2015-07-22



Calcutta, a city intense in its melange of tradition and modernity is the English town of India. It was one of the first centers of British India, and growing with the English power was constantly embellished, being the capital of the British Raj until 1930. The Imperial City considered for a time the second City of the Empire, in 200 years of development, has also become Indian and at the same time being a port, a center of business and government, education and culture, a city like no other in India.



At the end of 1962, Kolkata gave an immediate sense of metropolis. Twenty-six years later, the grandeur of the English town, with wide avenues, squares, folklore on the banks of the river Hooghly, the open spaces, the arrangement of the palaces and public buildings, it was still possible to seize it, like a distant echo, at night, when the crowd of the day had retreated into their caves, to regenerate in view of the exhausting and painful emptiness of the next day.

Calcutta today is a bit of a mix of the ancient splendor, overcrowded. Calcutta, during the Sino-Indian war (early 1960's) was described, frighteningly, in the City of Joy . It is the extreme city which, for retaliation, fed thousands of volunteers from around the world. It has been a city that in those years which has collected so much of giving, in human terms, forming many apostles of an expanded consciousness, expanding the horizons of human relationships.

The most accepted version of the origin of Calcutta sees a British merchant, Job Charnock, settling on the east bank of the Hooghly River in the village of Sutanuti, in 1686, remaining there until the time of his death seven years later. Job Charnock has many stories about him, saying that he saved a widow who was about to be burnt on the pyre of her husband and then married her. It is also said that he assumed different customs and traditions of the locals, integrating into the social fabric of Bengali. For example, as reported at the base of a tree he used to sit, smoking his pipe and talking, often business with the natives.

According to that version, the exact date of the foundation of Calcutta is 1698, when the villages of Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kolikata from which it takes its name originating in the City, Kolkata are formally assigned, upon payment of a rent a year to the British East India Company.

At that point the British, as they have often given proof of know-how were organized and in a short time he saw the light of a miniature oriental London, with public buildings, wide boulevards, churches and large gardens. On the sidelines of all this the slums crowded along the banks of Hooghly, where they survived badly as the Indian servants of the British Raj.

In 1756 the Nawab of Murshidabad (Siraj-ud-daula) takes possession of the city (the same nabab had entrusted the villages Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kolikata), imprisoning dozens of members colonial aristocracy in a small room under the building British military Fort William. The next morning, about 40 people have died of asphyxiation. The tragedy is handed down in the following years as the story of the black hole of Calcutta.

In the following year the city back under British control became the official capital of the British Raj. During the nineteenth century, the Bengali intelligentsia begins to power a nationalist movement. The Tagore family gives Bengal and India several prestigious intellectuals including the famous poet Rabindranath's Nobel prize for literature in 1913.

After Rabindranath Tagore, 2 years later, at the beginning of 1863, was born Narendra Nath Datta, later known as Swami Vivekananda. At age 30 he represented Hinduism in the World Parliament of Religions hosted in the Art Institute of Chicago. In the following years he consolidated his reputation of traveling and giving lectures and meetings in the West.

On his return to India in 1897, he became a sort of icon of national Bengali. On 16 October 1905, Bengal was divided with the intent to limit the importance of balancing it with the development of Calcutta, Dhaka (capital of the Bangladesh), in a province with a Muslim majority.

Bengalis react, in turn, with many protests and the growth of swadeshi movement with commercial promotion of local products (as opposed to import or manufacture English). The growth of the independence movement pushes finally the British in 1912 to move the capital to Delhi (to the extent such movement will become fully effective in the early 30s). In conjunction begins a period of prosperity and expansion of the city. In 1920, the airport opened while public broadcasting from all over India are transmitted by radio town. Relations with the British do not improve. Rabindranath Tagore waiver to the degree of knight, conferred by England to protest against the massacre in Amritsar (in Punjab) owned by English hands in 1919.

With the outbreak of World War II begins critical period for the city. While the British hijack food and other resources for the war effort. In 1946, during an uprising (the day of direct action, so named by the Muslim League) about 100,000 people die before Gandhi and other political leaders fail to restore peace.

The year after the bloody revolt, India became independent. The efforts of Gandhi, however, does not apply to hold it together and the birth of the Muslim state of Pakistan divided into two sections, one corresponding to the present-day Pakistan in the West and one in East, corresponding to the present Bangladesh is one of the most tragic moments in the history of the country. In particular, in Punjab, the migration of Muslims to Pakistan and Hindus to India degenerated into terribly bloody clashes.

Even the partition has a dramatic outcome, when the flow of migration, with the then Pakistan of east, it is virtually unidirectional. About 4 million Hindus flock to the ancient capital making it unlivable with the already overcrowded slums. A second wave of refugees, this time Muslims, will arrive in 1971, during the Indo-Pakistan war.

To all this is added the decline of the port of the city and the economic crisis that ensues. Calcutta often gave the impression of being a Belgian settlement in mid 1960s. An abandoned settlement, where the Africans were then encamped.

There was a place to go for a walk. You could drive slowly through the crowd and down a road of disaster holes, up to Tollygunge Club and there you could take a walk on the golf course but driving was exhausting and return, between the fumes of diesel and kerosene, nullified the benefits obtained. The new millennium, however, along with the change in original name of the city to Kolkata led shopping centers, cinemas, redistribution of the population, increasing affluence, in a word, for several reasons continue to hope.

There are several places that are worth a visit to Calcutta. Surely the Indian Museum and the Victoria Memorial, with a permanent exhibition of watercolors and oils of British artists (such as Thomas and William Daniell) who stayed a few years in India, between the end of the first half of the '700 and '800. The Ramakrishna Mission, however, is the expression of a part of the religious culture certainly enlightened Bengali.

Sri Ramakrishna was born February 18, 1836 in a poor village not far from Calcutta. At 19 years old, having just got a rudimentary schooling, became the Brahmin officiating in the temple of Kali, in the suburb of Dakshineswar in Calcutta. For about 11 years he devoted himself to various sadhana (spiritual practices), coming to have the experience of Advaita, a state of consciousness beyond any division between the thinking subject and object of thought, inner reality and external reality.

Then do not neglect to deepen Islam and Christianity, sensing and experiencing that their spiritual paths can lead to the same state of grace. Therefore becomes an advocate of the unity of religions, all expressions of the same spiritual truth. Similar universalistic approach applies to men and women, all men and women equal refuge of divinity therefore equally deserving of respect.

Ramakrishna died in 1886 after having founded the monastic order Ramakrishna Math. The Ramakrishna Mission , where the monks of the Ramakrishna Math and lay devotees work together to realize the ideals of the teacher, sees the light several decades later by the most important disciple of Brahmin Dakshineswar, the aforementioned Swami Vivekananda, who died in 1902.

The harmony among different religions and service to humanity as highest form of religious expression are the two pillars of the Ramakrishna Mission , active in the construction of hospitals and dramatic interventions in situations of emergency (the cyclone in Orissa in 1999 or the Tsunami in December 2004 to do just two examples). The teachings of Ramakrishna have not remained confined to Calcutta, having inspired 166 centers worldwide, 124 of them in India.

Tourists are attracted from all over the world for the relaxed charm of Calcutta. The annual festivals of Kolkata are the most anticipated events across the country. Kolkata is a part of Malwa Plateau. It is also famous as the city of lakes. Kolkala was able to defend its ancient values ​​and traditions, despite the modernization process in progress. Nearly 15 festivals are celebrated in Kolkata every year.

These are called the Pandals which is actually a sumptuous building of bamboo. It is a vital element of all Hindu festivals of Calcutta. For Kolkata, parties are not just for religious celebrations, but they are also an opportunity to meet people, learn about the culture of the city, and even discover the past of our own nation. Some of these parties Calcutta are described below.

Poila Baisakh festival is the Bengali New Year. It takes place in the first month of the Bengali calendar. The first day is referred to as the Poila Baisakh and marks the beginning of the crop cycle. On this day many Bengali weddings take place and new businesses start to act like they believe this day to be very lucky. The locals distribute some sweets and old gifts.

In a Muharram procession called Ashoura festival is held in the city. This procession is led by snow white horses go to areas like Metiabruz and Khiderpore.

Durga Puja is an event dedicated to the goddess Durga. It extends for four days that take place between September and October. People use incense, chants, drums, food etc. laughter to please goddess Durga. This is a great opportunity to meet old friends. Many activities are held during this blessed occasion including activities of admiration for the various idols, gods and goddesses.



Joydev Mela is a festival cum fair that takes place in the month of January. It commemorates the birth of Bhakti. This festival has a deep connection with rural India. The festival lasts three days, when shoppers religious Baul minstrels and City Slickers are out on the streets.

Bhai Phota festival celebrates family ties. Women still fast in the morning. Fasting is completed by putting a small amount of sandalwood on the forehead of their brothers. They wish for the good health of their brethren and also offer sweets. The men then make gifts to their sister. These are some of the festivals celebrated in Kolkata.

Flurys, the eponymous tea room founded in the second half of the 1920s is one of the best in the city. This soon became a gathering place for people of all ages who are thus introduced to Swiss and international delicacies. The fame soon exceeded the city limits and also domestic ones, probably by virtue of what is widely regarded as the best Swiss chocolate outside the European borders. The tearoom in 18 Park Street, in the center of Calcutta, still remains a popular meeting place, due to the relaxing atmosphere with retro furnishings which contribute with its good pastry especially chocolate desserts.

Calcutta even today gives an immediate sense of the metropolis, less pretentious than Delhi, less snobbish than Bombay, with its good restaurants at reasonable prices, its parks where the couples linger preserved by the bigotry prevalent in India, its massage parlours disguised as beauty parlors, the brilliant Bengali culture and the beautiful shadow of the British Raj. Calcutta, educated and sensual, a city that is being revived riding the dizzying perhaps with greater discretion-sometimes-destructive growth of the country.

The narrative of contemporary India tends to focus on the new centers of economic power, political and technological side, and often ignore the charming capital of West Bengal, Calcutta, which was the seat of the British Raj and was stigmatized in the West as a paradigm of the chaos in India, particularly when the civil war broke out at the beginning of 1970s, in what was to become the next Bangladesh with the huge amount of refugees who poured into the Indian region.

The city is rather quickly putting up with the most cutting edge developments of the nation, while retaining its intellectual and cultural centrality, offering today's visitors an opportunity to glimpse the urban modernity emerge step by step from its ubiquitous and rich past, and to savour while in beautifully. Robbed of political power a century ago by New Delhi, then Mumbai in the economic front and despite the excessive stigmatization, the capital of West Bengal has managed to maintain its reputation as a high cultural, gastronomic and intellectual foreground.

48 Hours in Kolkata

Friday

15.00   Centre of Power

Known during the colonial era as Dalhousie Square, BBD Bagh  is the political heart of Calcutta. Go past the food stalls that sell omelets and dosas to employees in the area and enjoy the colonial buildings of the square, which once held all the commercial and administrative activities of the British Raj. The most important of these is the Writers Building, on the north side, a colonnade of red brick building dating back to 1776 and today the seat of state government.

17.30 Art Break

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the nationalist revival promoted dala Bengali art school as opposed to the intent of the Mannerist school of Calcutta, and encouraged students to produce miniature in Mughal style, at the time considered the quintessential Indian expression, especially in contrast with the alleged rampant materialism in the West. Although the influence of the two local schools has long since waned, Kolkata remains today a central place for the world of modern Indian art with CIMA, Centre of International Modern Art (Sunny Towers, 43 Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue) elegant and modern space site in South Kolkata, is one of the ideal places to get an idea.

19:30 Rich Food

The traditional way to enjoy authentic Bengali cuisine, characterized by dishes of fresh water river fishes and strongly accentuated by the use of mustard oil, a time is to get invited to dinner by the locals. But due to the increasing number of ladies now happily employed outside of their kitchens, the number of restaurants offering excellent dishes today is steadily increasing. Among these, it is hard to beat  Kewpie's, located on the ground floor of a house at 2 Elgin Lane. Go there with a lot of appetite and order a mangshor thali (approx 500 rupees, less than $ 10 at current exchange rates) and will serve you a hearty selection of seafood, vegetables and a curry, along with rice, famous local desserts and much more.

22.00  Dance and drink

Nightlife in Kolkata is glittering as before. If you do not have budget problems, book a corner in Plush, the local Mediterranean of the Victorian Hotel Astor, 15 Shakespeare Sarani, and enjoy a cocktail while the dance floor is already starting to fill up.

Saturday

8:00 am Walk into History

The economy of Kolkata prospered exceedingly during the colonial era, when many Bengalis accumulated with considerable wealth through trade or as senior officials of the British Raj. Along the streets of the neighborhood of Sovabazar you can see the mansions of the ruling class at the time, built according to the eclecticism of styles that characterized the era and that goes from Indo-Islamic to baroque, from classic Victorian to Bengali and beyond. In order not to miss anything, and not even miss you, maybe you could contact to the well informed guides of Calcutta walks to accompany you in the loop. At the end of when you might be reasonably hungry try the Bhojohori Manna, next to the restored Star Theatre, and you can order the ilish barishali:  Hilsa big steaks, local seafood, served in a mustard sauce.

14.00  Tall Talk at the Coffee House

Shops and stalls crammed with used books, and new ones along the College Street, opposite the University of Calcutta, moving you to the historic Indian Coffee House, at 15 Bankim Chatterjee Street, where, in the airy room on the second floor of the building, new generation students and local intellectuals heat up in animated discussions, or Adda, with steaming cups of coffee. And even though the Communists have lost power in the last election after 34 years, the sinister remain solid in the city, among the many slogans in Bengali and English that periodically appear on the board of the club, recently stood out this Capitalism is not in crisis: capitalism leads to crisis.

17:00  Shopping Time

While in South and East Kolkata, in the newer areas of the city, you will find widespread aseptic western-style shopping malls. In Lindsay Street in the sprawling New Market that continues to be crowded as ever. also known as SS Hogg Market and commerce sites along the arcades that surround it, together offer an infinite variety of merchandise and a great selection of the best Bengali crafts. And if in the meantime you feel like going for a snack, go to the Nizam's, at 23 Hogg Street, where it says they were born in the 1930's with Kathi Rolls, the local version of rolled flatbread and now available across India with wide variations of fillings.

20.00  Contemporary Dinner

If you want to take a break from the local flavors, you can dine at the Bistro by The Park, in 2A Middleton Row, managed by British chef Shaun Kenworthy, who has opened it in 2011 and offers international cuisine including salads, pizzas, pasta, Oriental fusion, but also with some concession to Bengali fish cuisine, God forbid. You can choose what you want directly from the menu that will be delivered to the table. Reasonably priced, all things considered: dinner for two, including two glasses of wine or Italian Australian, on 1800 Rupees.

10.30  Rock 'n' Roll

Park Street was once entirely dotted with clubs where you could listen to jazz and other western sounds, but since 1997 the city rock scene has been dominated by a single place: Someplace Else, inside the Park Hotel, at 17 Park Street. Brass lamps, wrought-iron railings, brick walls, the club is the best and it can seem like a local underground, whilst being within a five-star hotel, but actually assist in the performance of the best bands in the country, which often exhibit a surprise on the small stage in the back of the room.

Sunday

7.00 Dim Sum

At the peak of its political and economic power, Kolkata attracted not only immigrants from India at length, but also exiles from the rest of the world from the Armenian communities, Chinese, Jewish and Parsis, here as in few other places in the world. And while some of these have now suffered an inexorable decline, Sunday morning still offers an excellent opportunity to interact with what remains of the Chinese population of the city. Wake up early and head to the local Chinatown, or the Tiretta Bazar, at the intersection of Chatawala Gali and Surya Sen Street, where you'll find a neighborhood teeming with peddlers of various snacks, summed up in the famous collective name Dim Sum, as well as fruit and fresh vegetables, poultry etc and already becomes very active from 6 am.

15.00 The Iconic Giant

If you are feeling now a bit dazed, before leaving the city bustle, you can barter with the relative quietness of the Victoria Memorial Hall, for foreigners, however, the ticket costs 150 Rupees, built in white marble from the Raj with 15 years of work during the first half of the twentieth century, in the eternal memory of the grandeur inherent in the British colonial project. If you are not going to come right away, you can relax by walking on lawns between parrots and egrets in flight and romantic couples, then, with calm, you can also visit the magnificent building, inside which you will find lithographs and paintings of the era as well as a good exposure of non-long history of the city from its origins to the present day.

And then it will be almost time to go...

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