Oh! Calcutta….Not your Mother Theresa’s Kolkata

​I am now in India, mostly on a buying trip—looking for cashmere. Usually when I come to India, and this is my first time in a few years, I try to visit someplace I have never been.  This time, it is Kolkata, once known as Calcutta.
 
Like most of India, pandemonium and chaos seem to be an undercurrent to life here. Traffic is always terrible, most drivers don’t seem to follow rules and horns blare constantly, generally for no discernible reason. All that said, Kolkata is a very interesting place.
 
This if the view from my hotel room. The hotel is located in New Town…a developing area about 40 minutes by car from the city center. Well-planned and attractive, it is far from the chaos of the heart of the city.

The Victoria Memorial is a magnificent structure and certainly the first place anyone visiting here should see.  Located in beautiful gardens, it was built in the 1920’s to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria.  The legacy of the UK here is not all that great, but certainly this structure is one of the better relics of the British era. 

The next place one needs to visit is the revered Howrah Bridge. Why is it famous?  I asked Google:
It carries a daily traffic of approximately 100,000 vehicles and possibly more than 150,000 pedestrians, easily making it the busiest cantilever bridge in the world. The third-longest cantilever bridge at the time of its construction, the Howrah Bridge is currently the sixth-longest bridge of its type in the world.

The street scene near the bridge gives you a glimpse into ordinary life here.

I visited a beautiful temple outside the city called Dakshineswar which was simply magnificent. Why is it famous?  I asked Google: 
 
The temple is known for its association with Ramakrishna and Ma Sarada Devi, mystics of 19th century Bengal. The Temple complex is on the banks of the river Hooghly, West Bengal. The main temple was inspired by Navaratna style Radhakanta temple, built by Ramnath Mondal of Tollygunge.

​Before going into the temple itself (cameras are not allowed), many people wash in the Hooghly river that runs nearby.

Many parishioners buy offerings that they carry with them into the temple.  Rather than leaving them, they have them blessed and then carry them home.

​Finally, let me share some random photos from around the city. 

Below  is a memorial built with funds donated by residents of the city to honor the Britisher James Prinsep. Apparently he was quite revered in the city.
 
Who was James Prinsep?  I asked Google:
James Prinsep FRS was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India.

Flowers are omnipresent in Indian life.  Every morning, a new arrangement appeared in the lobby of my hotel.  The best one:


I am now in Delhi with morning sun providing some warmth to a very chilly morning.  Sitting on a rooftop deck of a small guest house enjoying coffee and looking forward to seeing beautiful cashmere scarves….