From temple-rich Puri to 'soulful' Kolkata(1)

“Calcutta is not for everyone. You want your city clean and green, stick to Delhi. You want your city rich and impersonal, go to Bombay. You want them hi-tech and full of draught beer, Bangalore’s your place. But if you want a city with a soul, come to Calcutta.”

                                                                                                        -Vir Sanghvi

                                                                                                       From slow-paced Puri to the big and happening metropolis Kolkata with all its din and bustle seemed like a big contrast. But the bath-room sized Oyo room we were ushered into by the  bearded, arm-pit scratching,  glib-tongued, multi-tasking guest-house workman came as a rude shock. However, wife’s and my own grumbles and protests yielded quick results: we were promptly shifted to a more spacious and better-looking room on the upper floor to our great relief.

We set out for our places-to-visit tour next morning in a cab helpfully arranged by the guest-house manager/owner; and met with disappointment soon afterwards. On reaching the Marble Palace we were told at the gates that being Monday the palace was closed; and so were all the museums and such like places in Kolkata. Our good cabwalla therefore wisely drove us to the Dakshineswar Kali Mandir. The sprawling compound, open spaces and efficient, hassle-free management of visiting pilgrims and their belongings made it a pleasant experience. And the Goddess’s idol?  Believe me: it is breathtakingly beautiful. A mere glimpse of this ornately bejewelled idol representing Bhavatarini (‘the liberator’) aspect of Kali casts a spell that will last a lifetime. After the darshan and paying our obeisance we went round the 12 shiv-lingam shrines (Lord Shiva is Kali’s companion, as the mythology informs us) just across the courtyard and enjoyed the spectacle of gently-flowing Hooghly. It was now lunch time and we headed off to the New Market. The Amenia restaurant on one of its busy streets looked inviting and we opted for a chicken biryani lunch there with delicious phirni served in earthen bowls (what a pleasing substitute for those obnoxious plastics ubiquitous everywhere!) as the dessert.

In the late afternoon, the fabulous and unmissable Park Street I had heard and read so much about, beckoned us. We spent time strolling about, savouring all its flavours. A visit to the huge bookshop ‘The Oxford Bookstore’ – well and truly a bookworm’s paradise - with a rich variety of books was invigorating; and no less was Single Espresso coffee (“with 100% arrabica beans”) for me and flavour-rich Darjeeling tea for my wife, at the ‘Flurys’- a fine restaurant with welcoming ambience and abuzz with Kolkata’s Bhadralok- young and old, men and (beautiful) women. Later, we munched the ‘rolls’ with delight - Kolkata’s one of many specialities - selling like hot cakes on a side street;  and called it a day.

(Being very aware of my friends’/readers’ valuable time and to avoid an ‘overdose’, I have split my Kolkata account in two parts. Will post the second and concluding half next Saturday…Insha’Allah!)

At the Dakshineswar temple

At the entrance to Amenia

A view of the Park Street

Book browsing at the 'Oxford'

Enjoying coffee and tea

Munching 'rolls'