Call Of Kolkata

Call of Kol…. Planned for an outing on shoestring budgeted, of course. Of all the place, I chose Calcutta as I was familiar and thought I knew the city well. The city of Joy, football crazy, cricket added by Dada, hustling-bustling and ever happening place where I had studied for some time and stayed during my growing up days. Lots of impact of culture, people, place on me….. and so forced my wife to join me on my rediscovery journey… its rich culture, tradition, literature or films, music or cuisine as a Bhadralok, after 3 decades.. Once we landed in time in new Kolkata airport earlier called Dum Dum, now Netaji Subash Bose, swanky with latest amenities, but was soon welcomed by familiar scene jam and pell-mell...had to wait for more than 45 mins to catch a cab out for a distance of not more than 15 minutes taking more than hour to traverse. My friend who was the host for next couple days, feigned as thought it was for the first time… Lots of things to catch....with places and people. Well the new cabs have added to yellow Ambassador from Hind Motors, Metro running, Trams plying, hand-pulled to electric rickshaws…and transportation of every kind to help my cause of commuting but the crowd seemed ever milling the streets and roads to greet us. The roads and fly overs have been widened and made but seems to less the demand…but clean and kept well ..all the electric poles decorated with LED string lights and glowing bright….wherein you cannot miss Didi’s photo strewn everywhere….whether government or private advertisement…its popularity or publicity…? Planned a lot, but met a couple of friends and near & dear ones. The spirit of Kol is ever is known to accommodating people from across the country and abroad. We covered the city from one corner to another to ensure that all deities’ (Kalighat, Dakhineshwar…)blessings were showered on us. We circumambulated lots of places to avoid spending more time and to ensure that we had more ticks of visiting places, like the Victory Memorial, Jorasanko Thakur bari, Big Ben of Kol, New Market, Park Street, Dharmotala Street, Shyam Bazaar.. planned for a ride on the buggy, tram, but.. Tried the varieties of street food that I loved, Jhal Muddi, Puchka, Luchi & Alu Dhom, Ghugni, Roll….missed out on several - Mughalai, Roll, Chops….not satisfied needs elaborate planning to cut across… had to steal sometime for shopping not for me but….cotton sarees, imitation jewellery, fancy articles.. Never to forget the Misti (sweets of Bengal), the range is much to cover..delectable, mouth-watering, toothsome...to name a few..rosogola, raj bhoj, sita bhoj, misti doi, sondesh, malpua, pantua, mihi dana, sar bhaja…missed out so many….I could satisfy my taste buds with a few only for the heavenly manna treat....  , reasons obvious and prying eyes of wife. Also had a good and complete Bengali food, complete spread as friends ensured that my palate was taken care….with Sukto, Alu dhum with small ones, dalna, dolma made of potols, begunni bhaga, mochar ghonto …and of course kichuri made of daal…with luchi to start with and end with sweets. Well I have not added whole lot of non-vegetarian dishes… by the way I not a foodie, but a connoisseur. Brought a few vegetables from the nearby haat to ensure I had the taste –Kumro, Peyajkoli, Barboti, Potol and aubergines, could add more for fear that in airport they might stop me for taking their veges away.... . Purchased a few Gopal Bhar books, 2nd hand to brush my limited reading of Bengla. Had to cover a lot, places, people but time being a constraint, lots of memories are still old as I could not cover College Street, Barrackpore, Palta, Sodepur, Nadia, Naihati, Kuntighat, Bandel, Hoogly, Chandanagar, Chinsurah, Tollygunge,….not in order but lots of nostalgic feelings. I was not disappointed…as friends poured their time, love and gifts… Could dust the rust off my Bengali dialect….to pass off as a Bhadralok. Till next time…..Kol calling…..rewinded the memory of mine…. Kol Calling When my wife insisted to run a jaunt on a shoestring, Kolkata was my obvious choice as I knew the city like the back of my hand. After three decades since I left the shores of Hoogly, it was nice to be back to revisit its rich culture, tradition, literature, music and cuisine.

I spent some of my most memorable days growing up in this city. Its culture of intellect and refined intelligentsia had a profound impact on me – endearing as it did it also helped me redefine my own Telugu culture specifically in how I have managed to raise my two kids. The City of Joy, football-crazed, now cricket too added by Dada, hustling-bustling and ever-happening – so many synonyms for the first Metropolitan of India, the city of Bhodrolok. On an early-December morning, while the fog still hung low on the ground, the Hyderabad-Kolkata Jet Airliner touched the ground at Dum Dum Airport, now called the Netaji Subhash Bose Airport. For a moment we were lost in the swanky and chick interiors with latest amenities around, but soon as we stepped out, were welcomed by the familiar scenes of traffic insanity – Jams, Pell Mell, Jaywalkers, and the James-Bondish car heroes. Memories from my past came back rolling as we stood at the taxi park, waiting for an hour to catch a cab. For a mere distance of not more than 15 minutes, it would take another hour to traverse. Nothing has changed, I reckoned. My friend of the yore, who hosted us for the next couple days, however would feign as though it was one-off. As my car rolled past the busy streets, I could notice several things have changed over these years; many others I saw have not. The new cabs have added to the old fleet of yellow Hind-Motor Ambassadors, Metro Rails, stillrickety Trams, electric rickshaws instead of hand-pulled ones – I could see transportation of every kind, but the crowd seemed to be ever milling the streets and roads. Very soon, we picked up speed; electric poles and signboards fled past; the roads and flyovers appear to have been widened and are now more comfortable, clean and well-maintained – a welcome relief compared to my halcyon days here. The widening also gave the impression of a thinned-down traffic. A little while later, our car slowed down a bit, giving me a clear glimpse of the electric poles decorated with LED string lights and glowing bright. Didi’s portraits and life size cut-outs appeared to be just about everywhere. Whether it was government propaganda, or a private advertisements out of appeasements or genuine popularity remains to be yet answered. Basu dada’s days on the backdrop of Naxalbari were different. Before I embarked on my brief sojourn, I had planned a lot, to meet all my near & dear ones who have stayed back to shape their lives in this city. In reality however, we were much constrained by time and could meet only few. We hurried across the length and breadth of the city, circumambulating most of the places to avoid spending more time. Kalighat, Dakshineshwar, Victoria Memorial, Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Big Ben, New Market, Park Street, Dharmotala Street, Shaym Bazaar… I regret we couldn’t take a ride on the buggy or the tram. The spirit of Kol is known to ever accommodating people from across the country and abroad. My friends who called on, spent time despite hectic schedules or a city person. Special care to ensure that they had vegetarian spread prepared for us. All the time given to Bondhu by all, reminds me of Atithi Devo Bhava, very affectionate and caring. Even taken care to redraw my itinerary as time permitted us to criss-cross the city with minimal wastage of time. In the in-betweens of travel travails, we caught up with the local cuisine; Varieties of street food brought back fond old memories - Jhal Muri, Puchka, Luchi & Alu Dom, Ghugni, Roll. I missed out on several others - Mughalai, Roll, Chops Misti, Rosogolla, Rajbhog, Sitabhog, Mishti Doi, Shondesh, Malpua, Pantua, Mihi Dana, Sarbhaja, and a lot more. For many others I had missed out, my local friends ensured my palate was taken care of with Sukto, Alu Dum, Dalna, Potols Dolma, Begunni Bhaja, Mochar Ghonto, Dal Khichuri, Luchi and what not. I missed out on several others, possibly needing an elaborate planning to cut across. We went around the local haat to buy a few vegetables I had since long forgotten the taste off back in Hyderabad – Kumro, Peyakoli, Barboti, Potol, Begun. I could have added a few more but fearing the airport security, I paused to pack off only those.

And finally, how can a visit to Kol be complete without shopping for the local stuff? We stole time off amidst the hustle-bustle to check out cotton sarees, imitation jewellery, and fancy articles. I now sit back on a rather unusually cold day in Hyderabad, musing over my brief sojourn. We had quite a lot to cover – places and people, but time being a constraint, could not refresh lots of memories, which are still old. Barrackpore, Palta, Sodepur, Nadia, Naihati, Kuntighat, Bandel, Hoogly, Chandanagar, Chinsurah, Tollygunge – some very nostalgic moments, and feelings. In the end, I was not disappointed. Friends poured their time, love and gifts. I could dust the rust off my Bengali dialect….to pass off as Bhadralok. Till next time…..Kol calls….. I will re-wind this memory of mine…. Bondhu .. dekha pelam …..apnader shonge theke khub bhalolagloo….! Kolkata, abar dekha hobe!!

Kol Calling When my wife insisted to run a jaunt on a shoestring, Kolkata was my obvious choice as I knew the city like the back of my hand. After three decades since I left the shores of Hoogly, it was nice to be back to revisit its rich culture, tradition, literature, music and cuisine. I spent some of my most memorable days growing up in this city. Its culture of intellect and refined intelligentsia had a profound impact on me – endearing as it did it also helped me redefine my own Telugu culture specifically in how I have managed to raise my two kids. The City of Joy, football-crazed, now cricket too added by Dada, hustling-bustling and ever-happening – so many synonyms for the first Metropolitan of India, the city of Bhodrolok. On an early-December morning, while the fog still hung low on the ground, the Hyderabad-Kolkata Jet Airliner touched the ground at Dum Dum Airport, now called the Netaji Subhash Bose Airport. For a moment we were lost in the swanky and chick interiors with latest amenities around, but soon as we stepped out, were welcomed by the familiar scenes of traffic insanity – Jams, Pell Mell, Jaywalkers, and the James-Bondish car heroes. Memories from my past came back rolling as we stood at the taxi park, waiting for an hour to catch a cab. For a mere distance of not more than 15 minutes, it would take another hour to traverse. Nothing has changed, I reckoned. My friend of the yore, who hosted us for the next couple days, however would feign as though it was one-off. As my car rolled past the busy streets, I could notice several things have changed over these years; many others I saw have not. The new cabs have added to the old fleet of yellow Hind-Motor Ambassadors, Metro Rails, stillrickety Trams, electric rickshaws instead of hand-pulled ones – I could see transportation of every kind, but the crowd seemed to be ever milling the streets and roads. Very soon, we picked up speed; electric poles and signboards fled past; the roads and flyovers appear to have been widened and are now more comfortable, clean and well-maintained – a welcome relief compared to my halcyon days here. The widening also gave the impression of a thinned-down traffic. A little while later, our car slowed down a bit, giving me a clear glimpse of the electric poles decorated with LED string lights and glowing bright. Didi’s portraits and life size cut-outs appeared to be just about everywhere. Whether it was government propaganda, or a private advertisements out of appeasements or genuine popularity remains to be yet answered. Basu dada’s days on the backdrop of Naxalbari were different. Before I embarked on my brief sojourn, I had planned a lot, to meet all my near & dear ones who have stayed back to shape their lives in this city. In reality however, we were much constrained by time and could meet only few. We hurried across the length and breadth of the city, circumambulating most of the places to avoid spending more time. Kalighat, Dakshineshwar, Victoria Memorial, Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Big Ben, New Market, Park Street, Dharmotala Street, Shaym Bazaar… I regret we couldn’t take a ride on the buggy or the tram. The spirit of Kol is known to ever accommodating people from across the country and abroad. My friends who called on, spent time despite hectic schedules or a city person. Special care to ensure that they had vegetarian spread prepared for us. All the time given to Bondhu by all, reminds me of Atithi Devo Bhava, very affectionate and caring. Even taken care to redraw my itinerary as time permitted us to criss-cross the city with minimal wastage of time. In the in-betweens of travel travails, we caught up with the local cuisine; Varieties of street food brought back fond old memories - Jhal Muri, Puchka, Luchi & Alu Dom, Ghugni, Roll. I missed out on several others - Mughalai, Roll, Chops Misti, Rosogolla, Rajbhog, Sitabhog, Mishti Doi, Shondesh, Malpua, Pantua, Mihi Dana, Sarbhaja, and a lot more. For many others I had missed out, my local friends ensured my palate was taken care of with Sukto, Alu Dum, Dalna, Potols Dolma, Begunni Bhaja, Mochar Ghonto, Dal Khichuri, Luchi and what not. Well I have not added whole lot of non-vegetarian dishes… by the way I not a foodie, but a connoisseur. I missed out on several others, possibly needing an elaborate planning to cut across. We went around the local haat to buy a few vegetables I had since long forgotten the taste off back in Hyderabad – Kumro, Peyakoli, Barboti, Potol, Begun. I could have added a few more but fearing the airport security, could add more for fear that in airport they might stop me for taking their veges away.... J. Purchased a few Gopal Bhar books, 2nd hand to brush my limited reading of Bangla. And finally, how can a visit to Kol be complete without shopping for the local stuff? We stole time off amidst the hustle-bustle to check out cotton sarees, imitation jewellery, and fancy articles. I now sit back on a rather unusually cold day in Hyderabad, musing over my brief sojourn. We had quite a lot to cover – places and people, but time being a constraint, could not refresh lots of memories, which are still old. Barrackpore, Palta, Sodepur, Nadia, Naihati, Kuntighat, Bandel, Hoogly, Chandanagar, Chinsurah, Tollygunge – some very nostalgic moments, and feelings. In the end, I was not disappointed. Friends poured their time, love and gifts. I could dust the rust off my Bengali dialect….to pass off as Bhadralok. Till next time…..Kol calls….. I will re-wind this memory of mine…. Bondhu .. dekha pelam …..apnader shonge theke khub bhalolagloo….!

Kolkata, abar dekha hobe!!