One of the best times to visit Zakaria Street is during the month of Ramazan.The Street is usually crowded throughout the year but as the auspicious day of Id approaches, there is a different charm that sets into this street. The first way thing that sets this lane apart from any other in the city is the excess attar stalls that sell old world exotic, natural perfumes in tiny and vibrant bottles. Once upon a time, perhaps this would draw sellers but now clearly the dry fruit sellers have scored over the attar sellers.
My intention was not just to catch the life of the Ramzan market but to try and enter Nakhoda Masjid. The biggest mosque of Kolkata, it would be a pity if one ignores the Islamic architecture of this place for the other popular tourist spots. It had been a long wish to get a good view of the mosque that I had seen only in photographs for so long. Needless to say, my religion and sex made me conscious of the permission that might impede me from entering the mosque. However, contrary to popular beliefs, despite religious fanaticism, they actually allowed me to enter along with my female friend. Even though we were carrying dupattas, the veiled experience was yet to make itself felt in its greatest intensity.
Climbing up the marbled staircases, we encountered men who were clearly scandalized to see us there and especially with cameras. There was no dearth of male photographers on the day before Id, but Indian female photographers had clearly not been one of their usual visitors. The realization of being a woman in a patriarchal society came through but presented itself in a paradox. Since we were women, we were told that they will never charge money for us for taking us around the whole mosque and if we sought official permission, that would be obtained easily considering that we are women. However, we must not come during (namaz) prayer hours on any day since women are not allowed to step into the prayer areas of the mosque on any occasion whatsoever.
Nevertheless, the grand minarets,intricately patterned windows along with the blue tinted glass windows and arabesques presented a view that few would want to miss. The interiors clearly have been well-maintained and the guide and guards are quite amiable to photographers and other visitors. The serenity is further imposed by the occasional sights of a man reading the holy text on the staircase or a few having their afternoon siesta near the mihrab or some washing their faces at the ablution fountain.It is hard to take one's eyes off the chiaroscuro, silhouette effects of the intricately patterned windows.As light and shadow plays hide and seek across the balconies even on a dull monsoon day, it is evident that the spacious designing and architecture allows enough light to illuminate the whole interior area from sunrise to sunset, throughout the year.
The nooks of Nakhoda need to be explored with enough time in hand. On days like this, the visit to the whole area cannot be complete with a dish of hot Biryani coupled with Mutton Pasinda from Royal Indian Hotel. If you wish to experience the hustle, then afteroons and evenings would allow you to see newly-coloured pink trams snake through the jostling thoroughfare, amidst stalls selling dry fruits, attars, sewai, taqyias(skull caps) and embellished hijabs of different colours.Though old, this part of Chitpur is perhaps still one of the most vibrant and lively
areas of the city.
My intention was not just to catch the life of the Ramzan market but to try and enter Nakhoda Masjid. The biggest mosque of Kolkata, it would be a pity if one ignores the Islamic architecture of this place for the other popular tourist spots. It had been a long wish to get a good view of the mosque that I had seen only in photographs for so long. Needless to say, my religion and sex made me conscious of the permission that might impede me from entering the mosque. However, contrary to popular beliefs, despite religious fanaticism, they actually allowed me to enter along with my female friend. Even though we were carrying dupattas, the veiled experience was yet to make itself felt in its greatest intensity.
Climbing up the marbled staircases, we encountered men who were clearly scandalized to see us there and especially with cameras. There was no dearth of male photographers on the day before Id, but Indian female photographers had clearly not been one of their usual visitors. The realization of being a woman in a patriarchal society came through but presented itself in a paradox. Since we were women, we were told that they will never charge money for us for taking us around the whole mosque and if we sought official permission, that would be obtained easily considering that we are women. However, we must not come during (namaz) prayer hours on any day since women are not allowed to step into the prayer areas of the mosque on any occasion whatsoever.
