Kolkata: The City of Joy or the City of Bongs

by
by

 

A Sinking Titanic: Is it?

Kolkata, the Indian city known for its culture, heritage, literature, history, freedom movements and many more to write or think about. But, this write up is not meant for those readers who want to cherish the history of Kolkata.

This is all about present Kolkata and our living in the city now. When we think of city life, all that comes to our mind would be food, malls, crowd, nightlife and traffic. Now virtually, we land in the City of JOY.

Food

This comes to my mind first when I think of the city. Varieties of street food and lot of varieties of sweets…What more a foodie wants. Kolkata chats are to be enjoyed in the streets complimented with Ragullas, sandhesh and mishit dohi would be most delighted feast we could ever have. On a lighter note, the natives also welcome you with not how are you but “Aey Shokale ki Khanche”. This shows their tribute to food

Sports

Kolkattans are sport lovers too. They enjoy football like anything. It is in the blood of every Bong. They have their own football team and club as well- Mohun Bagan. Now is the time to witness the fantasy or we can say obsession for Football. If you will arrive in Kolkata you will amaze to see the love for Football. But overall it’s a total waste.

Administration

Now will go straight to the Administration of West Bengal. Everybody knows about it. It’s hopeless. The city has potential but it is deteriorating due to its administration, we know what happened with Tata and Infosys and how government has pulled them out. CM’s statement on last Year’s Rape Case: “The case is fabricated.” After that, the transfer of that lady officer who was investigating the case. This only shows what this government is capable of.

Nightlife

As per recent survey “Kolkata is most expensive to party/clubbing for a couple as compared to other city of India.” I was stunned to see that. This is because I have never expected this. So I thought to explore the nightlife on my upcoming trip to Kolkata. I went to Roxy, Aqua, Shisha, Soho etc. Seriously I found the same. It’s really happening, amazing crowd, awesome music etc. I didn’t find this kind of nightlife in any other city of India. It’s a must do when you are in Kolkata.

Shopping

Shopping in Kolkata can be a great fun as city is filled with open markets and Malls selling interesting goods. Saris, Handicrafts are some of the popular purchases. If you bargain well you can get a good deal. But still mall culture is not yet developed here. This is because of the strong presence of other markets. Like Bara bazaar, New Market, Street Market from New Market to Park Street etc. Very less number of Malls as compared to other Metropolitan cities. But still it’s fun. The Must visit Malls and other markets- South City Mall, Salt lake City Center, New Market, Lindsay Street, Mani Square and Bara Bazaar.

Moving in the City

I really want to talk about it. This is the best part of Kolkata. The city is very well connected. Auto rickshaw, Hand rickshaw, Taxi, Metro, Buses, Tram, Ferry and Local trains. It has every possible means of transport. Also, it is very cheap as compared to other Cities. As per recent survey-

“The study of 84 cities across the world titled ‘Future of Urban Mobility 2.0‘, ranks Kolkata at 31-highest among the six cities studied in India. While Mumbai (41) comes second, Chennai (54) comes third followed by Hyderabad (55), Bangalore (65) and Delhi (79). The study was released by Arthur D Little, a management consultant based in Boston and International Association of Public Transport”

“The best cities, according to the study, are Hong Kong, Stockholm and Amsterdam while the worst are Baghdad, Hanoi and Atlanta. Kolkata fares better than several cities in developed countries including New York (35), Toronto (38) and Melbourne.” – As per Times of India report —>Click here

People

As per Kolkata.Org

“The reservoir of Calcutta people is very comprehensive consisting not just of Bengali people, but also a number of other ethnicities. People of Kolkata India can be divided into a number of categories, namely, Ghotis from West Bengal and Bangals from East Bengal, Biharis, Marwaris, Oriyas, Anglo-Indians, Chinese, Tamils, Telugus, Malayalees, Guajarati’s, Assamese, Marathi’s, Parsees, Nepalese and Caucasian Europeans.
Most of the ethnic groups are living peacefully in Calcutta. However, the relations between Hindus and Muslims are little tensed. Migrants from world over form part of Kolkata’s society. Each ethnicity represents a unique feature of its own. Parsees, who inhabited Calcutta before the British had taken over, were converted into entrepreneurs by the colonial powers. Chinese people deserve the credit for promoting the religious values and practices of Buddhism and Confucianism. Marwari’s today hold high positions in the cotton, jute and banking industry.”

This is the major problem with Kolkata-Local People. They don’t like to do any work. Rather they will stop others also from doing work. If you want to learn – How not to work then this is the best place. They are idle and only want easy money. This is the main reason why Kolkata is deteriorating. They don’t have any ambitions in life.

But on the other hand, people here are really helpful. This is the major problem that they are helpful. They all are interested in Politics. Wherever you go – School, Colleges or Offices everywhere politics plays a major role.

But if you will see on the other side, they have a great passion for Music & any form of art. It’s really commendable. We have great musicians who are from Bengal. Also there are many Rock Bands in Kolkata.

Others

The crowd is diverse as in other cities. But what distinct Kolkattans from the rest? It is their interests. They are more interested about what their peers, friends neighbors are up to. The word ADDA originates from Kolkata. Now a days this ADDA is everywhere but only Kolkattans knows the essence of the word. Their Main Mantra: “Na khud kaam karo aur na kisi ko karne do”. Criticism could be learnt easily by staying there for some time.

Must Visit Places

Victoria Memorial, Kalighat Temple, Flower Market (Beneath Howrah Bridge), Marble Palace, Dakhineshwar Temple, Belur Math, Nandan Cinema Hall, Indian Museum, Mother Teresa home(on AJC Bose Road), Jain Temple(Dada Bari), Bara Bazaar etc.

Best Time to Visit

During Durga Puja- In the month of Sept-Oct.

Conclusion

After reading all the above, you might all wonder what I am trying to apprehend. Is Kolkata a promising and best urban city to live in? Or is it a city without any ray of light? Well, the answer would be, when the resources are utilized and opportunities are maximized, development is bound to happen. Kolkata has enormous natural, human and economic resources. History has also paved way for its infrastructure and diversity.

May we hope that the Government realize the competition and govern the city for its well-being. Let the bureaucracy win over the idleness. Let the city turn into a city of Prosperity to retain the tagline city of Joy.

by
by