Kolkata Diaries

The city with soul………  beyond the crowded by lanes and alleys.

While international holidays are the most sought after and fancied these days I wanted to explore the local terrain for a change and I did get some queer and atypical glances when I announced that my travel destination would be the state of West Bengal. It did help that my classmate was holding a very senior government position and even before I embarked on the journey I was startled by his overtly helping nature. When my friend and me descended in Kolkata and quickly boarded the vehicle in the airport , my first glimpse of the city was nothing spectacular.

For some strange reason the Dominique Lappierre book titled City of Joy swiftly crossed my mind and how the central character Hisari Pal comes to the city in search of his livelihood and Max Lowe the American doctor comes to the city in search of enlightenment . (Well you can come now to India for thousand other reasons as well). The colonial city with its dusty roads leaves you a little fatigued and worn down initially. After an hour long journey we were driven to the Guest house and I found that all the helpers around us greeted with their infectious smile while I was expecting for reasons best known to me some grumpy ones.

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul

The next day we were off to Sunderbans which is about 120 kms from Kolkata after whizzing past through the narrow muddy roads and the crazy driver drove as if we were chased by some enraged cops. A rural thriller experience no doubt as the smell of the fish wafts, drifts and floats through the air in the dingy by lanes and we saw the villagers working in some unhurried and indolent pace. After the near miss and hit bumpy ride we were accosted to a boat which was supposed to transport us to the forests of Sunderbans which is incidentally the largest delta basin in the world and the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Hooghly, Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna. We got into the vessel having no clue as to what the travel entails and dint have an inkling about the magnitude of the river basin. It took a few minutes to soak and sink in the experience of the ride and when the boat pierces through the river slowly you suddenly get engulfed by the vastness of the entire delta with the mangroves bordering the boundaries giving you that exotic scenery.

When you stand alone on the edge of the deck you can definitely sink in solitude and you want the time to freeze and you enjoy the winds tantalizingly brushing your face.  Meanwhile we were served with some local fabulous Bengali cuisine and we were devouring it like there is no tomorrow and we gulped much more than we could help not knowing when we would manage to eat something like this. The brinjal dish was nothing short of sheer divinity for me. I thought even the vegetable curries tasted extremely delicious here and all the fruits appeared extremely succulent and juicy. So unwillingly and reluctantly we had to finally finish our lunch and were offloaded to venture into the forest. 

We were astonished to see some of the endangered species and rather awe stuck to see the bio diversity and the reserve forest area. True to its literal meaning the flora and the fauna are any biologists dream. Remembered that Salman Rushdie’s booker prize winning novel midnights children partly revolved around Sundarbans and Amitav Ghosh’s popular novel “The  Hungry Tide “  was also set in Sunderbans. As a visitor you feel you are in the worlds loneliest island with the outlandish and bizarre Sundari (Hertiera Littoralis) and Golpata ( Nypa Fruticans)  trees for company and the constant chirpy noises made by many endangered species gives you the dense jungle feel not knowing what will rapidly cross your path as you walk across. I was more than terrified when a mammoth jungle lizard fell on the sideway fence as we were walking. I wanted to run helter skelter from that place and head straight into the boat. I rather preferred my boat ride than my tryst with the fiery beasts of the jungle.  We were privileged to see some spotted deers and rare species of kingfishers as we glided through the mangrove forests. Again it was therapeutic to take the stretched ride in the river to reach our tora eco resort in Bali village. The moment when the sun sets and part of the river changes colour and appears multihued is pure magic and a perfect sight to behold for the frayed nerves.

After a night halt at the eco resort surrounded by dense and lush green flora we travelled back always wanting to come back to experience what was for me one of the finest river cruises I have encountered in any part of the world. This one scores for its unimaginable vastness along with its incredible biodiversity.  After reaching Kolkata we headed straight to the colonial bungalow of my friend and marveled at the size of it and just soaked in his hospitality and was ecstatic that certain people stay very grounded despite their achievements. The carefully laid and manicured lawns was definite photo opportunities for us and we just wanted to capture those moments for posterity. 

Well the epicureans in us woke up in the night and we had to invade the alleys in the dark in search of the gastronomic delights like the Rum Ball in the Flurys bakery, the chimney soup in the Bar B Q restaurant, the momos  from the Tibetan delights  and the Kesar Chai in the Balwant Singh Tea stall which is served piping hot in the mud pots.  Let me tell you when I dexterously tasted each one of these delicacies, I truly experienced heaven and no exaggerations on that.  I think the street food in Kolkata is by far the finest in India and perhaps your taste buds yearn more and more of it and you sort of become addictive for the endearing taste it leaves behind much after you have devoured it.  Not to miss the puchka (Pani Poori for the uninitiated) and the never ending variety of chaats which the friendly vendors churn out with unbelievable speed. 

Victoria Memorial

We then headed to the Architectural marvel created by William Emerson built on Indo Saracenic Style. Was surprised to note that in those days Victoria Memorial was built by crowd funding and Lord Curzon is recorded to have said “Let us therefore have a building, stately, spacious, monumental and grand to which every new comer in Calcutta would come, to which all resident population, Europeans and Natives would flock, when all classes will learn the lessons of history and see reviewed before the eyes the marvels of the past”.  What a visionary he must have been. True to his words several visitors no doubt flock to the monument. It has its majestic grandeur and looks regale and when it is lit up in the evening it is a splendid spectacle for the eyes.

The Shopaholic in me wanted to explore the market for our unending buying spree and we didn’t mind the adventure despite the intimidating crowds of Kolkata. We threw caution by the winds and ventured out.  I wanted to add to my Imelda Marcos like collection of foot wear and tried to get into a popular leather shop. We were aghast by the sheer numbers and there could have been a stampede any time. Forget the crowd barging the Ikea showroom in Hyderabad, it was hard to believe this kind of crowd thronging a footwear shop anywhere in the world. We stood there bewildered and had to return in the morning to pick up what we liked. The scenes were only slightly better that morning. I could see people from all walks of life scampering and scuttling to chose their shoes. A young man sitting next to me was diligently making his mom try her size for a record number of times and I was wondering in which other country a man in his early twenties dutifully accompanies his mom. Who said the youth of India are brash and cold. I felt a lot happy seeing the strong family ties which exists only in India. Meanwhile we became completely breathless as we headed out with heavy bags and becoming perfect examples of shop till you drop.

We took a spiritual detour after we returned from our wilderness and our crazy shopping spree. The New York Herald once wrote “He is an orator by divine right and his strong intelligent face in its picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting than his earnest words and the rich rhythmical utterance he gave them. He was known for his phenomenal memory and he excelled at speed reading as well. He was no less than a sheer genius and he is said to have recited verbatim three pages from Pickwick Papers astonishing everyone those days. His name means bliss of discerning wisdom.  Well it doesn’t take much to guess that I am talking about Swami Vivekananda and I was wondering how proud Bengali’s must feel about him. I think his initial speech in the world parliament of religions received a standing ovation for two minutes from seven thousand people. The man who introduced Hinduism and Yoga to the western world had this to say in one of his speeches. “I do not come to create a new belief. I want to keep your own belief. I want to teach you to live the truth and to reveal the light within your own soul.” I always stood wondered reading about him and felt privileged to have witnessed the Belur Math whose architectural design is a mixture of Hindu, Christian and Islamic Motifs as desired by the great monk. You get your goose bump moments when you visit the shrine and with a heavy heart I sat in stoic silence and ate the food served in the community kitchen. Another must see is the Dakshineshwar temple at the banks of the Ganges where Ramakrishna Paramahamsa fervently worshipped Goddess Kali.  

Howrah bridge

Later in the evening we were off to the Prinsep Ghat along the banks of the Hooghly river designed by W. Fitzgerald and constructed in 1843 earlier used for embarkment and disembarkment by the British. It is one of the oldest  recreational spots in Kolkata and it was amazing to see the beautified riverfront from Prinsep Ghat to Babu Ghat. There is a nearby jetty called the man-o-war jetty belonging to the Kolkata Port Trust which commemorates the role played by the port in the second world war. My classmate and friend who is the  Deputy Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust was extremely kind and courteous to have invited us for  a cruise in the Hoogly river along with other families. As the vessel slowly glided through the waters the illumination around and the night sky was a sight to behold and as we got nearer the Howrah bridge we were bewitched and besotted by the enormity of the structure.

On our final day we were invited for break fast by an elderly couple and when we reached their home in the third floor of their centrally located apartment, we were overwhelmed by their hospitality and warmth. The couple for me reminded the pair of Prakash Raj and Leela Samson in OK Kanmani and it was blissful to see them work in tandem for the breakfast they thoughtfully prepared and laid out for us. I was awe stuck to see their enthusiasm to accost us for our final left over shopping and I admired how they bargained hard for us in chaste Bengali. After seeing us buy a cartload of stuff, I couldn’t help but laugh incessantly when they said we have indeed contributed hugely to the economy of West Bengal.

In this whirl wind trip we got an opportunity to visit limited places but we returned overjoyed and elated. In some parts of the city we may witness abject poverty and squalor and few of the dusty lanes and alleys may be overcrowded but the city slowly and surely overwhelms you for many right reasons and I would definitely visit again to see the science city , shanthinikethan and the amazing museums it boasts and may be write a sequel. The memories of this colonial city would linger long in your mind even after you depart unwillingly.