Kolkata The City Of Joy!!

To start with it’s my home town. So one would understand the biasing or the emotions that would flow out as the piece goes on!!

The real heart of the city lies in its people. As well cities are more than just concrete. I have heard all my friends say Kolkata is so congested, there are people everywhere. I have only one thing to say to them. If you want a clean city go to Delhi, if you want a city full of rich and famous people go to Mumbai, if you want a tech-savvy city go to Bangalore but if you want a city with a soul you can’t look beyond any other city other than Kolkata. The city will embrace you and leave you with a bit of Kolkata in your heart. The people here don’t care about their city being called Bengali. It’s completely opposite with respect to other cities. Tell a Mumbaite he or she lives in a Maharashtrian city he or she will be completely offended. Tell a Delhite he lives in a Punjabi city they will give you an earful. Contrary to this people of Kolkata will smile if you call their city Bengali. People there take special pride in being a bong (as Bengalis are lovingly called). And pride is something which they have in abundance. Pure emotions, getting provoked at smallest of things, god like following for a person they love are some of the traits of the bongs. Just ask a bong what Sourav Ganguly is to them or what ‘Rabindro Sangeet’ means to them and you will come to know what I am trying to say. Being a bong myself I know it’s pretty safe to say that most bongs are sports fanatics. They will try and follow each and every sport. And you know what, all of them will have an expert opinion. They will discuss about the game like they have mastered it. And when it comes to football, the fever is off the roof. Football capital of India- that’s an exact title to match my writing. Let there be a match in the salt lake stadium between any team there will be an assured crowd to watch the match. And next day you would be surely treating your eyes and ears to people standing in adda’s (small place where they gather) and talking football. Bongs take particular pride in their language-Bengali. And why shouldn’t they? It has been recognised as being the sweetest language in the world by UNICEF. and if you want to prove please visit our city atleast in durga puja time.

KOLKATA (formerly Calcutta) is a very old city in India. I was brought up here in Kolkata. There are reasons why this place is called ‘The City of Joy’; few of them are:

The socio-cultural background of people is rich in dance, drama, films, theaters, recitation, painting, writing and several other endeavours. Kolkataans constitute to be a majority of the intellectuals in India. Thus quality of extra-curricular education apart from core academics is much better.Lifestyle in Kolkata is very easy and low-cost unlike the other Metro-cities of India. The morning “adda” (chatting) in the local tea stall with the morning tea, is a popular thing here. The topics of all those chats comprise of every other things happening in this world. Narendra Modi to Rahul Gandhi to Donald Trump, NASA, education, cinema to society and politics — everything becomes a topic of wide-scope discussion among people of various professions…Be it the morning walk along the Victoria Memorial or be it the betting on the turf-course or be it remaining stranded in the traffic jams of Howrah Bridge, people of Kolkata find a way of happiness.

Availability of food at only 10 to 20 bucks makes living easier for the poor and unemployed. People, here, have somehow found happiness in living the moments despite the possible uncertainties of life.Even I have seen, people in the slums, very poor people are living peacefully in-spite of lacking all the materialistic pleasures! Small kids, innocent faces are laughing and playing on the streets. They have found joy quintessentially.When Durga puja comes, people gather from every sphere of life here in Kolkata, they come in huge numbers from the other states also, only to enjoy the fantastic moments of festivities. The long queues of the Puja Pandals lets people of every status-quo stand together and share moments of happiness. There lies the subtle beauty of Kolkata. Its festivities have always shown the “Unity in diversity” along with the pomp and grandeur of the arrangements.Kolkata is simply a marvelous place, it has an almighty power of amalgamating every people from all kinds of socio-religious backgrounds… Communal harmony is another point of pride for Kolkata. Certainly, it is a City of Joy.Last, but not the least, Kolkataans are fond of good music, they have a good taste of music! Good music, good songs soothes the mind, it ends the turmoils and calms the mind down, it’s a perfect healing.

KOLKATA is always rich in the quality of people living here, who lead life in euphoria, they have made this THE CITY OF JOY.

kolkata has rightly been called the 'City of Joy' by French author Dominique Lapierre. Kolkatans know how to enjoy - be it Durga Puja, Christmas or New Year celebrations. The last eight days of 2010 have been nothing but revelry. Despite the political turmoil, the winter festivities made everyone sing, dance, wine and dine in merriment.

On Christmas Eve, there was a sea of people on the streets to exult over the birth of Lord Jesus. Everyone - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Jains - flocked to the decked-up Park Street to celebrate the day. Christmas has acquired a secular character in Kolkata as the city has an Anglo- Indian community which lives mostly in the downtown areas. Santa Claus statuettes were placed at the entrance of every restaurant or shop to add colour to the festivity. In some places, the guards were dressed up as Santa.

From the city's iconic St Paul's Cathedral to Park Street, revelry could be felt in the air. Buildings and monuments in and around Park Street were decked up with colourful illumination. The churches and cathedrals were jam- packed. The harmony of Christmas carols reverberated across the length and breadth of the city.

As Kolkatans claim that the city has the best Christmas celebration in India, New Year's Eve is also colourful in the City of Joy. Several thousand tourists visit Kolkata to enjoy Christmas and New Year celebrations. From toddlers to teenagers, the young and the old, they all came out in hordes on the streets to party all night long, dine at the best restaurants, and welcome the New Year. Serpentine queues were seen in front of almost every restaurant till midnight.

Discos and night clubs were packed with revellers boogieing to the DJs' effervescent music. The discos - Venom, Underground and Tantra - registered record footfall. The administration allowed the nightclubs and the discos to serve drinks till 2 am. Otherwise, Kolkata's bars and nightclubs are allowed to serve drinks only up to midnight.

Though the entry fee at night clubs ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per couple, Kolkatans were not magpie at all and every venue was jam- packed for the New Year celebrations till the wee hours. Almost all the venues served imported spirits.

The year- end saw many rock bands converge on Kolkata. Musicians travelled from all over the North- East to perform in the city's pubs. Kolkata's rocking hub, Someplace Else in Hotel Park, featured live performances by different bands in the last week of 2010.

Equipped with breathalysers, the police tried to keep a check on drunken driving, especially by young bikers. Plainclothes policemen were deputed at party zones to keep a careful eye on eveteasers and to prevent any untoward incident. As the City of Joy welcomed 2011 in high spirits, everyone wished to make the New Year full of joy and happiness.

Kolkata City Of Joy: Beautiful Bengal

Moist weather, fish curries, agarbatti aromas, sweet mishtis…art, culture, history and dance all are in one land Bengal. West Bengal the state of Bengalis in India is rich in art, food, and culture. During partition back then Bengal was divided into two parts, one was East Bengal while the other West Bengal. East Bengal is now Bangladesh with the majority of Muslim Bengalis while the west Bengal is in India having Hindu Bengalis. Kolkata is the capital city and the main hub center where the action takes place. It is a Metropolitan city and is quite populated. It is called CITY OF JOY because Fun Food and Festivity all is found there. Kolkata city can never leave you disheartened. As a tourist, there are soo many places to visit and explore. This city is a place for tourists since it is excellent in hospitality. People are sweet as the Bengali sweets and Hotels are easily available. Climate is moist and breezy. Mostly humid but best is to visit during winters.

(1) Heritage and History

Kolkata was formerly called as Calcutta. It is a heritage city. Before independence, British ruled so the city has a lot of British victorian architecture around the city. There are still old buildings, monuments, offices, churches, etc all in victorian design. The city is famous for its yellow embassador taxies aswell. Trams were the main means of transport that ran around the city. There are still old trams seen today running in selective parts of the city with a very cheap fare. Hand pulling rickshaws are also found in Kolkata. There are so many streets which are named after Victorian/British names and personalities. For example, Sir Stuart Hogg Market, Charlie Chaplin Road, etc. Kolkata has the biggest race course. Horse races are often organized.

(2) Howrah Bridge

This bridge is the Rabindra Setu bridge which was made with steel and has no support beneath.It just goes across the river Ganges.

(3) Bengali Food

Bengali people are born as foodies. They love eating and feeding their guests. Food is an important part of the life if Bengalis. The main food which common Bengalis love to eat is Fish&rice. Mostly all Bengalis eat Fish. Fish is the main Bengali food. All kinds of fish dishes are prepared. Special Fishes like Roi Maach, Papda, Promphet, Tangra, Prawns, Ilish, etc are some of the common fishes eaten. Kolkata is a place where food is available in variety and quantity. The Biryanis (Flavored Steamed Rice) is a popular Muslim dish but is famous allover the city. The Biryani is light, aromatic and this biryani is different from the usual Hyderabadi spicy biryanis. EggRolls are also famous in

EggRolls are also famous in Kolkata. Apart from these, the city has famous fine dining restaurants. Bhojari Manna is one of the best Bengali restaurants if you want to taste authentic Bengali food. Famous Biryani outlets are Royal Biryani , Aliya, Aminea, Arsalaan, Haji saheb, etc who sell authentic Nawabi cuisine. Other Famous Bengali dishes are Luchi Torkaari, Radha bolovi (Breakfast dishes -Poori and Vegetable curry), Prawn Malai curry, Fish Cutlets, Moori, Ghonto, Mustard seed Fish Curry, etc. Every corner in Kolkata has a fast food center. If you want to try authentic Chinese food then visit Tangra China town. This place has Indian Chinese people and is famous for authentic Chinese restaurants. Normally the simple lunch is Yellow Dal (lentils), Fish and aaloo bhaja (Potato fries).

(4) Bengali Art & Culture

Well, it is said legends and talented persons are born in Bengal. Well, it is true. Famous Poet/writer/author Rabindranath Tagore was born here. Bengalis are very talented and are into arts and literature. They are intellectual and creative. Mostly Bollywood singers are from Bengal. Kolkata is the main city for Tollywood (Bengali Regional film industry). Kolkata has many art centers and conducts many exhibitions. Drama, Kathak dance and singing concerts are also seen round the year. If you are a lover of art, music, and literature you should visit Kolkata. ‘Nandan’ is a famous art theater.

(5) Tourist Attractions

Kolkata has soo many tourist places. Victoria Memorial is the famous museum famous for its victorian architecture and garden. Around victoria memorial, carriage rides are also available. Birla Planetorium, Theme parks like Science City, Eco Park, Nicco park, Doll Museum, Zoo, etc are always full with tourist round the year.

(6) Bengali SWEETS

Bengali have a sweet tooth. They are fish lovers and sweet lovers too. Bengali sweets are different from the common Indian sweets. Rasgulla is the Signature Bengali sweet (Roshogulla) which is cottage cheese ball shaped dipped in sweet syrup. Sondesh another famous Bengali sweet is made up of Milk, Coconut, and milkmaid. Mostly Bengali sweets are made up of milk. PathiShapta, Poolipeetha, Moa, Naaru, etc. Many sweets are made up of brown sugar as well. Bengali also love Mishti Doi that means sweet curd. It comes with a thick layer and is delicious.

(7) Markets

Kolkata has many Fish markets where you can see fresh fish being sold. Since Kolkata is a port city and situated near the Bay Of Bengal. Shopping markets are also in variety. Kolkata comes in one of those cities where Indian brides do their trousseau shopping. New Market, Hogg Market, Esplanade is famous for bargaining market. Sir Stuart Hogg market is a closed covered market like a middle eastern bazaar. It has old famous shops including clothes stores, confectionery shops, cutlery, hosiery, footwears and the famous Naohms bakery. Malls like Forum Inox, South City Mall, City Centre, Quest mall, etc are some of the famous ones.

(8) Christmas & New Years

Kolkata city has many catholic Christians and Anglo-Indians. So Christmas is celebrated in a very grand style. The best month to visit Kolkata is between December to January. The whole city is decked up with decorations and lights. There are plenty of churches and during Christmas, bakeries are full of plum cakes, marzipans, rose cookies, etc. Localities and tourists all go around for a walk in the main city especially in the Newmarket and Park street area. It is fully decorated and cars are not allowed on that day. Everyone enjoys the festivity whole night. The Biggest Santa is decorated in New Market. Restaurants, cafes, Hotels all are full during this time. The festivity continues till New Years. On New Year’s eve, Kolkata is famous for hosting dance shows, live shows, 31st-night party, Dj parties, etc. There are a huge craze and rush in all hotels and main party clubs.It is best to visit during this time.

(9) Durga Puja

This is the main festival of Bengalis. During August or October, this festival lies according to the Hindu calendar. Prayers are made to the Hindu Goddess Durga. Bengalis believe in Durga Ma a lot. This festival is a 10-day festival. A different concept of Tents is designed by professionals who showcase The Goddess in a new form. People each day visit these Pandals (Tents) to seek blessings. White with red border saree is the main dress code of Bengalis. During the festival, the ladies put crimson vermillion powder on each other. Aarti (candles) are performed with the drum dance. This is a worth watching festival.