers of lime gently floating on the surface is a welcome relief after a nice hearty meal in the older restaurants but it is a trend that is slowly fading away in time. Flurys still serves its traditional English breakfast which still remains a Bengali favourite on special occasions and it is on those crazy occasions that most Bengalis make the effort to arise from their slumber and arrive at Flurys for a sumptuous breakfast fit for and English man. Olly Pubs Steaks are unbeatable and are as popular as Flurys English Breakfast.
The first thing that struck me about Kolkata is our diverse booming population which is equal to the population of the whole of Australia. The booming population here makes the fight for resources and survival a harder one. The decadence and stagnating economy has forced many of the lower strata people to embrace poverty. There is the upwardly mobile class of people but poverty stricken are in majority. The scuffle over bus seats and the attempts to pay less for basic services in some way or the other is an indicator of how a major city is slowly dying in the midst of despair, poverty and political strife. Kolkata has the capacity to blossom but while politicians busy themselves with name changing and communal issues the city is being left to die a natural slow death. In the midst of this despair and poverty Mother Teresa’s work has flourished for years she has looked after the dying, destitute, vulnerable women and children from the lowest rungs of society in need of help. She has several homes across the city. I was privileged to work at Shishu Bhavan many moons ago but this time life’s journey took me to Kalighat along with some guests we received from Canada who had a keen interest in Mother Teresa. Kalighat is an interesting area it is where you could say the actual Kolkata lies. Lanes filled with shacks selling decorations, flowers and ingredients for the spiritual rituals at the local kali temple wind on. In the midst of this maze of lanes brightly adorned with various things for sale lies the hugest kali temple and one of many famous Hindu pilgrimage spots.
But what is even still more amazing is that the walls of this same kali temple is home to Nirmal Hirday Mother Teresa’s home for the Dying and Destitute People. This was Mothers first project in Kolkata and from there she went on to open three other homes in Kolkata. This area and the temple is an example of the cycle of life. On one side you have people getting ready to meet their creator and on the other side you have people forming marital unions in front of the temple deity so that they can share their lives together and create life all over again. Its like reincarnation in a different sense. In the middle of all this there is a section of people quite happy to make the streets of Kalighat their home. Some lay reclined on the road sun bathing while others enjoyed a cup of tea or avidly read the papers keeping track of the ongoing current political debates.
Standing there in Kalighat at a Street Corner you see the whole cycle of life pass you by. Kalighat is a standing example of love, tolerance and life. Kalighat is also home to prostitution one of Bengals biggest plagues. Bengal is home to the Largest Red light Area in Asia. But the Deity gives the women enslaved in sex work in Kalighat a chance to share their problems with her. Unfortunately even the deity has failed to save these women in a country that worships female deities as reincarnations of god, power and emancipation. When I visited Kalighat I realized Kolkata has a soul which no other city has. It is a friendly city where neighbours keep in touch with each other and keep a track of each other. It is a close knitt community in Kolkata held together by their love for politics ,literature, culture and soccer. It is also the city of romance and has its various spots where lovers retreat for some privacy in public places. Kolkata is a City of Love, Tolerance and Harmony.
The following day as the sun shone bright we arrived at millennium park for a ferry ride across the Hooghly. The Hooghly is a more muddier and commonly used distributary of the Ganges to avoid the chaotic traffic and reach the train station on the other side so that one can reach home on time. The ferry ride on the gleaming waters of the Hooghly as the Howrah bridge and Vidyasagar Setu tower on either side in total splendour was relaxing and pictorially pretty appealing. The Howrah bridge is another remanent of British rule and has stood tall and brave against the winds of change and time and is symbolic of Kolkata and every Kolkatan’s connection to Kolkata. It is the only suspension cantilever bridge in Kolkata. As a child I remember the numerous trips across Howrah bridge to catch the train to the next town where my grand parents lived and the train special spicy puffed rice. Spicy puffed rice was a childhood delicacy on trips to grandma and grandpas place. I bought my fair share back this time so at least for a short time I have a little bit of Kolkata in my kitchen.
Very renowned for intelligent people and beautiful women Kolkata is an erudite city. It is home to a street of books where you could find the most rare and priceless books. The beauty of women in Kolkata is likened to that of the various female deities worshipped in Kolkata. No matter where they live when a Kolkata girl drapes a sari she always looks like a true beautiful Bengali girl.It is this combination of beauty and erudition which makes the women here more appealing to men around the world.People in Kolkata are very keen and avid followers of politics and soccer with the up comping soccer World Cup I’m sure all the local messi’s must be getting euphoric in anticipation of when Brazil and Argentina would take the field. The euphoria is existent as long as Brazil and Argentina keep their place in the World Cup. Acumen wise I think Kolkata is a great store house of knowledge and most Kolkata people are very erudite and well read. When I was growing up and even currently education remains peoples top priority in Kolkata. Kolkata is a city that knows to celebrate starting in October with the five day celebration of Durga Puja followed by all the other festivities of Diwali, Kali Puja and Christmas Kolkata celebrates in a big way. The city is adorned and shines with a million rice lights and exhibits its love for art through all the rare and exotic decorations and structures that house the deities for five days. The Durga Puja festivities especially exhibit art in different creative ways along side the spiritual aspect of the celebration as part of a contest where the best art is awarded. Besides the art the beauty of the women who would frequent the deities in years gone by was worth admiring and has been the topic of many articles in the media.Christmas is celebrated with great pompousness in Kolkata unlike any other city in India. My lover and I spent our first Christmas together this year in Kolkata.For him it was his first Christmas outside his city and he enjoyed Christmas with me in Kolkata. It took him by surprise that a city in India celebrates Christmas with such splendour and fanfare. The Christmas Carnival is something that has emerged in later years as a mode of attracting tourists to Kolkata. As a child Christmas was not complete if you did not walk down Park street to admire the Christmas lights with your family. That is why Christmas in Kolkata is always special. But now that I’m home in bed getting ready to get back to my regular life I say Kolkata is a whole experience in itself which I am happy I got to share with my lover this Christmas season.
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