Call of the Cage.

After a long time we set out again and decided to head towards the much pending destination of Galiff Street(near Baghbazar) in North Kolkata . When you know that for once the destination is not an archaeological site but a weekly pet and plant market you have little choice regarding embarking early in the morning. However , despite the delay, we reached early enough to be lost amidst the hustle and bustle ofthis animal planet. The cacophony of tweets, chirps and young unformed barks was enough to guide us into the busy Galiff street on a Sunday morning. This market was not just about a row of sellers holding numerable cages full of vibrant, colourful birds but perhaps more about the enthusiasm of the customers and habitual commercialism of the sellers that made the ambience ebullient without compromising on the pecuniary interests of both the parties. Before you realize you are literally pushed by the swarming heads along the road lined by uncountable number of puppies , birds and fishes on display in plastic bags hanging from peg-lines and brick walls. The grumpy, expressionless sellers stand in stark contrast to the restless, lively caged creatures making the most the incarcerated space. In this throng of animals and humans , not only do you get a pair of flowering plants at 10 Rs but also a pair of little chicks at the same price and don’t be too surprised if the empty cages on the other hand might cost you something like Rs 1900 . This is Galiff Street. Whether you are a greenfinger or a PETA Ambassador or just a plebeian animal lover , this is one place you must visit. Even if after a week of hectic schedule , waking up early to make a good bargain might not be easy in the least , this experience might definitely be worth it if you can find some amazing companions from the ones sold here.

 However , even minimal sensitivity to the folks of the animal kingdom might not please you to see all of them caged  for commercial exchanges and it might be hard to choose the right dealer if you are not too aware about the different breeds.

              Once you are done with a walk through the Animal planet in Kolkata , you can always maka a quick visit to the picturesque Basubati in Baghbazar and if it is a Sunday do not give the delectable Kachoris from the street side shops of Baghbazar a miss. The ideal North Calcuttan breakfast can be easily digested if you walk your way back through the snaky, shady by-lanes of the older part of the city.

Creation at the clay cave.

There are stories we keep hearing about the creation of man and then there are the stories about the creation of the Gods and the Goddesses  . When you visit the potter’s town better known as Kumartuli in Kolkata the first reaction is sheer bewilderment at the long rows of  large clay statues that line up the mud studios of the alleys and by-lanes in the small area of North Kolkata. Visiting the Kumartuli on Mahalaya might be a ritual for many but it was a first time for us. Apprehensive and uncertain about the rush ( having started our journey quite late)  our only hopes comprised of getting to witness the beautiful occasion of ‘chokkhudaan’ and some good snapshots. While attempting to get some shots in one of the initial studios we suddenly overheard another tourist mumbling about ‘chokkhudaan’ taking place in one of the studios. Walking a little ahead we saw a huge crowd of heads and an artist carefully etching the pupil of the Godess’ eyes. Despite the chatters and whispers , the artist continued his work with professional indifference. As we proceeded, all we saw were heads of photographers mingled with the heads of the bald statues of Ma Durga who had not yet had the fortune of being dressed in loose strands of false hair (and not wigs, mind you!). Soon we decided to take the narrower lanes to avoid the rush  in order to get a closer look at the smaller studios and that is when we witnessed the disturbing art of hair styling for the Goddess. The craftsman all focused and unperturbed continued to snap out loose strands of false curly black that stuck to sheets of cardboards and stick them behind Her ears with fevicol rapidly in order to meet the deadline. While my friend is all disappointed at this anti-climactic adorning of the Goddess, I see a kitten rushing past as if in an attempt to escape both the human and the divine world .  

              On a day like this it is quite surprising to see that amidst the daily struggle of an impoverished life that leaves them with the pressure of meeting deadlines in order to earn atleast twice a meal a day ,they have already ensured that most idols are completely decked up and ready to be taken for the Pujo . While some tourists  had clearly come down from the foreign shores to witness the spectacle of Pujo in the City of Joy, some visitors were in a rush to take the Goddess home on this very day. At one of the crossroads , a group of men were busy rotating one idol to prepare it for its journey and at another an old artisan was busy lending the final touch to the arms of the Goddess.

              As one keeps walking it becomes really hard to decide which way you should fix your gaze since there is something new happening in each direction. Even when you are surrounded by idols on every side there is something different about each of them. There is the Egyptian version of Godess Durga and her daughters on one side and an angry Mahishashur’s idol sticking out of the plastic curtains of a studio on another side. At some of the turns you might find the road cluttered with crafts tools making the whole area look like a huge class of art and crafts in some divine school and at other bends you might chance upon a clay tail of a Lion sticking out.  Amidst all this there were two little kids in one of the potter’s houses of whom the older sister was busy scraping a coconut while her baby brother decided to pose with one when I asked if I could take a snap . A fifteen minutes walk through these lanes and we ended up crossing a rail track and realizing that we have the vast Hooghly before us where semi clad men were busy praying to their ancestors on this auspicious day. Sitting on the river banks for a couple of minutes with the wind blowing against your face is perhaps the best natural cooler you could ask for after walking around under the sun on a sultry day. Just before we left Kumartuli we passed a man carrying the idol on his head who was generous enough to stop and smile posing with the tiny idol ,not caring a wee bit about the weight and we were obliged with his photo with the Goddess. We ended the day’s trip after visiting the Sovabazar Rajbari where 4 idols of the Goddess with Her family lay await to be unveiled after five days.

 Once done, you realize that while the whole city gears up to celebrate the Goddess in Her most beautiful attire on these days, the artisans and sculptors behind the scenes hardly ever get their due leave alone experiencing  the joys of celebration. 

Impromptu and Incredible

Nothing can be quite as exciting as the first glance of water, be it that final bend of the road that opens out to the sea at Digha, or the glimpses of the Hooghly beyond the garbage dump that is Strand Road. One such unexpected find is an abandoned jetty beyond Prinsep Ghat, if you are walking towards it from Babughat. You should be warned though that approaching the jetty involves some amount of walking along the circular railway tracks, and when you have a melting ice cream cone in your hand, and can hear the rumbling of the tracks along with the damning announcement of “charte-ponchash’er Majherhat local”, you will be forgiven for feeling faint.

A five minute walk courting death and you shall hit upon the jetty, which is directly below the Vidyasagar Setu, and contains the most incredible edge-of-the-world view of the river. Impeded by a canoodling couple who had blocked the best seat in the jetty [at the edge of it], we made our peace with sitting a little way off, and enjoying the pleasant evening breeze, as the slowly setting sun gracefully allowed us a few photographs. I always knew the sun is a woman.

Occasional hazards, especially if you belong to the fairer sex, will include being hooted at by the passengers of passing local trains, but the view in front of you will arouse forgiveness and general peace with mankind. Just when we thought the day could not get any better, it did. Having decided to take the circular rail train back home, we boarded one, intending to disembark at Sovabajar/Ahiritola. The circular rail is probably one of the most underrated of our means of transport in the city. At Rs. 4 from Prinsep Ghat to Sovabajar, it is the cheapest route home, and the most beautiful. The train tracks run alongside the river, and the view of it, illuminated by the lights of the Vidyasagar Setu and the launches on the river, is thrilling. The journey to Sovabajar takes around 20 minutes [this includes a brief delay at the BBD Bag station].

The scenario changes once it crosses BBD-Bag station though. But after a day well spent, even the ramshackle storehouses and godowns of Posta will seem to have an air of mystery about them, intensifying as you cross the arched entrance to Nimtala Crematorium which has always exerted a fascinatingly morbid attraction [or vice versa] on me. 

Mahalaya Masti...

This post comes in a little too late in the day, considering it was made on Mahalaya last year. Well, here goes….

After a series of catastrophic class tests, (all JUDEans are acquainted with those!) we decided we had had enough of academics for a while. What happened next was a quick plan to visit Kolkata’s favourite monument, second only to Victoria Memorial in popularity. We usually travel in a group of seven, but it being pre-Pujo season, three friends dropped out due to quite foreseen circumstances such as last minute shopping, marital commitments and cough and cold!!

Prinsep Ghat and Vidyasagar Setu

That left us with Ananya, Poulomi, Madhumanti and myself. Plans were made, where to meet, what to wear, what essentials to carry and most importantly, where to eat out for lunch! We would meet in front of Esplanade Metro station the next day. As promised, Mahalaya dawned bright and clear; a perfect beginning to the pujo. At 11am, we assembled in front of the metro station, and as always, one of us had to get lost trying to negotiate the roads! Thus, a little bit of time was lost in trying to make sense of road directions, observing prominent buildings on the Esplanade crossing and giving directions. This, coupled with what had by then, turned into a sultry summer day.

We finally found each other (*joy*) and boarded a cab, after the customary Kolkata practice of taxi drivers rejecting us, asking for higher fares and the rest of the madness that ensues. Our cab flew across Akashvani Bhavan, Eden Gardens and other prominent landmarks of the city. We did not reach Prinsep Ghat; we had to get down at the railway line which goes past the ghat. Walks are always the most enjoyable and funniest parts of any trip with friends. This walk was no exception. We seemed to be the only interesting people (read girls) in the area, attracting curious pairs of eyes because of the brand new Mahalaya get up, as well as the laughs and shouts. Well, we did finally reach the Prinsep Ghat monument. A little bit of history: the Prinsep Ghat was built in 1843, named after James Prinsep, a prominent Anglo-Indian scholar of the time. It was restored by the KMDA in the last decade, and is more and less well-maintained now. The façade of the monument is sparkling white and clean, it seemed whiter when compared to the beautiful cornflower blue sky and the majestic Second Hoogly Bridge towering behind it. We sat down on cool seats of the Prinsep Ghat monument, shadowing ourselves from the sun; away from the unsightly mess of garbage behind, and the group of boys creating a ruckus. Ghotigorom, a long adda, and a photo session followed. Groups of people, who had completed their Tarpan on the ghat behind, came to the lawns to feed the pigeons, take photographs…and celebrate the end of an annual ritual. We were lured by the cool breeze of the Ganga, and decided to follow the trail. The actual Prinsep Ghat, not the monument that is, lies some way behind. Shaded by trees, it was a treat for souls who have been smouldering so far, with ice-creams offering no solace. The Mahalaya Tarpan seemed to make the place more peaceful, with the sweet smell of incense and flowers strewn on the waters. Finally, we found refuge in the soft lapping sound of the Ganga against the boats, the sound of mantras being chanted, and bells being rung after each chant. The sounds made us happy, excited about the Durga Pujo, which suddenly seemed closer. After spending more time on the ghat (more poses, more laughs, more photographs, more memories…) we headed back the same way, following the railway tracks.

Getting a taxi is always a bit of a bother in the city; the impatience grows, egged on by heat, exhaustion and hunger. We finally got a taxi, agreeing to pay a little more (don’t we always?!) and set out to find Kasturi, our lunch destination.

Kasturi is located on Mirza Ghalib Steet and is known for its Bangal (as in, opaar Baangla) specialities. We were famished by this time, thus lunch, as always was a happy affair. The meal was bhaat, dal, the all-time favourite alu bhaja, laupata chingri, maacher paturi and mangsher jhol. Perfect meal on a Mahalaya day.

Our next stop was the tram ride from Esplanade to Khidirpur; because it passes through the Maidan (we all need some peace and calm!) after taking yet another taxi and getting down in front of Esplanade bus stand, we had to literally run after the tram before we caught up with it. Window seats captured, we settled down to enjoy the ride. The best part about tram rides is the lazy pace, and trust us, its even better amidst the green idyllic setting of the Maidan. We got down midway to take some pictures of the Victoria peeping from behind the Race Course, and walk along the tram tracks till we could get the next tram back. After another bout of running, tram catching…it was time to head back home after a wonderful day spent with friends and exploring the city.

Shruti Chaudhuri
Photo courtesy: Shruti Chaudhuri

Tramps whiling time away.:P

One of the most pleasurable walks that you can take in Calcutta is surprisingly a detour to Chowringhee by walking down Sudder Street to Free School Street and then to Chowringhee through our beloved Park Street. Over the years Sudder Street has become dirtier despite still sustaining to be one of the tourist hot spots in the city. However this should not discourage you from having a look around at the marvelous curio shops and stationery shops that line up along Sudder and Free School Street. The latter might be notorious for a number of reasons and might not be the ideal haunt of young girls but during the day its great to walk along this road ogling at the old discs and gramophone records being sold at shops and cheap second hand books on travel being laid out on display. From handwoven calendars on Indian myth to tiny magnets meant for foreign tourists there is no end to the goodies you can avail on this road. If you are given a chance to redecorate your home then you might as well give the malls a miss to get the finest curio items at the most reasonable price from this area. The old shop of Sasha on this street might not seem affordable to all and sundry but if you are one for handicrafts then this is a shop that you should definitely check out. When one walks past Armenian College,where William Makepeace Thackeray was born you encounter a series of alleys to your right and left offering a wide range of services like Chinese cuisine to Chinese dentistry and before you know you are on Park Street.

Park Street can never fail to enchant anybody who loves Calcutta. Whether you decide to step into Barista for a hot cup of expensive coffee or prefer to opt for the excellent Elaichi Coffee of eight bucks from the street vendor in front of the Indian museum , this is one walk that is worth it for the sheer wide range of fancy things one gets to see. The stretch of Chowringhee from Park Street to New Market has the most interesting things being sold at the most unexpected prices. And by interesting I do mean things that are hard to find like a cheap version of ‘’attar’’or the perfumes used by Moghul emperors in the olden days, books you would never ‘dare’ to find anywhere for its licentious content and curio items at hardly 15 rupees each. Shops that sell posters and pens along with earbuds and compasses are pretty common here and it is likely that whoever you are you would not resist yourself from purchasing something or the other from these shops along the pavement. Whether you are religious , have a gift of the grub for street foods or one for junk jewellery this is one road you should never give a miss.It is a window shoppers delight in every possible way.

P.S-Do not be amazed at dogs and puppies sleeping peacefully in their respective winter wears on these road

And now we have guest writers :)

There are some things that one must do before dying:

1. Backpack through Europe
2. Gain expertise over fine dining
3. Shake hands with the Dalai Lama and,
4. Travel in a local train, specifically on the Eastern Railway.

Today happened to be one of those days when we decided to backpack through Europe. Okay, not really but hopefully someday.  For now it’s no. 4 that we’ve conquered.
So there we were, the three of us, in the Bandel Local heading to the historic Bandel Church. Well, fine. I missed the train. It was just the two of them in that train while I struggled out of bed, wore my socks and ate bread toast (which my mother insisted was a healthy mid-morning breakfast) at the same time and ran to catch the next available train. After the not-so-smooth beginning, I finally met the two tourists and we headed towards the auto stand. A fifteen minute crowded-auto ride later, we found ourselves amidst a busy street which had BABA CABIN restaurant on the left and a very questionable biriyani stall on the right. But there it stood, right in front, the majestic Bandel Church. I am lying. There was nothing ‘majestic’ about the Bandel Church. In fact, BABA CABIN seemed a lot more appealing at that point.
Nonetheless, all three cameras were out and clicking as we headed in to what looked like an entrance.  No, we did not find devout worshippers singing psalms at every corner. What we did see were a lot of glittery families who had come to picnic on the church ground. I was really glad I had that bread toast. There were some decorations put up for Christmas [the previous day] for which one of my two travelers added with a smirk, ‘That’s the nativity scene, in case you did not realize.’ Yes, thirteen years in a convent school and I still needed a Bible history lesson. 

Bandel Church is one of the oldest churches in West Bengal. So obviously there will be reconstructions done from time to time. I’d like to know whose idea was it to use shiny tiles (the kind I have mostly seen in really swanky bathrooms) for the reconstruction of the church interiors. It seemed like a logical construction choice because everyone likes to feel pee-ish in public places.  
So the Church itself is very reminiscent of general catholic school churches. Nothing very special about it except it had a lot of stairs and that it was built in the 1600s. 

Anyway, having made the realization that history can be very misleading and unexpectedly disappointing, we left to fill our tummies. Being short on cash, we decided to hope back on the train [and this time together] and go to Shrirampur. While on the train, we came across a variety of people. While some revealed their flat tummies (as we sucked in our own) others merely stared at us as we chatted loudly about inappropriate girl things. Oh, we also had tea in a mud pot (possibly one of the best moments in the train).

We reached Shrirampur, where SAMRAT (the restaurant which promised great food) waited for us. Having had our late lunch which consisted of one plate of chow and garlic chicken split three ways and talked about everything (read: everyone) under the sun, we decided it was time to put this day to an end.  We boarded our respective trains (this time separately) and as I watched them struggle to get inside a cramped ladies compartment I knew that we had to repeat this journey again and soon.

Amrita Kar

Vignettes:)

For all the good times we had and the gorgeous city we explored. :)

(From top,left to right)- Basubati at Baghbazar, Kumartuli,St.Andrews Church BBD Bag, Birla Temple, Beth-El Synagogue, Church of most Holy Rosary, Magen David, Kidderpore Dock, Chinese Temple BBD Bag, Jain Temple at Belgachhia, Latubabu-Chhatubabu Lane, Jain Temple, Shovabazar Rajbari, Basubati, Vivekananda's House, Christmas goodies being sold, Sovabazar Rajbari, Latubabu-Chhatubabu's House, Old Mint on Strand Road, Magen David Synagogue(next 3) ,Portuguese Church,Birla Temple Sculpture.