Calcutta Streets

You cannot truly enjoy the essence of Kolkata if you do not take to the streets of this city. The City of Joy has more to offer to those travelling on their feet and exploring the city than it can offer to anyone sitting inside their air conditioned cars and driving away to glory through the roads. The City wakes up as early as 4 am . Though not many people can be seen on the roads at that time save those who are regular train commuters and morning walkers , by 6 :30 business resumes with full force.If you go out for  a morning walk you will get to see some beautiful and unusual sights. People feeding pigeons on their rooftops or in the streets is an age old practice which  have been kept alive. Thus it is common to see a little child with his / her grandparents feeding lots of pigeons in the morning.

FEEDING PIGEONS ON ROOFTOPS

Animals have a special connection with sunrise. No sooner does dawn approach than all the cocks start crowing, the birds chirp and sing their own melodies , the dog starts attending to its masters orders and occasionally a cat can be seen outside its masters doorstep waiting to be let in and cuddled with love and affection.

The footpaths are mostly occupied by those without whom a morning in this city is incomplete- whether it be a weekday or the weekends.  A tea stall with the vendor going haywire listening to the many orders that comes pouring in is a regular sight.Often little boys also help their fathers and brothers in serving the customers.Men can be seen waiting in queues to get their beards shaved and hairs cut from the barber, who quickly  tends to the demands of each of his customers. The cobbler sitting at a distance too seems to be very busy mending the soles and stitching the shoes that have been given to him.All these people fight against time as their customers come with very little time in hand and it is up to them to work fast and well lest they loose a customer and fees! 

PHOTO COURTESY: PRAGATI GUPTA AND GARIMA JHAWAR

PHOTO COURTESY: PRAGATI GUPTA AND GARIMA JHAWAR

Varieties of transport can be spotted on the streets.Cars driven by the morning walkers fill in every inch of the roadside parking space; Buses and trams carrying people to their office or work place ; hand pulled rickshaws , though on a verge of extinction can be seen carrying elderly people mostly women for their daily marketing to the local markets.

The local markets are the busiest places in the mornings apart from the parks and gardens where there is a crowd of morning walkers. In the market there is a crowd of morning shoppers. Every direction one looks there are vendors howling on top of their voices to attract customers; the regular buyers bargaining to get their stuffs at cheaper rates; vendors fighting among themselves, sharing the newest joke, discussing politics and games and most importantly trying to make the maximum profit.

Chawls are a common aspect in Kolkata.Though not as famous as the Dharavi in Mumbai, there still exist a few and exhibit the same qualities as of the chawls of Mumbai and other places. Work for them begins as usual by collecting and storing water which comes only for two hours. The endless line and women folk fighting for their turn is an everyday affair. The kids help their mothers in doing the household chores. The men relax in the morning by playing cards or getting up late as they have a tiring day ahead. 

Education in India plays a very important role in securing the future of a child.Thus mostly every child goes to school either early in the morning, or in the afternoon after finishing off with their household chores or attend night schools especially run for those children who work during the day and help in the family income.

Mending of roads, bridges and other construction works in Kolkata are not new to the eye. In many places one can see tents being put up by the workers and their work begins as early as dawn. They work through the whole day to speed up the process of repair or building so that the people can use it to their welfare.

Mark my words, by the time you come back from your walk no matter which ever road you take you can hear the horns of the cars, see the dust emitted by cars in the air and notice parents dragging their willing or unwilling children to make them catch their buses to school(except on a Saturday or Sunday). The traffic guards and policemen are on their duties and the famous traffic jam has already affected the streets.

When in Kolkata you simply cannot miss out these small experiences which define the city itself. Even under such tension, pressure and hastiness one never fails to stop by and see the smiling faces of the people or the many stories that these faces tell or the spark in the eyes of the people. These are the things which truly gives the city its name- The City of Joy as the people are happy and positive no matter what the circumstances are.

Mandarmani - A Cool Respite

If you are tired of the scorching sun and the absence of rain in your surroundings, all you have to do is stop cribbing and set out on an adventurous weekend trip to a seaside where you can relax and enjoy. Though there are many such destinations near Kolkata like Puri and Digha which happens to be everyone's favorite and traditional summer holiday destinations ; you can also, for a change explore Mandarmani , which is a very new seaside resort compared to the other two but is no less than the others. Mandarmani lies at a distance of around two hundred kilometers from Kolkata and can be reached in seven hours by car. Alternatively you can  take a train to the nearest station , Contai and then travel the next half of the journey by rickshaws or buses which ply regularly from the Contai station. Personally, I have always preferred long drives as you get to see and experience a lot of situations when you are travelling via road. However you must remember that Mandarmani is a sea beach and is under the influence of high and low tides. Thus the timings should be carefully planned as no one wants to get stuck on the beach due to high tides.

MANDARMANI BEACH

Mandarmani itself is a seaside resort which stretches up to a distance of fifteen to eighteen kilometers. All along this stretch are numerous hotels and resorts which are almost full and quite busy during the tourist season. If you think that going to Mandarmani means only to sit and bask in the sun and take a nice bath in the water you are mistaken. There are a number of things to do. 

ONSET OF HIGH TIDES IN THE EVENING

• Taking a walk out on the beach and watch the sunrise or the sunset is an amazing experience and you cannot afford to miss it. In fact strolling along the beach you can also reach the Mohana or the confluence of two rivers. However with the possibilities of Quick Sand you need to be careful around that place.
• There is  a small village nearby where the tribals live. You can take a quick tour of the place and feel humbled by the humility of the people there. 
• Tea stalls and Food stalls mark the coastline . Probably after each hotel there is one such stall. Here people can order tea, coffee, and occasional food and sit and relax and spend hours after hours watching the sea.

  

  SUNSET FROM A FOOD STALL

• There is a fish market along the coastline. Interestingly, the vendors in this market have contracts with the hotel . Every morning they supply fresh fish to the hotel. The tourists can also pick and buy their fish and get it cooked from the numerous tea and food stalls on the beach and relish them for lunch or dinner. 
• Certain resorts offer a lot of  water sports like surfing and boating but these are only possible if they are compatible with the weather condition. Alternatively, you can play volleyball or other such outdoor games in the beach.All resorts have benches outside the gates where you can simply sit and read a book or observe the people on the beach. 

  

  BENCHES OUTSIDE HOTELS

• In the evenings there are many curio shops where you can buy small local items for yourself or for gifting purposes. Local kids also roam around selling shells of different sizes, shapes and colors. Or you can collect some of the beautiful shells from the sea beach itself.
• You can ride the local scooters which have a capacity of accommodating around twenty people at the same time and ply regularly for the tourists taking them for a ride along the full stretch of the coast at early mornings or in the evenings.

  

  CARS AND LOCAL RIDES IN THE BEACH

• Local photographers are always on the prowl to attract customers . They click photographs in various ways and instantly print them for you in just 20 rupees per photograph. This rate is the same throughout the beach.
• Red crabs are found all along the beach and are a beauty to look at . Crab holes can be found at every corner of the land and you must be careful of teasing such holes lest it might invite the anger and bites of the crab.

Some very interesting facts about Mandarmani is that the whole resort thrives on generators. Thus two hours in the morning (6 am -8 am)and two hours in the evening (4 pm - 6 pm) , there is no electricity in any of the resorts. This is the best time when all the tourists flood the beach. Also, the curio shops can only be seen on the coast from 3 pm to 6 pm after which as the tide starts rising; the vendors pack up and no sign of the shops can be seen. The fish market too sits only early in the morning when business flourishes the most and no trace of it can be seen as the sun rises. Again they sit in the evenings and disappear by 6 pm. Such unique timings have been made so that the entire situation can be adapted as per the tidal timings of the place.  

Off late certain tricky and dangerous situations have been reported but it has not dampened the spirit of the tourists visiting this place. Since the entire resort is built on a sandy beach, the probability of the wheels of your car getting seeped in by a quick sand is quite high. In fact my own car was stuck. Once such a situation arises you have no way out but to take the help of the locals. The locals have made it a business and charge anywhere between three thousand to five thousand rupees to help bring out the car.  Often many daredevils have made the sea beach their own platform of showing stunts with their cars and have taken their cars out too much into the sea. At such times the car and many of the people inside have even drowned under the influence of the tides. Thus, it is important to remember that one must follow the rules and drive along the beach and enjoy it in a safe manner. 

Nevertheless such accidents are common is every sea beaches and is the responsibility of the tourists too to take care and follow the rules of the place. Apart from such accidents which demand a bit of safety measures you can freely enjoy your stay at such a beautiful place . It relaxes your senses and re-energizes you from within to face the hustle and bustle of the city life with a smile on your face.

RIPPLES ON THE BEACH DURING SUNSET

Shantiniketan- Home of the Bard

Shantiniketan is probably the only place I have gone till date where the absence of technology did not hurt me.Though it has been almost three years since I went there but the memories of Ranga Matti and Khola Hawa are fresh in my mind as if it were just yesterday that I had made the trip. The best part of this trip was that I was accompanied by my friends and the fun that you have when you are with your friends is something that you miss when you are travelling on your own or with your family.

I still remember the  warm October morning in 2011 when I was waiting in the Howrah Station to take my first ever train ride. Bolpur can also be reached by cars and buses which ply regularly from Kolkata . But due to lack of time we chose to take the fastest way- a train ride which would take us in about two and a half hours.

If you have not taken a train ride ever , then I suggest that you should, at least once in your lifetime. The train moving at its own pace with the scenery changing outside every now and then is a sight missed by those sitting high up in the plane.Right from barren lands to crops being cultivated and animals grazing amidst lush greenery ; every sight can be seen and experienced. There is an equal amount of activity going on inside the train as well.People from all backgrounds and speaking different languages travelling together; food vendors , book sellers, candy sellers and achar sellers shouting on top of their voices to attract customers. Overall the two and a half hours journey seems very less when surrounded by such wonderful activities. On its way the train stops at various big and small stations to pick or drop people. Some daredevils also show their skills by trying to jump off from the moving train but display of such tactics are highly objectionable and dangerous.

RIVER AJOY FROM THE TRAIN

BOLPUR STATION

Shantiniketan is a place close to nature. It appeals to the senses of a person and transcends the gap between them and nature. The beauty lies in the simplicity of the place and the innocence of the people living there. It is not a concrete jungle but a series of loose shacks, bungalows, green fields , villages and a number of tourist lodges apart from hostels for the students who come to study in the Visva Bharati University.

FIELDS 

When in Shantiniketan there are a few must see places that one has to visit.

• The Visva Bharati University campus houses not only the University itself but also a centre for Arts and Culture, the house of Rabindranath Tagore , a museum, a prayer hall and a very famous more than a hundred year old Banyan Tree. There is also a handicraft section where handicrafts made by the students are on display . But it remains open only during the sessions of the University.

PRAYER HALL

BANYAN TREE

• Family Park is a beautiful place which can be best enjoyed during evenings. watching the sunset amidst such wonderful surroundings of games , swings and food counters is not something one gets everyday.

• Amar Kutir is a very famous handicraft centre. Anyone who comes here cannot miss this place.From hand embroidered dress, Kurtis, file, folders, jewelries, paintings to pora maati  (burnt clay) show pieces , everything is available here. One must take some souvenirs which reflect on the tradition of Shantiniketan from here.

• Flower Garden Resort  is a lush garden-scape spread over few acres of land. One can name a flower and find it in the garden. Every direction one looks one can find a variety of colors - From red, pink, yellow , white roses to tulips, sunflowers, jasmines, periwinkles and some occasional fungi , everything can be spotted here. There are huts which can be booked by people to stay and relax in during short weekend trips .

TREES PRUNED TO FASHION

THE LONELY ANT

LOTUS' READY TO BLOOM

THE ROAD TO THE FLOWER GARDEN RESORT 

• Sanskriti Park is a unique display of the culture of India . It has traditional huts representing different States of the country . Inside the huts are those traditional items with which one clearly associates with the State- be it festivals, musical instruments, paintings, embroideries, etc.

ENTRANCE TO SANSKRITI PARK

TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ON THE DISPLAY

• There are many villages and settlements in Bolpur. If  time permits one can visit these tribal and non-tribal villages and experience the rural way of  living.

PAINTINGS ON THE WALLS OF THE VILLAGE HOUSES

A TRIBAL LADY AT WORK

• The Village Haat sits only on Saturday evenings . It is a true reflection of the culture where the tribals sell their hand made items , Baul singers entertain people in their melodious voices - all in the banks of the beautiful Khoai.

• Lastly, the river Kopai and the irrigation channel Khoai. One can sit on the banks of Kopai and feel that time has stopped . One can feel being transported to the time of the Bard and imagine how he could compose most of his masterpieces.

CROSSING THE KOPAI

A DRIED UP KHOAI

In Shantiniketan few things should be remembered.

• With an abundance of mosquitoes at night , life can be bad.
• Waking up in the mornings to find a monkey on your rooftop or veranda is not an unusual sight.
• Cows and Goats taking a bath in the nearby river can be a pleasant view.
• People follow the simple rural lifestyle Early to bed, early to rise; thus wandering around in the empty streets after ten at night is not advisable.

Nevertheless it is a trip one should make to relax their senses from the busy tension filled hustle and bustle of the city life.

A FARMER AT WORK

The Walled city- Jaipur

Jaipur is much more than just the Pink city of India. It is a rich amalgamation of modernization and preservation of the past cultural heritage. It is divided into two distinct cities- the new  and the old. It is the old city which is referred to as the pink city as under government's rule all houses of this city has to be painted pink in color. Moreover this is probably the only city in the entire State which is surrounded by a huge wall; thus making the wall engulf the whole city . If you ever want to visit Jaipur it is advisable that you take some time in hand to cover all the tourist spots of the place. But unfortunately, I had only one day in hand. Nevertheless even with one day one can cover most of the places worth seeing and also do some fabulous shopping. The only trick is wake up early!

When you are going for a city tour you must try and arrange for a vehicle otherwise it becomes very difficult to travel from one place to the other especially if you have come for the first time and have no tourist guide with you. Right before entering the old city one can locate the Albert Hall Museum which stands as a remnant of a meeting held between Sir Albert and the then Maharajah of Jaipur during the British era.

ALBERT HALL MUSEUM

On entering the old city two things stand out clearly. One, the big gates of the city inviting you to explore its rich culture and two, the color of the houses , shops, hospitals, hotels etc; every single house is painted pink. The very first monument which you can see is the Hawa Mahal. It is a facade palace built mostly on pillars. It is said that in earlier times when the kings and his men would pass through the city gates the Queen , maids and the ladies of the royal family would get together in the Hawa Mahal to get a glimpse of the King and his men.  Also, during extreme summer days the Queen enjoyed the cool breeze by sitting near the windows of the Hawa Mahal.

HAWA MAHAL

Further down the road you get to see the Jal Mahal. It is a palace built completely on water. The reason why it does not sink is that it is equally distributed above and under water . There is only one way to reach the Palace- a boat ride. It earlier used to serve as the summer house of the Maharajah's . Though now it is under reconstruction and closed for tourist viewing . Today it serves only as a museum.

JAL MAHAL

After the Jal mahal comes the main attraction of this part of the city -the forts. There are two different forts to be seen- the Amber Fort/ Amer Fort at the foot of the hills while the Nahargarh Fort is on top of the hill. Amber Fort is divided into two distinct parts- the residential part and the storing place of the artillery. From the gates of the Fort to the main residential Fortress one can travel via car, tourist buses, local buses, motor cycles or opt for elephant rides. I was told by my guide that within a span of fifteen to sixteen kilometres one can find over three hundred temples inside the city. It is a pleasant scene when all the guests going to Amber Fort are greeted by traditional musicians playing folk music on their instruments outside the  Residential Fortress gates. One can see vendors trying to persuade tourists to buy caps, hats, postcards and other little curios.

TRADITIONAL MUSICIANS

AMER FORT 

 The temple in the fortress is what greets every visitor first on their arrival. Many monkeys too visit this temple and food is sometimes left for them to eat. However many tourists also opt not to go for the temple and see it from outside as these monkeys can sometimes become a nuisance stealing food, money, specs, etc.

MONKEYS WAITING TO WELCOME YOU

TEMPLE IN AMER FORT

Going further up the fort one sees the Diwan-i-Aam or the Hall of public audience where the king used to listen to the common people. The common people of the city were allowed only till this point. From hereon started the private palace of the Kings and Queens . The entire palace is an architectural marvel. There are few distinct pieces of artwork which you must not miss.

THE RESIDENTIAL PALACE, AMER FORT 

• 
  The wall carvings and patterns on the roof of most of the doors and rooms of the palace have been made by gold. Interestingly, if you stand outside the room and watch the patterns they appear to have been made with yellow paint but only when you step inside can you understand that it is pure gold.

  

  GOLD PATTERNS 

• The Sheesh Mahal or the Hall of Mirrors is intricately designed by making designs and patterns from mirrors of all shapes and sizes. In fact if you stand any where near this hall you can see your reflection and find at least a hundred  copies of yourself on the walls.Earlier Sheesh Mahals were the features of the Queens quarters. It is very famous in Mughal architecture and can be found in almost all forts made by them. 

  

  SHEESH MAHAL
• Adjacent to the Sheesh Mahal there are wall carvings made out of a single slab of marble. This I personally call the Wall of Illusions. What from far can be seen as a pretty pattern of flowers and butterfly is not actually so. One can see the head of a snake, the tail of a fish and a lion and a scorpion all camouflaged within one single carving.

  

  WALL CARVINGS

•  The artificial lake cannot be missed at all.  This lake was actually built in the form of a reservoir which stored rain water for future use. This lake not only served as a man- made wonder but also as a means of providing natural air conditioning to the palace in summer months. Water from this reservoir was also used to give water to the kings garden and promote saffron plantations within a platform built on the lake to grow saffron .

  

  ARTIFICIAL LAKE WITH SAFFRON CULTIVATION

Apart from these are the King and the Queen's quarters, their recreational spots, their servants quarters, courtyards, kitchens and tourist shops .

Leaving the Amber Fort one has to take a steep road ascending further up the hill to the Nahargarh fort. Though not much is to be seen in the entire fort but it houses Jaivan the biggest Cannon in the world. It is said that it was fired only once by the Maharaja and after the destruction that it made, it was decided that it will never be fired again. This fort is a museum for the variety of strategic arms that were used by the Maharajah's in various battles. It displays cannons, guns, pistols, gun powder making factory , shields, swords and the like. Further ahead is the Bhool Bhulaiyya where you tend to get lost amidst the various small and narrow lanes, by lanes, alleys, rooms and doors. There are also some puppet shops and food stores where one can eat while watching a puppet show. Photography is restricted in many parts of this fort.

JAIVAN CANNON

The Jantar Mantar is a solar observatory set up by the king of Jaipur. Till date it gives the accurate sense of time to the people. It was built  when time was measured looking at the suns rays and the shadows. The dial and the sun rays were the two important instruments to show the time in this observatory. Today with all sorts of modern gadgets and instruments like watches and observatories one may find technical faults at times; but the readings of the Jantar Mantar  are not wrong.

Your last but not the least destination should be the City Palace of Jaipur or the current residence of the Maharajah of Jaipur. It is a huge complex fragmented into two halves. While seventy per cent of the campus is opened to tourists in the form of City Palace Museum , around thirty per cent of the complex is retained by the king as his private property. In fact the revenues collected by the tourist visits are given directly to the King and the Government has no part to play in the whole system. It would take another post in itself to discuss the City Palace .

After sightseeing comes the time for food ! There are many hotels and restaurants built in the area. Most of these hotels offer both traditional Rajasthani  food and not so traditional foods as well. With lots of foreigners visiting the city everyday  the hotels have adjusted to make all its customers happy and satisfied. Thus where one would find Dal Baati Churma in the hotel one would also find drumsticks and Mughlai food. There are lots of roadside inns, hotels and restaurants to choose from and one would not be left hungry for long.


We save the best for the last and that is shopping! When in Rajasthan you must take a piece of bandhni ghaghras, lehengas, skirts etc. The Kurtis and Salwars are also made in traditional hand embroideries and prints. Block print is another famous technique used here. Leheriya sarees and dupattas are also quite in fashion. Jaipur is famous for its blue pottery. You get jewelries, coasters, plates, etc made in blue pottery with exquisite hand painted and hand carved designs.Hand made paintings of animals and Kings and Queens are also very unique to this part of the country. It is desirable to take few as it serves as great gift items.

More until next time . Signing off for now!