Kolkata: Our Experience

Summary

While at first sight, Kolkata might seem dirty and populated and might make you want to turn and run in the other direction; however, spend some time here and it will grow on you like no other Indian city. While the quality of attractions are few and far between, the people are warm, friendly and fun, the Bengali cuisine is the best in India and the colonial, old world atmosphere will gently wrap its tentacles around your soul.

Kolkata: Our Experience

 

24th December, 2013 (Day 1)

 

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To get from Chennai to Kolkata by train, it would have taken us two days. Instead of taking the train as we have done throughout our India trip, we cut our journey short and took a flight which took us a bit over two hours. We arrived into Kolkata at midday quite tired and looking forward to some relaxation time.

I was born in Kolkata and spent the first 23 years of my life here. My parents and extended family still live here so I try to visit every couple of years or so. This time I brought my husband, Graham who is Australian, to see Kolkata for himself and to meet my extended family.

We had booked a hotel near Park Street so we took a pre-paid taxi from the airport to our hotel. Once there, we unpacked, showered and headed out for lunch.

 

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My favourite fast food is Kolkata kathi rolls which Graham has never had before. So, we walked down to Park Street where there are a couple of really good street shops that make some of the best Kolkata kathi rolls in town. We ended up at the one outside Karnani Mansion on Park Street where there is always a line of people waiting to be served. We waited for over 15 minutes before we received our chicken rolls but it was well worth the wait. Graham loved the kathi rolls and I was in heaven while eating them.

After lunch, we went back to our hotel and just slept as we were really tired from the flight and the hectic travel around India for nearly two months. When we woke up, it was nearly time for dinner.

 

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For dinner, I wanted to try some good Chinese food as Kolkata has some of the best Chinese restaurants in India. Most of the well-known Chinese restaurants are located on Park Street, so we walked down to Golden Dragon Kolkata for some good value Chinese dishes. This restaurant has been around for decades and has been run by a Chinese family for generations. They serve superb, no frills Chinese food at shockingly reasonable rates.

 

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After dinner we walked down Park Street to check out the Christmas lights and decorations. The city had done a great job of making the streets come alive with colourful lights and decorations strung across Park Street. It had totally transformed the city centre and brought out hundreds of locals to celebrate in the streets.

 

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Being a Catholic myself, I enjoy attending Christmas midnight mass as it is a very festive and joyous occasion and a lovely way of bringing in the birth of Christ. I took Graham to St Thomas Church for their Christmas midnight mass celebration which was also attended by some Kolkata dignitaries. There was heightened security outside the gates and non-Christians were being stopped from entering the church premises.

The Christmas celebration started with carols being sung by the church choir. At midnight, the mass began which was quite solemn; the head priest reminded us about the purpose of Christmas – to live a life similar to what Christ did on earth. By the time we got back to our hotel, it was past one o’clock in the morning.

 

 

25th December, 2013 (Day 2)

 

On Christmas Day, Graham and I spent the day with my parents – having beers and a lovely lunch cooked by my mother. In the evening, we went over to meet my extended family for a raucous celebration with lots of alcohol, good food and great company. It was a fantastic day spent catching up with my family who I hadn’t seen for ages. Graham, on the other hand, enjoyed meeting my family and learning about our Anglo Indian culture and ways of life.

 

 

26th December, 2013 (Day 3)

 

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After our hectic Christmas celebrations the day before, we decided to sleep in and woke up just in time for lunch. We were meeting an old friend of mine from college, so we decided to have lunch together at Gangaur. When I lived in Kolkata, Gangaur was a chain of Indian sweet shops. Today, Gangaur is a restaurant near busy Park Street serving delicious Indian food. It was crowded due to the holidays but we were lucky to get a table in short order. The food was quick and we enjoyed eating here.

 

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After lunch, I took Graham to see Kolkata’s most recognised landmark – Victoria Memorial. The memorial is surrounded by a lovely garden expanse so we admired the architecture of the memorial as we walked around the gardens in the late afternoon sun. Conceived by Lord Curzon in 1901 as a monument to Queen Victoria, it wasn’t completed until four years after her death. Now a museum, it has 25 galleries which cover a fascinating selection of Raj memorabilia.

 

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Across the road from the Victoria Memorial is St Paul’s Cathedral which is the original metropolitan church of British India. An Anglican cathedral, it is one of the most important churches in Kolkata. What we loved about this cathedral was the beautiful stained-glass windows particular the West window which was absolutely stunning.

 

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We returned to our hotel in the evening for a short rest before dinner. One of Graham’s favourite Indian dishes is Biryani so I took him to try Kolkata’s version of the famous Biryani at Shiraz Restaurant. Growing up in Kolkata, Shiraz was synonymous with Kolkata biryani but unfortunately they have dropped in their standards of quality. Not only is the biryani a lot more expensive, the quality and quantity of the food has deteriorated. It was a disappointment to dine at Shiraz and I will not be visiting this restaurant again.

 

 

27th December, 2013 (Day 4)

 

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This morning we awoke early as we wanted to visit a few places around Kolkata. Staying near Park Street was awesome as it allowed us to use the Metro (underground subway) to travel between northern and southern Kolkata to visit the attractions.

Hopping off at Jatin Das Metro station, we found a small eatery at the side of the road where we had some breakfast. While Graham tried their Aloo Samosas I had their Dahi Vada topped with a delicious spicy yogurt.

 

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Popular with the Hindus of Kolkata, Kalighat Temple is the holiest spot for Hindu worship and, according to some, the source of the city’s name. This is the temple to Kali, the patron goddess of Kolkata. The present Kalighat temple dates to the early 19th century, but this has been a sacred spot for much longer. Today’s version, a 1809 rebuild, has floral- and peacock-motif tiles that look more Victorian than Indian.

While we found Kalighat Temple to be quite ordinary, we did like the market area that surrounded the temple. It was filled with colourful shops selling items of worship and people sitting at the side of the road selling bright orange and yellow marigolds.

 

The rest of the day was spent at my parents house relaxing, eating my favourite home cooked food and catching up on stories.

 

 

28th December, 2013 (Day 5)

 

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This morning we took a taxi to AJC Bose Road in central Kolkata to visit the Missionaries of Charity. In 1952, the Order of the Missionaries of Charity was started in Kalighat by Mother Teresa to serve the destitute and dying 19 years after she arrived in India. The headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity is Motherhouse where the tomb of the Mother now lies in all its simplicity. It was a privilege to be able to visit Mother Teresa’s grave as well as see the room where she lived and worked all her life in Kolkata.

Nearby Motherhouse is Shishu Bhavan, a home for the 250 or so orphans and physically and mentally challenged children. We were touched by the love and hospitality showed to us by the sisters as well as the orphans who wanted us to take them home with us. It was sad to leave as we had a wonderful time with the happy, playful kids at the orphanage.

 

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Kolkata has a barrage of different modes of transportation, most of them from the ancient world. Nothing is more nostalgic than taking a ride in one of the old trams that ply the pot-holed roads of central Kolkata. As a child, taking a ride in a tram was the journey I loved the most so I always look forward to hopping into one of the old trams in Kolkata when I visit the city. They are slow but they get you to your destination eventually. This reminds me of a Buddha quote – “It’s better to travel well than to arrive”.

 

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One of the best experiences you can have in Kolkata is eating Bengali food. Graham had not tried Bengali food until I took him to Suruchi Restaurant that afternoon for lunch. Located next to Motherhouse, it has always been a favourite for good Bengali food. Unfortunately, I found that while the prices of their dishes had gone up, the quality of their food had deteriorated. Nonetheless, it was Graham first introduction to Bengali food and definitely not the last as we went in search for the best Bengali food in Kolkata.

 

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After lunch, we took a taxi to Esplanade / BBD Bagh area of central Kolkata where we started our Walking Tour of Old Kolkata. The area around BBD Bagh is a great place to see the sights and sounds of Old Kolkata. The streets around BBD Bagh is the “heart” of Kolkata and was the site of the original Kolikata, one of the villages from which the city grew. The BBD Bagh square is ringed with British colonial buildings, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. These were once the centres of British administrative and commercial control; today, they are in a dilapidated condition and occupied by government workers.

We spent the entire afternoon walking around the streets of Old Kolkata, sometimes admiring the architecture of the colonial buildings, sometimes cringing at the awful condition of the old buildings. By the time we finished, it was getting dark so we headed back to the hotel for a rest.

 

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Kolkata has some of the best restaurants in India with a variety of Indian cuisines to choose from. Another one of my favourite restaurants is Azad Hind Dhaba on Ballygunge Circular Road. Dhaba meaning “road side eatery”, this is a typical Punjabi restaurant serving delicious Punjabi dishes and breads. Not only is the food amazing over here, the service is exceptional too.

 

 

29th December, 2013 (Day 6)

 

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Today, we took some time out from visiting attractions and visited an old friend of mine instead. She cooks one of the best Kolkata Biryanis and she made some for Graham knowing how much he loves Biryani. This was clearly the best Biryani we had in Kolkata, beating the popular restaurants, Shiraz and Zeeshan hands down.

 

 

30th December, 2013 (Day 7)

 

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Having spent the night at my friend’s place, we returned late in the morning to our hotel for a shower and a change of clothes. After lunch, we headed out to visit the South Park Street Cemetery in central Kolkata. The cemetery was used to accommodate the large number of British who died ‘serving’ their country. Opened in 1767, the cemetery was in use until about 1830 and is now a heritage site. There are about 1,600 tombs in total, most of them in derelict condition. Nevertheless, it was wonderful walking around the jungle-like garden although it felt a but spooky seeing the old, giant Raj-era tombs.

In the evening, we went out for dinner with my family and some of their friends to Tangra which is a popular area for some of the best authentic Chinese restaurants in Kolkata.

 

 

31st December, 2013 (Day 8)

 

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Our day started off with a bite to eat at a roadside stall selling Chole Bature which is one of my favourite fast foods. It is a specialty Punjabi dish but due to its popularity it has become widely available at both restaurants as well as at roadside eateries.

Our first stop was to visit the Tourism Office on Shakespeare Sarani so we could get an entrance letter for Marble Palace. Without this letter, it is impossible to enter Marble Palace unless you bribe the gateman.

 

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The rest of the morning was spent at the Indian Museum on Jawaharlal Nehru Road near Park Street. This is India’s oldest and largest museum and a ‘must visit’ attraction. Possibly the oldest institution in the Asia-Pacific region, the museum holds the country’s largest repository of artifacts, over 100,000 exhibits in total. We enjoyed the day walking around the museum spotting antiques as well as some unique and strange objects.

 

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We were still on the hunt for Kolkata’s best Bengali food and we found it at this restaurant in Kolkata – Sidheshwari Ashram. A ‘no-frills’ first floor restaurant, this is a very busy eatery where the tables are full of Bengalis dining on delicious and numerous pre-prepared dishes that are churned out from the kitchen. We loved all the dishes here, especially the Shorshe Maach (Mustard Fish).

 

We spent the rest of the day at my parents’ place. After dinner, we made our way to Park Street to celebrate in the New Year’s Eve festivities. Kolkata’s version of Times Square, this is the best place to bring in the New Year as a big part of the city’s population makes it way down to Park Street to celebrate with family, friends and strangers alike. The atmosphere is electric and the merriment is certainly addictive.

 

 

1st January, 2014 (Day 9)

 

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Equipped with the letter we got from the Tourism Office yesterday, we made our way to Marble Palace Kolkata located in the north. This is an opulent mansion made of marble with an Italianate courtyard covered in classical columns and Egyptian sphinxes. Although the mansion is slightly run down, the galleries are superb with statues, porcelains, clocks, mirrors, chandeliers and European paintings. We really enjoyed visiting the Marble Palace; our only grievance was with our guide who seemed to be in a hurry and escorted us quickly from room to room. We don’t like being rushed and this was rather infuriating.

 

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In the evening, we went to another Bengali restaurant, Bhojohori Manna Kolkata, this time in southern Kolkata. This is a chain of restaurants specialising in Bengali food and, as a result, very popular with the locals living in southern Kolkata. One of the best dishes we had in Kolkata was here – Chingri Malaikari (Jumbo Prawn in a Creamy Sauce). Simply fantastic!

 

 

2nd January, 2014 (Day 10)

 

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An early morning start saw us on a local train to Belur Math. Situated on the west bank of the Hoogly river about 16 km north of Kolkata, it is the international headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission. It was founded in 1886 by Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of the 19th century Hindu saint Ramakrishna who preached unity of all religions. To symbolise this, the Math (‘monastery’) synthesises Hindu, Christian and Islamic architectural styles.

What we liked about this place was the peaceful and meditative atmosphere. Located along the banks of the Hooghly river, the views are picturesque and the landscaped gardens around the Math make for a nice wander. It’s a great place to get away from the noise and chaos of city life in India.

 

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Our plans to take a boat across the Hooghly river to the next destination was stalled due to the tides flowing against us. We had to wait for about 30 minutes for the tide to turn, which is when we all piled into a boat and made off across the river. There were more than the standard number of people in the boat and I was thankful that we made it safely to the other side of the river without any incident.

 

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On the opposite side of the river from Belur Math is the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, one of Bengal’s most popular pilgrimage spots. At the heart of this vibrant riverside complex is a cream-and-red Kali Temple shaped like an Indian Sacre-Coeur.

The temple was crowded with colourfully clad devotees with lengthy queues waiting to enter the temple. We liked the fact that we could visit areas that are otherwise off-limits to non-Hindus in other temple complexes.

 

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From Dakshineswar, we took a train back to Kolkata’s Howrah Station. It was in the middle of the afternoon so we made our way to our favourite restaurant in Kolkata – Sidheshwari Ashram. Being our second visit, we tried a few of the other dishes on the menu; however, we loved the Shorshe Maach (Mustard Fish) last time so we had it again. And boy, was it good! It felt like we could never get tired of eating here due to the cheap and delicious dishes as well as the variety of Bengali dishes on the menu. Unfortunately, we were leaving Kolkata the next day so this was our final meal here – at least until we return.

 

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After lunch, we made our way to New Market also known as Hoggs Market in central Kolkata. Being our second last day, we needed to buy souvenirs for friends and family in Australia. Being the oldest market in Kolkata, New Market is a perfect place for shopping as it has some shops that store some unique and artistic items.

 

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The area around New Market is always bustling with shoppers and traders and, as a result, makes for a great foodie’s haunt. This is the perfect place to try some of the best Kolkata street food. There is a wide variety of street food options to be found here including the popular Puchkas, Bhel Puri and Ghugni and I enjoyed eating all of it. While Graham participated, he wasn’t sold on the flavours much to my horror as I love street food especially Puchkas.

 

In the evening, we made our way over to my parents’ place to have our last dinner in Kolkata with them. I took a variety of my favourite foods over – Biryani, Mutton Chop, Kathi Rolls and Firni which was relished by one and all.

 

 

3rd January, 2014 (Day 11)

 

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Our last day in Kolkata was packed with things to do. The places we had wanted to visit but hadn’t got around to were all packed into a busy schedule for the day.

We started our day by taking a taxi around six o’clock in the morning to Chinatown in the northern suburbs to have some Chinese delicacies that are only available at the morning market. Despite the early morning start, this was one of the best breakfasts we had in Kolkata. This road side market has a range of Chinese dumplings, buns and other specialties that are freshly made on the spot. Eating hot soup while standing in the chilly morning air was one of the best culinary experiences in Kolkata.

 

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Following our hearty breakfast, we took a bus down to the Kolkata Flower Market in Mullick Ghat. Near the southeast end of Howrah Bridge, this flower market is fascinatingly colourful virtually 24 hours a day. Apart from being a photographer’s paradise, the flower market is also a perfect spot to view the nearby Howrah Bridge.

 

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Over the years, the Howrah Bridge has become an iconic landmark and symbol of Kolkata. Commissioned in 1943 during WWII, it was the third-longest cantilever bridge at the time of its construction; today, it is the sixth-longest bridge of its type in the world. It is a popular landmark having been filmed in several Indian movies.

 

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The last attraction we visited in Kolkata and perhaps the highlight of all the attractions we visited was Kumartuli. Situated in the north Kolkata, it is a maze of alleys, where images of various Hindu gods and goddesses are made. Many of the giant god effigies that are immersed in the holy Hooghly during Kolkata’s colourful pujas have been made by the kumars (sculptors) of this enthralling district.

It was a truly memorable experience watching the artists create the effigies from scratch. Starting off as a bunch of hay, the effigies are artistically molded into shapes, plastered with clay and painted into beautiful effigies of Hindu gods and goddesses.

 

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For our last meal in Kolkata, we stopped at the popular restaurant on Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Haldiram Kolkata. Having started off as a popular Indian sweet shop, they have expanded into a chain of restaurants serving popular North and South Indian dishes including popular fast food items. They also have an Indian sweets section which is always popular with the diners. The restaurant is modern and spacious while the food is fresh and delicious. Of course, the desserts were an additional treat.

 

Our train for Varanasi left at 7:40 pm. It was sad saying farewell to my parents, friends and beloved city, Kolkata. I might be prejudiced in saying this but I believe that Kolkata is one of the best metropolitan cities in India. While at first sight, the city seems dirty and populated and makes you want to turn and run in the other direction, spend some time here and it will grow on you like no other Indian city. While the quality of attractions are few and far between, the people are warm, friendly and fun, the Bengali cuisine is the best in India and the colonial, old world atmosphere will gently wrap its tentacles around your soul.