Around Murshidabad

This is the only work of Siraz-ud-daulla left behind and still in good shape. It is known as Siraz’s Madina. Siraz brought the holy soil of Karbala for his Madina to fulfill his mother Amina Begum’s wish.

Village Kiriteswari near Kiriteswari Temple.

Ruins of original Kiriteswari Temple. It is one of the 52 Piths,  as one part of “Kirit” (means Fore head) of Sati was dropped here.

Kiriteswari Temple was rebuilt by Rani Bhabani of Natore ( now in Bangladesh).

Cottage water filter made by Burn & Co. Raneegunge, found in the Museum at Jagat Seth’s Palace. Over the Centuries, Raneegunge has changed to Raniganj but no idea about the existence of Burn & Co. there today.

Newtown : Lacks foresightedness

That day I was on a long drive through Newtown, its  City Centre to VIP Road which leads to Airport. While passing through the New upcoming township of Kolkata, my daughter just snapped some photogrphs  of the township from the car on move. Few of them are posted below :

The thousands of acres of fertile land will soon be turned into a concrete jungle. This vast greenery was very close to the city of Kolkata,  was acting like lungs of the old city, but the Government decision was one sided like Singur. They never thought of  environmental and other aspects which came up later at  Singur.

Way to Airport, before reaching to congested area like VIP Road. Now Only cars move on this road .

The Governments and their officials are very short sighted. They don’t even see which is visible in other part of India. In fact this township should not have planned in the current location because it is too near to Airport and the most populated areas. This should have planned at least  40- 50 KM away from the city.  The shortsighted town planners,  should have seen how the second township of Bombay, the New Bombay, had been planned. The New Bombay is far from crowded Bombay but well connected  by rail and roads . The local train stations of Navi Mumbai (New Bombai) is far better or equally good at par with  Kolkata Metro Sations now.

Newtown Kolkata : An upcoming township

I have seen New Bombay and its connectivity with the old Bombay. Thats why I think, the Singur or some place  at that distance should have been a right place for this township.  Singur controversy came because the land was acquired by the Govt. but for a Industrialist and over the selection of  the most fertile land. Once I was passing through Singur,  when the the Nano factory was under construction. I saw the entire area was paddy fields  and was full of green due to  grown up paddy and it was really a panoramic view. The healthy paddy itself  was showing the fertility of the land. It was very much disturbing for me to see concrete structures amidst such lush greenery.  Only enemies of humanity  can damage such a vast fertile land.  Those beautiful lands could have been saved had the movement started at the initial stage. The issue has been discussed in length in the all media, so I should not divert the issue and make it lengthier. My only point is that those fertile lands should have spared which now the Govt. has realised but it is too late. Let me come back to the point , the Newtown.

Newtown

The VIP Road and its adjoining areas are already over populated and with narrow roads and lot many crossings on the VIP Road, traffic chaos are at maximum. The Newtown population will be added to the present population of the adjoining areas, then what will be the condition of that area …… I can’t think.  The Township will  be surrounded by the thickly populated areas. The Airport is too near but it will be  too far to reach. There are plans to build some roads which will connect New Town and the Jessore Road from the back side of the Airport. But the jessore road or the VIP Road are not fit for the 21st century township. This is where the shortsightedness of the planners are exposed. They have planned a township without developing the infrastructures. Here everything comes in pieces, as and when required basis.

Here in West Bengal, all developments are Kolkata-centric thats why in west Bengal, we dont’ have a second city like Pune for Maharashtra. Burdwan or Durgapur or Siliguri should have  been developed in that line but we are unfortunate when we look at the  villages where no developments took place for their basic necessities.

City Centre Newtown. The greenery and the tiny villages in the sight from the City Centre now,  will be gradually covered by concrete jungle.

My beautiful Kausani : a poem

I met her at Kausani in an evening dusky and rainy,

She attracted me, as if known for years many.

Welcome me raising her large eyes to my face,

Our four eyes met and made everything in mess.

She expressed her happiness on her bright face.

In the breezy evening my heart was in a brisk pace.

Her room was in a corner on the same floor of mine,

We shared the balcony to view the peaks and pine.

Our eyes were meeting while watching the peaks few,

I was gazing her beauty with the nature that she knew.

In windy weather, hairs were out of control of hers,

She put her shawl down, raised her arms to knot the hairs.

I found her slim body turned to a great posture,

Raising her “peaks”, beautiful and inviting,

she appeared to be, to me a beautiful painting,

She looked at me, I mutely thanked for her gesture.

After rain and wind, calmness prevailed in the mountains,

We were alone but unable to come closure, suffered the pains.

At last she looked at me and stepped to the terrace,

Wanted me to follow her to be with me face to face.

She smiled at me and hinted me to follow,

She took me to the clouds in the valley below.

While walking with her on the clouds under the sky,

I told her I had seen you somewhere, don’t be shy.

Tell me your name my dear lady, if I am right,

With smile, large and black eyes she was bright.

She said I am Kausani, don’t you know my dear?

She smiled and wanted my name to hear.

Suddenly my dream ended due to bang of sound,

I discovered myself in my bed but she was never found.

*******

About Kausani & the poem : During my visit to Kausani I was astonished by the beauty of the hill station. Not only the beauty, a heavenly calm prevails there which inspire to think about the vastness and beautiful creation of the God. The climate of the place changes frequently and clouds comes down to the valley at a lower level. The beautiful natural beauty, calmness, clouds and Himalyan peaks standing tall at the horizon inspired me to bring out the poet in me to compose the above poem.

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That’s Kolkata – the city of joy

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) – the city of joy, city of Rabindranath, city of Satyajit Ray, city of intellectuals, city of football, city of procession, city of political movements, city of Bundhs (strike) , city of arts and culture (cultural capital of India), city of festivals and at last but not the least it is also known as city of best sweets and cuisine. Here is a glimpses of the city :

Kolkata is the Capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the eastern part of India on the east bank the river Hoogly. The city has a population of about 5 million and it is the 4^th largest city in India.

Land mark of Kolkata, the Howrah Bridge, 2,150 feet long a engineering marvel. Construction of the bridge was completed in the year 1942, and it was opened for public in February, 1943.

The new Howrah bridge over Hoogly(Holy river Ganges)

Brief History of the city: In 1690, Job Charnok, an agent of the East India Company landed on the eastern bank of river Hoogly for British trade settlement and he purchased the three large villages along the eastern bank of Hoogly, namely Sutanuti, Gobindapur & Kalikata. Gradually, over the years, the “village Kalikata” was developed into a city “Calcutta” by the British.

Chowringhee Square as was in 1946

Calcutta served as the capital of India during the British Rule until 1911. Once the city Calcutta was center of modern education, science, culture and political movements in India. The Bengal as a whole was much developed those days in all sectors including politics, which gave birth of a proverb – “what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow”.

Chowringhee skyline today

Electric Tram is seen only in Kolkata (Calcutta) in India. It is a slow moving transport system which makes traffic congestion sometimes. But due environmental friendly the citizen likes it to stay. The city has many ways of commuting starting from hand drawn rickshaws to underground tube rail.

 

 

Victoria Memorial – In memory of Queen Victoria

In 2001, the name of Calcutta was changed to Kolkata. The names Kolkata and Calcutta were probably derived from Kalikata, the name of one of the three villages (Kalikata, Sutanati & Gobindapur). While the city was always pronounced either “Kolkata” or “Kolikata”, in Bengali, its official English name was only changed from “Calcutta” to “Kolkata” in 2001, reflecting the Bengali pronunciation and to end the legacy of the British.

Most intellectual city of India : Most Nobel laureates of India have been associated with Calcutta University or Calcutta at some point of time. The city has produced six Nobel Laureates so far. They are:

1. Sir Ronald Ross (1902 Medicine)
2. Rabindranath Tagore (1913 Literature)
3. CV Raman (1930 Physics)
4. Mother Teresa (1979 Peace)
5. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1983 Physics)
   
6. Amartya Sen (1998 Economics)

Festivals : Durga Puja is the most notable festival of Bengalis which celebrated every year like a carnival. It’s a religious and social festival of Kolkata. Other notable festivals include Deepavali, Eid, Christmas, Holi, Poila Baishakh (Bengali new Year), Saraswati Puja, rath yatra. Among the cultural festivals “Kolkata Book fair” are the most popular and its an event which takes place in the month of January every year.

Places of Interests : Science City, Indian Museum, Birla Planetorium, Victoria Memorial, Marble Palace, Nicco Park, Botanical garden, Iskcon Temple, Belur Math, Kalighat, Dakshineswar kali Temple, Armenian Church, St. Paul’s Cathedral church, Tagore House, Alipore Zoological Garden, Parasnath temple.

Indulgence to foods & sweets: As already mentioned about Kolkata that it is a city of best sweets and cuisines. Food and sweet are the two greatest indulgence of Kolkata people. Kolkatans love to eat and also they re great hosts. Every meal, ends with choicest sweets and Misty doi (sweetened curd). The unique range, quality, taste, variety and cheap rates of sweets can leave you amazed. The kolkata sweets are best sweets in India and unparallel in quality. Misty doi (sweetened curd) and confectionery of Patali Gur (date palm jaggery) are two delicacies of Bengal.

Besides Mughlai (tandoori, kebabs, biriyani etc.) Continental, Thai, Tibetian cuisines, Chinese cuisines are also very popular in Kolkata. Authentic quality Chinese cuisine is available in the eating houses/ Restaurants in Old China Town run by the Chinese people. Kolkata is also having varieties of junk foods. The quality of these foods is also too good. The quality and varieties of these foods too are not available out side Bengal.

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