Nov 24, 2006 12:05 PM
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(Updated Nov 24, 2006 03:33 PM)
The City of Joy... And of Tagore... And of Football... And of Ray...
A slow and sound city, honest to the core. Mixed emotions, overwhelming happiness, unchecked sorrow... Long parades of long-lost men, lonely lanes of love-struck teenagers, theaters booming with Dolby digital, open-air auditoriums swinging to the beats of "Bangla Rock", footpaths thronged by hawkers, streets jam packed by auto rickshaws. So many right things, more than that the anomalies, even more than that the incessant energy waste behind nothing -- all this and more make up our Kolkata. The perfect portrayal of imperfection; but then that is what emotions are made up of...
A city with lots of difference if you want a definition of it… But never the indifference. The over-friendly neighbor, the over-inquisitive boss, the over-fed son-in-law: could you really have cared less? Kolkata derives its essence from being that typical jack-of-all. Be it politics or science or fact or fiction or sports or music, Kolkatans always have had their own share somewhere. Innovation is in their blood but then something has to curb it... Emotions!! Just not a handful of it, but Kolkatans seem to be overflowing with it. Be it Bush spelling out an end to Saddam, be it India losing to Pakistan, be it an issue on Reservation, be it just a plain Bangla Bandh, Kolkatans have never failed to react! And that is where the specialty of this beautiful city lies. An innocence peeps out of somewhere. Uncontrolled sentiments gush out without that coating of professionalism. Sophistication loses to naivety. Somewhere below the polish and the glitter of the made-up of this world, shines out the crude face of human life. Perhaps it'll take us a long time to grow up...
As a place Kolkata has a variety to offer:
The lush green stretch of Maidan looks especially gorgeous during winter.
The Victoria Memorial's milky white Angel has always been a sweet favorite.
The Kalighat Kali Temple or the Birla Temple have thousands of faithful followers visiting there everyday.
Nalban Bheri - A great lazing out spot... Especially for the love birds!!
The St. Paul’s Cathedral in all its glory and splendor is a place of peace.
The Birla Planetarium has always managed to enthrall the audience with latest shows on planets and stars.
Not to forget the amusement park - Nicco Park - a hot favorite among kids and adults alike
The Science City offers you with a chance to have a lot of adventure with various scientific aspects.
Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stdium) - home to many sports and cultural events.
The Metro - probably a must ride of the city!!
With all this and much much more the city seems to be a lovely place to have a good time in! Not obviously to forget the great "pet pooja" offerings - loads of fishes like Hilsha, Rui, Katla, Shingi, Pabda, Chingri to sweet dishes like Rashogolla, Pantua, variety of Shandesh... Ummm!! Amazing!! The morning or evening rush hours, the sweltering heat, the severe pollution however do pose a lot of threat, not to mention the ever increasing traffic congestion problems!
On the whole, Kolkata is a city throbbing with life. You will hardly find a peaceful corner where you can sit down and be with yourself. The parks, the outskirt areas are all getting inhabited, thanks to the blooming Housing Industry and the population which is probably increasing by leaps and bounds!!
Kolkata is a city of passion - more than any brick structure the human faces portray the essence of the city. Humans are the heart beat, the blood and veins of this city. Perhaps that is why it feels different. It touches you with unmistakable warmth, lends you a helping hand and assures you a fulfilling life! But within this uniqueness lies the potential threat to this city. An urge to embrace up every thing, every being in its way has given it as much bad as good. An urge to belong to the people has made it accessible to as much the bad as the good.
Kolkata has always managed to hold on to itself and even on to the entire world with its rich variety of people or work to offer. It needs to stride ahead, holding on to its traditions and yet accept every change. It needs to march ahead crossing all the hurdles successfully. It needs to live because it knows somewhere deep down; it adds a lot to this gift called life...
