Bada Imambara,Chinsurah,West Bengal

             As the mighty bell rang I pressed my palms against my ears.The sound was deafening.There was a grilled door separating me and the bell.I was standing beside the huge bell of the Bada Imambara in Chinsurah.

             Chinsurah is a small town an hours drive north of Kolkata. Along with Bandel and Chandannagar it forms a group of towns seeped in history. Chinsurah and Bandel were Portuguese settlements while Chandannagar was a French settlement. Chinsurah was founded by the Portuguese in 1579 on the banks of Hooghly and it flourished as a trading port.

              The biggest attraction of Hooghly is the Bada Imambara.Imambara means a congregation hall usually built by the shia sect of Muslims. Hooghly Imambara was built by a Persian merchant Mohammed Aga Motahhar in 1717 AD. The actual structure built by him was much modest than what exists today.Mohammed Mohsin,A successor of Aga Motahhar inherited the building but he passed it on by a charitable deed and appointed a manager to look after its upkeep. Then in 1837 came Syed Keramat Ali,a brilliant architect who came to Bengal from Rajasthan. He was appointed the manager in the month of January of that year.He constructed the beautiful structure that still stands today on the ruins of the older one.

             The structure is situated near the banks of Hooghly river.A narrow street runs along the face of the building upon which is situated its grand doorway.I had taken a share auto from the Chinsurah railway station and it dropped me a few meters away from the doorway.I walked in and took a ticket.Cost was Rs 10 and there were no charges for still camera.The grand doorway opens to a rectangular courtyard which has a rectangular tank in the middle.There is a beautiful fountain at the center.I could spot some fishes in the clear water there.A few kids were all excited and were scurrying up and down the length of the tank as they followed the tiny pretty fishes.

The prayer hall

            I started my stroll from the left.The building is two storied with a wide tower at the front.This tower had two domes at the ends.There are a number of  rooms in the ground floor.All had descriptions in Urdu which was quite exciting for me to see in this part of India.At the end of the courtyard lies the main prayer hall.As I was checking out the decorations on the walls from outside a guy called me inside.I entered and had a closer look.There were many inscriptions in Arabic and ususally there were a few paintings too.There were lanterns and chandeliers and a heavily decorated throne.As I was looking around, a group of ladies came and sat in front of the throne and started praying.I watched for a few minutes then quietly walked out so as not to disturb them.

         Behind the Imambara near the banks of Hooghly I spotted a sundial.I never saw a sundial before so with much excitement I went near it and observed if it was showing the correct time.It was.From here I walked back inside the courtyard.

The sundial

         After completing the stroll of the ground floor I made my way to the top of the tower.The view from the top was spectacular.There is a clock in the middle portion of the tower.One dial faces the inside of the building while a second dial faces the outside.While climbing the steps to the top just before a few metres from the top to the left one can see,through a grilled door,the three bells.The smallest of the lot rings about every 15 minutes and the biggest rings every 1 hour.I spent 30 minutes right in front of the door just to see and hear the big bell ring.After the satisfaction of hearing the deafening bell I made my way down.One interesting aspect here is that there are two staircases to reach the two domes.And ladies have to use one and gents the other. They are not allowed to go together.

View from the top

      Back on the ground floor I sat on one of the small stairs and just took in the quiet atmosphere.There were a only a few people here and there.Five minutes into this quietness, the silence was suddenly broken by the laughter of children.A school group was coming in making a huge amount of noise.It felt good to see children on a visit to a historic monument.Children should be encouraged to visit such places.I then made my way out and after drinking a cold drink to quench my thirst I took a share auto and went back to the Chinsurah railway Station.I boarded a local and reached Kolkata in an hour.After a nice dinner in the legendary Royal Indian Hotel I boarded the Howrah mail to reach Raigarh the next morning.

Digha,West Bengal

        Once in a while there comes a trip where most of the things go wrong.For me a trip to Digha Beach in West Bengal was one such.Now I wouldn't like to make this post all about what things went wrong.Let me just recount the trip as it happened.

        I wont bore the reader with the details of the trains I took to reach Digha, suffice to say that I took a few.I reached Digha at around 10am. Digha is a very popular beach resort for the kolkattans and the people living nearby.It was evident with the huge crowds at the station.I had to push past families with children and grandpas in toe,groups of teenagers with headphones the size of a mango,women with huge shades that almost covered their faces.It looked like everyone was in groups.I was the only one who was alone there.Nevertheless I made my way over to the groups of Hotels nearby and entered one.I asked for a room.They asked how many people.I said One.They said No room.
This story repeated for a number of hotels.Finally one guy told me the reason.All the hoteliers in Digha had been instructed by the Police not to give rooms to solo travelers.This was because a few years ago a number of people had committed suicide in Digha.I was dejected.No, not by those suicides but by the fact that I was not getting a room.I went to a nearby kirana store,Had a cool drink and pondered over my options.I decided that somehow I had to get a room.I couldn't roam around with my rucksack.Just then I saw a rickshawala.I went over to him and asked if he could arrange a room for a single traveller.He said yes, he knew of one hotel which accommodates single travellers as they had 'special' permission from the police,whatever that meant.

So I boarded his rickety old rickshaw and off we went gliding along the crowded narrow roads of digha.It was a hot and humid day and it wasn't helping me.He took me to a hotel somewhere deep inside a narrow street and fortunately it was decent and not some ramshackle hovel that I was expecting.The hotel demanded a hefty sum for my stay and on top of that he told me to call my dad in front of him and tell him of my whereabouts.This was a precaution they took for every single traveller.I had to patiently explain my dad about the whole situation.That was embarrassing.The rickshawala too demanded a huge sum but a bit of a bargaining bought down the sum a little bit though the final amount I paid was still a lot.

All this drama took up a lot of time and by the time I got out of the hotel room to go to the beach it was around 1 pm.I decided not to have a dip in the ocean and decided instead to treat myself to a good lunch.I went to the beach strolled around a bit and then went to a restaurant.I had good seafood here and tried the famous Hilsa. I didn't like it with all its fine bones that makes it difficult to pick them out.

After that hearty meal my spirits rose a bit.I walked back to the beach and went far away from the crowds.I found a secluded portion to the right of where everyone was and sat down for a while.The waves rolled in and out.The sun overhead was very bright and soon my tshirt was drenched.I sat here under the shade of a tree for an hour and left around 4pm.I had a train to catch at 5pm which was to take me to Kharagpur from where I was to catch another to Raigarh to be in time to catch the bus to Tamnar at 7 30am.I had to go to office at 9am.So I departed at 5pm from Digha.Barring a few hiccups at Khargpur station where I got nothing decent to eat for dinner I reached Tamnar without any major problems.

Chandannagar,West Bengal

The French in the 17th Century established their colonies in five towns in India.One of them was Chandannagar in West Bengal. Curiously Chandannagar is the only colony which is not near the sea coast.Perhaps having a large river flowing by compensated the lack of a sea coast.

The Chandannagar Strand

It is a small town an hour 23km north of Kolkata. River Hooghly flows past quietly through the town.I am a huge fan of historical tourism and I have never been to a former French colony in India so I decided to check it out.Added to it was the call of a Indo French Museum.So last Sunday off I went to kolkata and from there took the 12 o'clock Bandel local to Chandannagar. I reached around 1 o'clock.Usually I take a walk around a new place.But not that day.The sun was fiercely shining overhead and I was already sweating bucketfuls from the train ride.So I flagged down a share auto and went to the one place which is famous in Chandannagar. The strand.The ride was through small narrow streets through the town.I was surprised to see a 'more' supermarket in one of the streets. There were some old buildings which looked like they belonged to the pre independence era but there was nothing spectacular.

The Indo French Cultural Centre

After a ride of a few minutes I reached the strand.My first priority was the Museum which I mentioned earlier.I walked along the strand with the river to my left and a row of old and beautiful buildings to my right.There was a college for girls,a police station,a government building, a church and finally I reached the museum.It was formerly the residence of one of the most famous governor general of French India, Joseph François Dupleix,It was converted into an Institute cum Museum and was called the Institute de Chandannagar or Indo French Cultural Centre. I had come with a lot of expectations but the museum did not live up to it.The layout is haphazard and the items are neither properly labelled nor arranged in any proper order.There are different sections including one on paintings,one has the bed of the governor general,one has books and newspapers and one has weapons and arms.Like most of the museums in India it lacked enthusiasm.The lack of interest showed in the way the museum was maintained.

Of all the exhibits a few things were interesting like the newspapers from the 18th century.There was a french newspaper which had one front page advertisement in English about the a discount being offered for tickets on a ship returning to England.There were interesting books but nothing which stood out.I wrapped up my visit with some disappointment.

By the way their website looks like it is from the 18th Century -Click here.

Patalbari

Next I strolled around the strand for quite some time,I tried visiting the patalbari but was told that it is not open to visitors.The strand is almost a kilometer long with a set of the most beautiful buildings of Chandannagar here.Opposite the river Hooghly flows serenely.Here and there a fisherman's boat glides over the smooth flowing river.Lots of opportunities here for a photography enthusiast.I casually strolled here and there,took some pics,had a heavily scented biryani in one of the restaurants nearby and for sometime sat down on one of the numerous benches provided there.

A church on the strand

At around 4pm I decided it was time to go and I returned to the railway station.I walked half the distance and was lucky to stumble upon a beautiful building.For the next half I took an auto.I took another local train to kolkata.

The strand

A kid jumps into the Hooghly River

A beautiful building in the town of Chandannagar

Kolkata.My first Official Visit.

This was my fourth visit to Kolkata and My first official trip.Apart from the company work I had a few things planned for it.

I checked-in in Hotel Natraj in Howrah area near the station and by 7am was ready to go out.I went to the legendary Mitra Cafe hoping to down some famous dishes like Brain chops and fish fry.But to my disappointment I found out that those items would be available only in the evening.I had a boiled egg for breakfast there.Atleast I knew the location now.From here I took the metro to MG Road and there walked around the streets. I was still hungry and desperately wanted a mughlai breakfast and checked zomato for a nearby place to eat a mughlai breakfast and found Sufia Restaurant nearby the Nakhoda masjid.Before I could reach Sufia restaurant I came across Hotel Aminia.I didnt know there was a branch here in these parts.I am still doubtful of the authenticity of that branch.Anyway I was very hungry from my long walk and I walked right in.I had mutton kheema and tandoori roti which I didnt quite like.

Next I walked back to my Hotel in Howrah going past the beautiful Writers Building while doing so.Yes I walked 3km maybe back to my hotel.From there for my official work I went to Ichapur.I was back to my hotel by 11 30am.I took some rest here and for the lunch I already had a restaurant in mind.I always wanted to try korean food for a long time.After seeing so many korean movies and Dramas I was curious to try something.This was my priority one activity for the trip and off I went determinedly.I took an Ola cab for the ride.

At the Family Chicken Restaurant at sector 1, Salt Lake I ordered Chicken Deopbab as it was the only dish I could eat(pork and squid are not permissible items for a muslim) The chicken was also halal here.As I took the first bite,mixing some rice with a chicken piece I didn't quite like it.It tasted very normal but as I continued eating the taste grew on me and by the time I finished I was absolutely delighted with the whole dish.After the meal here I went to college street by taking a share auto first then a public bus.In college street I was excited to see the piles and piles of books scattered everywhere.Nothing like the sight of books to lift the spirits of a bookworm.Taking Presidency College as my pivot I checked out both directions.I bought a good book at a Rs 100 fixed price book stall.I was happy with the deal.

From college street I took a cab back to Ichapur to complete my official work.From there it was straight back to my hotel where I took some rest till 9pm when I checked out.I went to the railway station and had my dinner in the KFC there which was overflowing with travellers.I boarded my train back to raigarh at 12am and slept like a log till the morning next day.

Tram ride in Kolkatta,India

     The trams of Kolkata present one of the best modes of viewing the city.And I find it the most

The Heritage Tram

charming.The tram rattles on like it has all the time in the world.Leisurely and at its own sedate pace the tram offers a relaxing ride around the congested streets.Introduced in 1873 they were initially horse drawn.In 1900 electrification followed.It is managed by Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC).Interestingly CTC was listed a joint stock company in London in 1880 and after Independence West Bengal Govt entered into an agreement with it and eventually took over all rights to manage the trams.It is the only remaining tram network in India.Other cities where tramways were introduced but later stopped were Delhi,Mumbai,Chennai and Kanpur.
     Last month I took a trip in a tram.Satya(my room mate) and myself booked a ride in a Heritage Tram,an initiative by the WB Govt to promote tram tourism.After much searching we found the booking office at Esplanade from where the ride starts.Apart from us there was also a family of 3.
The circuit was follows
Esplanade-Dalhousie square-Belgachia-College street-Espanade.

It covers a number of landmark buildings in its circuit.We were not given any list of those buildings to watch out so we looked out in total ignorance.Also the AC didnt work and we were left sweating in the humid climate.
The rest of the post in pictures.

Inside the Tram

The beautiful tickets

My favourite pic of the trip

For online bookings
http://www.indianstage.in/?eventId=7242

Kolkata,The City of Joy

This was my second visit to Kolkata.The first one was back in my second year of Engineering when my dad took me there and from where we went on to Agartala.This time I had Abhishek and Deepanjan,Bengalis themselves to help me.

The plan to go to Kolkata was spontaneous.It emerged from the fact that we had five holidays ahead of us and our plans to go to Orissa coudn't materialise properly with a number people dropping off from it. So abhishek and me,having decided that is was a long time since we had met our friend deepanjan, decided to go to Kolkata.So within an hour ,we packed our bags and off we went.Luckily for us, a group of abhishek's friends were going to Kolkata the same night and we joined them.We took two general tickets and in the train we bought sleeper clas tickets from the TC and adjusted with abhishek's friends.A million thanks to them.We took the 8 30pm Howra Mail from Raigarh.

We reached kolkata the next morning at 7 30 am.We said our goodbyes to abhishek's friends and started looking for a hotel around the howrah station.We got a decent hotel nearby.We then called deepanjan and around 10 am he arrived .All that while we were strolling on the British era Howrah Bridge.Here we had a small discussion about the days plan and firstly decided to go to the Esplanade area.So accordingly we boarded a ferry across the River Hoogly to Babughat.From there we walked past the Eden gardens,the maidan and then finally reached the college street and the new market area.We had hot kati rolls here and from there we went on to the famous bakery,Kathleen.Here we had some nice pastries.We then rambled along to the british era Hogg market.Here we sat down and just took in the atmosphere.Kolkata has this strong residual british influence still left in it and it can be seen everywhere.The buildings being the strongest reminder.I spotted some buildings here which were constructed as back as in 1886.After some time here musing about Kolkata, we went inside the market.Everything from keychains to jewelery could be found here.

Sweets at KC Das

New market was next on the list.Here we strolled along looking at the various stuff the stall keepeers had to offer.I bought some small hand bags as souvenirs.Then in the afternoon we went to park street.As deepanjan had some work near Jadavpur University we went there by catching a metro.After his work was done we casually walked around and luckily for us there was a fish stall and eager to have some seafood I quickly orderd fish fry and prawns.Though I was dissipointed by the taste I was content with the fact that I tried something new.Evening came and we went back and decided to have some kebabs in a nearby restuarant.So we went to this 'Singhji ka Dhaba' where we had three types of kebabs and some chicken.We ate our fill and when we were done it was time to part.Deepanjan was to take the local back to home from Howrah.Once again we boarded the ferry from bapughat and had some wonderful views of the city.The howrah bridge was wonderfuly and subtly lit up and was a delight to look at.We parted ways near the Railway Station and abhishek and myself made our way back to our hotel content with the days travels.

Indian Coffee Prince

The next day started off in real earnest.Abhishek and myself got up,had some excellent breakfast of kachori nearby and discussed our plans for the day over breakfast.After this discussion we decided to go visit Rabindranath Tagore's home which has been converted into a museum.Its called Jorashanko Takhurbari.After much asking around the sharp bylanes we found ourselves standing in front of the entrance to Ravindra Bharati University.We strolled inside looking around the small but beautiful campus.Soon we entered the actual home of  Rabindranath Tagore.He came from a rich family and that showed in the size of the house.We skipped in and out of the numerous rooms looking around.There was a whole section dedicated just to the relationship between Rabindranath and Japan.There were 

Hotel Prince

pictures,manuscripts,books,clothes and other items related to him.Apart from us there was a big group of students and a couple of other visitors.There was a chinese couple also.Anyway we spent some time here,took some pics and left the museum in a couple of hours.From here we went to the famous and iconic Indian Coffee House where the likes of Rabindranath Tagore and Subhash Chandra Bose used to come.It is Kolkata's favorite hangout place or what is locally called 'adda'.We had some delicious chicken pakoras and chicken something.The ambience of the hotel was great.

Tram

Our next stop was the famous Victoria Memorial.By the time we reached there by taking trams,buses and metro( just for fun) it was evening.We spent some time in the sprawling gardens around the british marvel and took some great pics.It was dark soon and we made our way to new market next.Everything was beautifully decorated here,with Christmas round the corner.At a roadside stall we had some delicious momos and kebabs.Soon it was dinner time and we went to the famous Prince hotel.We had two types of fish here,Pabda Mach and bowal mach.From here we called it a day and went back to our hotel and the next day we started back for Raigarh.

Highlights of the trip

1- Muffins at Kathleen Bakery.

2- Rasgollos at KC Das.

3- Fish Dishes at Hotel Prince.

4- Rides in Tram,Metro,Ferry and Bus.

5- Snacks in Indian Coffee House.

6- Momos at a roadside stall in New Market.

7- A Walk on the Iconic Howrah Bridge.

8- Rabindra Nath Tagore's House.

9- Walks in and around Hogg Market,New Market and College Street.

10-Chicken and Egg Rol from Hot Kati Rolls.