Friday 8 December 2017

Experience of My Delhi – Kolkata – Darjling – Sikkim – Delhi Journey – Part 3

wake up early I went to morning walk. Streets of Kolkata are still in sleeping mode. Footpath has acquired by baggers for sleep. I stop at bifurcation and not able to decide which road I should follow. I saw tram lane is passing through one road so I will follow the tram lane road. This area has many societies and shops but not big shopping malls. School going students are giving life to the road. Kolkata is simple metro city. Life doesn’t run like Delhi or Mumbai here. People are not rich but well literate and simple. After a long walk, I way back to hotel. Road become alive while I return to the hotel… 


I get fresh and off to see the city without any fix agenda. I ask hotel boy about tram. He says – Tram stops in stopping points only so you have to go to stop points. He also shows me the direction for tram stopping point. First tram come and I sit in it without even knowing where the tram will go ? interior of tram tells that this is oldest tram. Paintings on wall are depicting British time. Sitting arrangement for ladies and gents are separate. I sit in ladies area. A huge old fan is hanging on the roof and blowing wind with full speed. Driver wearing khaki dress ask me - ticket. But as I have no agenda so I ask him with smile - Where the tram will go? He looks at me with smile and asks - New in Kolkata? I move my head in agreement. He suggests - I will drop you after two points, from there take another tram for metro station and then take metro for Maidan. Great!!!  I am glad that I have agenda now…


He drops me after two points. I wait for another tram and enter into it. When I ask conductor for ticket to Maidan he tell me – its wrong tram and said he will drop me on next point. He didn’t collect ticket from me. Next tram was again a wrong tram and conductor again drop me into next point without ticket and tell me that I should wait opposite direction for Metro station tram. People are really helpful. Anyway I travel so much in tram now but next time I get right tram for Metro station…

Watching city through the tram is also an experience. This tram is new tram. Interior is new inside. No separate seats for ladies and gents. Fan is new and driving seat has also new technology. Kolkata is really a different place in so many means. This is the place where every old machinery is still in working condition and rents are still cheap. Kolkata is still a cheap state according to expenditure…

Most of all now I am enjoying my nomadness…

I stop in Metro station and went inside. Crossed few security checks I reach to ticket counter and take ticket for Maidan. This station again decorated with mosaic paintings depicting Hindu Mythology and British era but photography not allowed here. Waiting for few minutes’ metro comes and I get in. Metro is jam-packed but luckily this is new metro so I will get all the announcements and this is AC too…

After 30 minutes, I reach Maidan. Maidan is huge and posh area of the city. This is newly made area so it is well managed. I didn’t find any hustle-bustle here. Roads are broad so traffic jam is very less but before go anywhere else I will search a restaurant and eat something coz I am hungry and drizzle has also start so I need a shelter too…


I find a restaurant and went inside. This is double story restaurant and I went to upward. Boy around 18-19, come to me and ask me in Bengali. I request him to speak in Hindi. He speaks in Bengali mix Hindi and put menu in front of me and asks - what will you have? I don’t see the menu but ask him – what you have? He tells me everything in single breath. I stop him in middle and look up the menu card where I find all North Indian food. I order for Aloo Paratha and tea…

This restaurant is small but well managed and well designed. All young students are here and they are talking about their studies and there preparation for next exam. I think this restaurant is also an Adda type restaurant. After a while, he gets my food. After food, he brings me tea in an earthen pot. I appreciate it. This is natural and harmless stuff. I ordered two glasses tea now…

I came out but it’s raining heavily. Sardarji sitting in a main chair tell me to wait there and we start a little conversation. He tells me – I was child when my father migrated here and established this restaurant. Now I am more Bengali then the Punjabi. He tells me – in Kolkata you will find Punjabis’ South Indians and Bihari doing business. Rain has stopped and my final question to Sardar ji is – Where can I go from here ? Sardar ji advise – take taxi and go to Victoria Memorial, which is not very far…



I take taxi to Victoria Memorial, my next destination. Traveling through the taxi, I saw this area with broad roads, huge buildings, big shopping complexes. Few minutes later, I was in Victoria Memorial. Tourists are taking pictures at the building gate where two huge marble tigers are taking place. I went inside the gate. Huge white color building has surrounded with the green grass fields. Grandness of the building is showing the luxurious life of British period. This is more lavish inside. Huge rooms have decorated with precious stuffs. I follow the stair and reach second floor. When I saw downwards, it was like I am standing on high peak and watching downside. Many tourists are here so after roaming little more I went to other side of the building where I find the Canteen. I went inside the canteen just to check the rate list and I am again surprised that the rates are very low. Even when I went to the toilet – worker sitting outside demand me for 1 Takka. When I asked takka ? he says – 1 rupees which is so cheap…

After spending some time, I back to road and start walking. As I have no agenda so want to know my next destination. Again I ask to a local person - where I can go ? He suggested me concentrating his eyes on his wristwatch - take walk for metro station, which is nearby, and go to the Thakurbadi, home of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore…



With my next agenda, I walk on footpath towards metro station. While walking I saw many huge buildings along the road including Birla Planetarium. Roads are broad and neat. Many type of mosaic works I can see on wall on different topics. Weather is sultry so I am not enjoying walk but metro station is not coming. Everybody tells me – just to come. After a long-long walk I reach metro station and collect ticket for Thakurbari. In next 30 minutes, I reached but still have to walk… 




I crossed long footpath. Sidewall of the footpath has decorated with mosaic art. Actually, this is good to see and keep city beautiful and clean too. Anyway, after crossing footpath I enter into a busy market. Whole area is showing the essence of old Bengal. People are lethargically sitting on road and busy in talking. Road is cramped with rickshaws, hand pulling rickshaws, car, scooter, pedestrian everything. I take my way between everything and watching the architect of old buildings too. Now I am in broad and open society area. I ask here the way of Thakurbadi. He hurriedly replied – go further and take left from there. This is first time when someone replies me in hurry…


Heavy rain starts when I reach Thakurbadi. I wait almost half n hour at the reception. I saw a big red color building through the heavy downpour. When rain stops I move to take ticket and deposit my bag inside then went upstairs. I went into room belongs to Rabindrnath Tagore and then went to many other rooms. All rooms are showing the luxuries life style of Rabindranath Tagor. Rabindra music is blowing in the air and making everything calm and cool. I saw a girl showing reverence to Rabindranath every time and in every room. She seems to be influence by the Rabindra. I ask her. She says with glittering eyes – I am learning Rabindra Music and I am a huge fan of Rabindranath. This place is like a temple to me. I love to come here whenever I get time…


Now I have to back to hotel so I didn’t ask anybody where to go ? I crossed a long lane of different markets. First market is Idol market. Huge idols of Hindu God and goddess are here and makers are making them here too. School kids are going home from the school, heaving fun with each other, and teasing each other too. Crossing this market, I reach to sweet market and sweet makers are making sweets here but unfortunately no one is making Misti Doi and now I enter into iron smith area. This area is dirty and road is clogged with rain water. I anyhow cross the area and take taxi to my hotel…

Collect my bagpack from hotel I take taxi for the Syaldeh Railway Station for Jalpaiguri. Now time to say bye to Kolkata but with promise that I will back again, and again I will wander like this… 

I really enjoyed my no-madness here…