Kolkata

The City of Infused Traditions and Reviving Cultures

Kolkata, best known as the city of joy ,is one of the metropolitan cities of India. Though it is a metropolitan city, it stays true to its tradition, culture and ethics. It is one of those cities in the world which encapsulates within itself a show of infused modernity and tradition. This feature, among thousand other ones is palpably present in various forms.

The introduction of western ideas, ever since the olden times, might have been accepted and welcomed by the city but has not led to its disintegration. Large populations of Chinese, Armenian, Jewish, British and other immigrant communitieshave made Kolkata their home in the colonial times.

The 6 astonishing buildings which are a proof of Kolkata’s wide tourism and colonial architecture are-

1)Victoria memorial (built between 1906 and 1921)

2)St. Paul’s Cathedral (1847)

3)Marble palace (19^th century)

4)Kolkata town hall(1813)

5)Calcutta high court (1862)

6)Belvedere Estate(1760s)

An example of this is seen in present day architecture too. Though there is a presence of high rise buildings and skyscrapers like the tower 42 and Atmosphere, what attracts people are the old buildings and bungalows with high ceilings and carvings on red walls, mainly present in north Kolkata.Even the high rises cannot seem to escape the aura of traditional Kolkata and are seen as a modern day combination of paintings, carved walls, creepers like the money plants left to grow on the balconies or even books of Tagore e adorning bookshelves.

Street food and tea vendors on the roadsides,stimulates a feeling of joy in the people of the city.

Five most famous street foods found in the city are-

1)Phuchka

2)Kathi Rolls

3)Luchi and Alu Dom

4)Ghugni

5)Moghlai Paranthas

Music too might be growing in the city with introduction of modern day pop music and rap music by bands like ‘Adiacot’ but Kolkata’s unique traditional music still remains food for soul. Maybe people are buying expensive cars today but underground metros and trams still remain to be the fastest and cheapest mode of transport, especially with the introduction of the new metro routes connecting Salt Lake City - Howrah Maidan (East-WestMetroCorridor)

Classics by Amitava Ghosh and love stories by Durjoy Dutta make us swoon and are famous worldwide.

Durga puja continues to be the festival of grand celebrations and even widely so.

It is impossible to capture the high spirits and feels of a city like Kolkata in mere words. To know it one must experience it. The junctions of old and new excites the hearts of the people and makes them believe in contemporaryworld where things move at their own pace and each turn your take leads you closer to a piece of heaven.