City of Radiance: CALCUTTA |
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Posted on 4/30/2012 |
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Here is my travelogue for Kolkata India, birthplace of Satyajit Ray, or the City of RAY-diance as I like to call it.
KOLKATA or CALCUTTA is very close to my heart….a place where I have my near and dear ones…a place which I visit at every given opportunity. Though I am in Kuwait, I never miss any opportunity to be in my city.
One of the most intriguing cities of the world, it is a city of music, theatre, historical buildings and interesting side streets. The erstwhile capital of British India, Kolkata has grown into one of the largest metropolitan cities of the world. A fascinating amalgam of life's extremities, where the hand drawn rickshaw of the yesteryears and the modern underground metro rail co-exist. It is a city with a soul. It is a place you should visit to have an experience of real INDIA.
Three hundred years ago, the city of Calcutta was born on the banks of the River Hoogly. The story dates back to Job Charnock and his chance mid-day halt near the quaint little village of Sutanuti, where the sparkle of green on the horizon promised repose to a tired British sailor.
It was much later that the villages of Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata were united to form the city of Calcutta, a British trading port that was destined to shape centuries of Indian history. A city of Nawabs and palaces, of Zamindars and baijis, of mujras and mushairas, of artists and craftsmen, it was the repository of a rich artistic tradition. Over the years, Kolkata thrived and became an important centre of the British Raj, a leading centre of commerce and a port of call for east bound vessels.
The exquisite Victoria Memorial shining in the afternoon sunlight, the majestic facade of the Kolkata Museum, the gracefully sloping roofs of the Dakhineshwar Kalibari and the delicacy of the style of the Bengal School of painting reveal the rich diversity of the Bengali artistic heritage. Kolkata, a city with 25 museums, 22 identified heritage buildings, two golf clubs and the finest Polo club from the days of the Raj, is where the trail leads.
This city sheltered five Nobel laureates who have done India proud: Surgeon Major Ronald Ross, who discovered how malaria was being carried; Dr. C V Raman - the mathematician; Rabindranath Tagore - the bard of Bengal; Mother Teresa who needs no introduction and Amartya Sen who won the noble prize for Economics.
Kolkata is the hearth of art, literature, theatre, music and cinema. Drop in at The Academy of Fine Arts and The Alternative Art Gallery at Park Street to view the paintings of contemporary artists of Kolkata. Watch the native theatres of Bengal at the Mudhusudan Mancha in Dhakuria or the cultural shows at the Kala Mandir. Drop in at Nandan Cinema Hall. Visit the music stores to buy the popular albums of Usha Uthup, classical melodies of Ravi Shankar, Rabindra Sangeet or Nazrulgeet. Watch the magic shows of the P.C. Sorcar family.
I just love to move around Kolkata, having nothing specific to do. Durga Puja and the delicacy known as misthi doi is something I miss very much here in Kuwait. This year I plan to visit Calcutta both during summer vacation and Durga Puja.
A fascinating city with history and a treasured culture, it will definitely make you feel at home.
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Report: Sinjan Chakrabarty
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