Day 206 of Indian places giving you smiles – The city of Joy – Kolkata
I first went to went to this city of Joy in 1994 with my own two small bundles of joy. We were thrilled to experience the very first tram ride and metro ride of our lives. It was a city of contrasts between the old and the new; the dirty and the clean, the British and the Indian buildings, the open spaces and the crowded streets, the traditional and the modern, the haves and the have nots…I was just floored by the amazing Bengali culture all around me.
We stayed in a big flat with some friends, went out for a New Year Eves party to a hotel, visited all the tourist places that we could, took my darling kids to the doll museum, the zoo and the Nicco Park, ate the famous Bengali sweets and the roadside chaat. We passed by the industrialized area which also had a factory of my favourite antiseptic cream Boroline. (I have used it the same cream since the last 40 years, both for the glowing skin on my face and to remedy the chapped skin on my heels!) It was also the first and last time in my life that I purchased four bedsheets and six cotton sarees at Gharia Haat in less than an hour, totally costing just a few hundred Rupees! Yes what impressed me about Calcutta as it was then called, was the fantastic value for money, with a comparatively lower cost of living!
At the end of a fantastic two week vacation to the North East of India, my husband couldn’t resist the urge to visit his Calcutta Regional office. As mobile phones were not in use in 1994, we did not know that the officials were desperately trying to contact him. I remember being shocked when he was urgently asked to take the next flight to Head Office, leaving me behind to travel back by train from the crowded Howrah station to my hometown, alone with two small children on one long train journey!
After eighteen years I got a chance to visit Kolkata again, this time on my official work to do some training workshops for a Public Sector Undertaking. I was happy to drive through the crowded streets which still seemed to retain their old world charm about it. The massive traffic on the Howrah Bridge gave me some time to look lovingly at the dear Hoogly River below us.
And I considered myself extremely lucky to get a chance to stay at the Floatel Hotel…this is actually a part of a disused ship floating on the river! My room on the ground floor was just next to the water and from my bed, I waved at the people in the many boats that passed almost next to my room window. I was thrilled like a kid when they waved back in return! And the sunrise and sunset view from the top deck was almost magical. We could see the old Howrah Bridge on one side and the New Bridge on the other. And once we entered the gate of the hotel, we would probably be stopped by a level crossing, a train may just pass by on the railway tracks which were actually inside the compound of this ship shaped hotel!
We went to the nearby Millennium Park, for an evening walk by the river shore. I was lucky to have the company of one of the local boys whom I had trained as a trainer and who kept calling me ‘Maam , Maam ‘ in his heavy Bengali accent. We also walked to the Outram Jetty to fulfil a long cherished desire of mine – a ride in the small ‘nauka’. I had seen so many Hindi film heroes singing intense songs like ‘chingari’ on these small boats across the Hoogly and I just had to experience for myself this charming moment in the midst of the serene river water!
I had heard of Flurreys and the buzz of Kolkata by night at the famous Park street. I had met a famous Bengali TV artist and singer on one of my official journeys; we became good friends and she gave me company to have a sense of the night life in Kolkata. I was thrilled to see the entrance of a place called Moulin Rouge not only in Paris but also in our very own Kolkata. We had a long tete-a-tete at a local place, drove past the imposing Loreto college, and it was perfect end to a perfect day in this City of Joy!
On my next visit, my driver took me around Chowringhee which has a lot of symbols of the British rule in the country. The vast open grounds in the heart of the city was surrounded by many imposing structures like writers building, Eden Gardens, Fort Williams, etc. We drove past the Raj Bhavan and the awe-inspiring Victoria Memorial. Many years ago, my money had got stolen from my purse here even I was listening in rapt attention to the guide who showed us relics of British imperialism in the museum. Being full of people who are proud of their culture, this city has a lot to offer in its many museums and art galleries. I wondered why there was a huge dinosaur statue outside the science museum. Even the planetarium was worth a visit, I was told.
My visit to the New market gave me a chance to see how almost every single item of purchase could be found in its many big and small shops and roadside vendors. There were hordes of people shopping fervently for the forthcoming Pooja festival. Yes, Goddess Durga Devi is revered with such joy and faith here that I could only imagine how this city would transform with the excitement of the nine days of the Navrathri festival. I got some excellent bargains with genuine leather stuff at Shree leathers. I almost missed the small entrance and was surprised to see the huge showroom behind with a variety of bags, shoes, jackets and other leather accessories, all at very reasonable prices.
A traveller to Kolkata has to include in the itinerary a visit to the famous Kali temples of the city. On the first evening I went to Kalighat with an office colleague. We were warned about the overwhelming presence of unscrupulous priests, yet we took our chance and settled a nominal amount with a priest who promised to give us a good ‘darshan’ and also doubled up as a guide! He first took us to a small shop and insisted that we purchase some items as offering to the Goddess. As we entered the temple, I could sense an old world spirituality about the place. We easily made our way in and found ourselves in front of the imposing idol of Goddess Kali. Even though she may look intimidating I just love the fact that she is such a powerful destroyer of evil. The priest called me in front, chanted some prayers and insisted on me giving him some money. I refused and was soon asked to step back. Well I did get my moment with my Devi!
We were then taken to another part of the temple and asked to sit in meditation along with a row of other devotees. This time another priest came up, took us near the corner wall, chanted some prayers, pushed a lucky charm in my hand and demanded some huge amount. I refused again, but gave him a token amount for his effort with me. He took back his so called lucky charm. Fine. The Goddess was already lodged in my heart! We got some dark red vermillion powder. Later I was told that it is mixed with the real blood of the animal sacrifice that happens nearby. We did not dare visit that spot! My colleague was also pressurized in parting with a much bigger amount, in return for the promise of fulfilment of her desire. I told her that whatever was given with a pure feeling will surely be rewarded. (few years lady she was blessed with a child that she had prayed for). Our visit to Kalighat was an experience of surrender. Few days later I read in the newspaper that this powerful temple would soon be rid of the greedy priests. I am waiting for that day.
During the next visit I walked from Alipore to Kailghat through some extremely dirty shanties, paid Rs.1 to cross a black coloured dirty water body over 3 strategically placed boats to finally receive an excellent dawn darshan of the Powerful Goddess. And a local policeman warned me not to walk alone early in the morning. My logic…why fear when Goddess Kali is here!
Eighteen years ago, I was thrilled to take my daughter to the famous Dakshineshwar temple. I remembered how my two year old baby had demanded a place on the swing in a park and a remark was made by one of my old neighbours about her and Kali Goddess. Ever since that day, in my mind, I had appointed Kali Goddess to take care of my daughter for life! As I climbed up the steps of the majestic Dakshineshwar temple, I thanked the Goddess in my mind, for always being there for my daughter and protecting her even in the present times, when she lives miles away from me on foreign shores! We bowed in reverence to the many Shiva Lingas in the smaller temples around. As we washed our feet in the holy river, I wondered why there were many divers in the vicinity, with something tied around their feet. I was told that they had magnets under their feet to help them retrieve the many coins that are thrown by devotees in faith into the holy water. The people in my country continue to amaze me!
There is so much to do in Kolkata even before my office training day begins. I had a lovely morning walk amidst nature at the botanical gardens close to the Alipore guest house where I was staying. And after work I was thrilled to be treated to a romantic dinner date at a swanky five star hotel! (with my own husband of our 28 years marriage who also happened to be staying elsewhere in Kolkata on official work!)
On another of my visits, I was surprised to see the bright sun as I left the hotel at 5.15a.m. (sunrise happens much earlier in the east of India). I had to see for myself the serenity and the peace at Belur Mutt. I was always fascinated at the great thinking of the young Swami Vivekanand. I was very humbled to see his actual bedroom, the tree under which he meditated and gave discourses, and also the place where his mortal remains were laid to rest. He was a disciple of Sri Ramakrishnan and their movement and mission is still doing very good work across the country. I tried in vain to do some meditating in the serene hall, yet preferred to walk around the beautiful gardens, watch the devotees bathe on the river bank and appreciate the unique architecture of the imposing main building. This spiritual experience early in the morning was a perfect way to end my visit to Kolkata.
I just had to pick up some delicious local sweets from K C Das. At Bahu Bazar I was shocked to see a fat bald man sitting on a man-pulled rickshaw. The sight of the obviously grey haired old man, running on the street with his rickshaw passenger and gasping for breath, made me wonder at how some aspects of our country has to still change for the better!
Kolkata- there is still so much more that I have to discover about you!
So, which Indian place made you smile today?
Please share your own experience of visiting Indian places.
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