Kolkata : The City Of Joy

KOLKATA : THE CITY OF JOY– FOR PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE GLOBE, KOLKATA HAD BEEN NICKNAMED AS ‘THE CITY OF JOY’ AFTER THE INFAMOUS NOVEL WRITTEN BY GREAT NOVELIST DOMINIQUE LAPPIERRE IN 1985. BUT FOR EVERY BENGALI AS WELL ASTHE INHABITANTS OF KOLKATA, IT HAS BEEN EXACTLY THAT FOR INNUMERABLE DECADES. FABRICATED BY EXQUISITE ART, SUBLIME CULTURE, AND GLOURIOUS HISTORY, BEAUTY RUNS IN KOLKATA’S LANES. BEING A METROPOLITAN CITY NOW, PACE HAS BECOME IT'S NEW ORNAMENT. IT IS A COMFORTABLY WARM AND VERY WELCOMING CITY, IT THRILLS THE OUTSIDERS AT FIRST AND THEN GRADUALLY SEEMS TO BECOME A INSEPARABLE PART OF THEIR SOUL.

AS A TOURIST, THE CITY IS A FEAST TO YOUR SOUL. WHAT MIGHT BE TERMED AS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THE CITY OF JOY HOLDS ITS VIRTUOUS NAME FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

BENGALI ART AND CULTURE :

KOLKATA HAS BEEN THE HEART OF ART AND CULTURE FOR CENTURIES TILL TODAY. IT HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO LEGENDS LIKE RABINDRANATH TAGORE, SCHOLARS LIKE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA BECAUSE OF WHOM KOLKATA AND INDIA REACHED NEW HEIGHTS IN THE WORLD STAGE.

KOLKATA IS ALSO THE HUB OF MUSIC AND DANCE AND CATERS TO DIFFERENT TASTES OF PEOPLE. MANY MUSICIANS AND DANCERS HAVE THEIR ROOTS BELONGING TO THIS CITY LIKE MANNA DEY, KISHORE KUMAR , UDAY SHANKAR , MAMATA SHANKAR AND MANY OTHER TALENTS. IT IS ALSO THE CITY OFTOLLYWOOD, THE REGIONAL FILM INDUSTRY WHICH HAS PRODUCED INNUMEROUS INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AND CRITICIZED FILMS LIKE JALSHAGAR, PANTHER PACHALI ETC. DIRECTED BY LEGEND LIKE SATYAJIT RAY.

TOURIST LOCATIONS :

KOLKATA IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATIONS OF THE COUNTRY. IT HAS A HUGE RUSH OF TOURISTS ROUND THE YEAR. MOST FAMOUS OF THE TOURIST SPOTS INCLUDE THE FAMOUS VICTORIA MEMORIAL, A MUSEUM OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE WELL KNOWN FOR ITS ARCHITECTURE AND GARDEN. THEN THERE ARE THE BIRLA PLANETARIUM AND SCIENCE CITYFOR THE SCIENCE LOVERS TO EXPLORE. THE INDIAN MUSEUM IS THE LARGEST IN ASIA, MAKING IT A HERITAGE FOR THE CITY. THERE ARE THEME PARKS LIKE ECO PARKAND NICCO PARK FOR HOLIDAYMAKERS AND EVEN A WELL ORGANISED ZOO FOR ANIMAL LOVERS. THE CITY IS ALSO FAMOUS FOR FEW OUTSKIRT TOURIST SPOTS LIKE FRENCH SETTLEMENT IN CHANDANNAGAR ETC.

MARKETS :

THE CITY OF JOY IS WHERE MOST OF THE INDIAN BRIDES PLAN THEIR WEDDING SHOPPING. THERE ARE CLOSED COVERED FLEET MARKETS LIKE ESPLANADE, HOGG MARKET AND NEW MARKET WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET HOLD OF ANYTHING THEY NEED FOR A BARGAIN. THERE ARE THE EXQUISITE MALLS LIKE FORUM, QUEST, CITY CENTERS, SOUTH CITY MALL AND MANY MORE FOR THE BRAND INVADERS. THERE ARE SOME REALLY OLD CONFECTIONARIES LIKE FLURYS, CUTLERY AND FOOTWEAR STORES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE EVEN BEFORE THE TIME OF INDEPENDENCE AND HOLD STRONG TILL DATE FOR THEIR QUALITY AND STANDARDS.

SWEETS :

BENGALIS HAVE AN INSATIABLE CRAVE FOR SWEETS AND DELICACIES,‘RASGULLA’BEING THE SIGNATURE BENGALI SWEET AND ALONG WITH THE JOINT CONTENDER‘SANDESH’. KOLKATA HAS ALWAYS BEING A SATISFYING PLACE FOR THE ULTIMATE SWEET LOVERS WITH ITS WIDE VARIETY OF CONFECTIONARIES. THE GREATNESS OF KOLKATA’S SWEET LIES IN ITS UNIQUENESS. THE CITY EVEN OFFERS DELICIOUS SUGAR-FREE DESSERTS FOR DIABETIC PATIENTS.

FOOD :

BORN FOODIES, BENGALIS LOVE TO EAT AND AT THE SAME TIME FEED THEIR GUEST, THE MANTRA BEING ‘EAT AND LET EAT’. KOLKATA HAS A GREAT SUPPLY OF FISHES AND WITH THE AGE OLD RECIPES, ONE SIMPLY CANNOT MISS THISBENGALI CUISINEOF‘MACHH-BHAAT’(FISH CURRY AND RICE). SOME SPECIAL FISHES ARE RUHI, PRAWN, POMFRET AND THE VERY DEAR HILSA. THE BENGALI PREPARATION OF BIRIYANI IS FAMOUS FOR BEING LIGHT AND AROMATIC. DELICIOUS FOOD OF ALL KINDS BELONGING TO DIFFERENT REGIONS AND RELIGIONS IN KOLKATA IS TRULY NEVER-ENDING!NO MATTER WHAT .

BRIDGE :

THERE ARE FOUR MAJESTIC BRIDGES IN KOLKATA TO EASE COMMUTATION AND HELP CROSS THE HOLY RIVER GANGA. THEHOWRAH BRIDGEIS THE BUSIEST CANTILEVER BRIDGE OF THE WORLD AND IS THE MOST POPULARLY USED SYMBOL FOR THE CITY. THE VIEW OF THE CITY FROM THIS BRIDGES, AND VICE VERSA, IS SPECTACULAR AND INCOMPARABLE WITH ANY OTHER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF THE COUNTRYAGEING EVEN BEFORE THE INDEPENDENCE OF INDIA AND THE FIRST AND MOST EXCLUSIVE OF ITS KIND IN INDIA.

DURGA PUJA :

THE MOST AWAITED FESTIVAL OF THE BENGALIS , DURGA PUJACELEBRATION IS SOMETHING ONE MUST NOT MISS IN KOLKATA. THE GRANDEUR OF THE FESTIVAL IS LIKE NOWHERE ELSE WITH CELEBRATIONS TAKING PLACE OVER A SPAN OF FIVE LONG DAYS. THE PEOPLE OF KOLKATA ADORN THEMSELVES AND THE CITY WITH NEW OUTFITS AND GET UNITED THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS OF “JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS”. IT IS A SYBOL OF GOOD OVERPOWERS EVIL. IT ALSO SYMBOLIZES NARISHAKTI’MEANING WOMEN POWER AND THAT SHE IS THE ULTIMATE POWER.

STADIUM :

KOLKATA HAS THE FOURTH LARGEST CRICKET AND, PERHAPS, THE MOST ICONIC STADIUMS OF THE WORLD CALLED THEEDEN GARDENSWHICH HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR NATIONAL AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL MATCHES SINCE 1934. IT IS EQUALLY FAMOUS FOR BEING THE HOME GROUND OF THE CRICKETING LEGEND, SOURAV GANGULY (THE BENGALI’S BELOVED DADA) WHO HAS BEEN THE YOUTH ICON OF INDIA TILL DATE. THEYUVA BHARATI STADIUMIS OF EQUAL MAGNIFICENCE, BEING THE LARGEST FOOTBALL STADIUM IN INDIA AND ONE OF THE FIVE LARGEST STADIUMS IN THE WORLD, WITH AN APPROXIMATE SEATING CAPACITY OVER 1 LAKH.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR :

KOLKATA HAS BEEN NAMED THE CITY OF JOY BECAUSE IT HAS MIRTH IN STORE FOR EVERYONE. IT HOUSES MANY CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS AND ANGLO-INDIANS AND THUS CHRISTMAS IS ALSO NONE-THE-LESS GRAND. PARK STREET IS BEST KNOWN FOR THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PARTIES WHERE MILLIONS OF CITY DWELLERS AND TOURISTS MEET TO CELEBRATE THE GRANDEUR OF THE AUSPICIOUS EVES.

KOLKATA SURELY NEVER FAILS TO SATISFY ITS VISITORS. IT IS JUSTLY CALLED THECITY OF JOY.

IT CAN THUS BE SAID THAT ‘YOU MAY BE TAKEN OUT OF KOLKATA BUT KOLKATA CAN’T BE TAKEN OUT OF YOU!’