The Melting pot

A crazy quilt of cultures that have been time woven and merged with one another is just about it to describe the cultural capital of India, Kolkata. The city as a living organism flourishes under the smooth collaboration of its different organs and declines with every amputation. Kolkata is rich with its eclectic histories of the diverse immigrants hence forming one of the most cosmopolitan cities of India. Walking on the streets is the thing to do when in Kolkata; though larger distances can be covered in the eye opening “dirty yet amazing yellow”, good old, Ambassador Taxis. Sitting on the rustic springy seats of the Ambassador, with dust blowing out at every speed breaker, stickers of Bengali Gods and Goddesses decorated with flowers, and with a sweaty driver, looking at the Bengali Paras’ (housing), the palaces, tombs and mosques of the Mughals, the mansions and churches of the Portuguese and the monumental lodgings of the British, truly takes you back to the 18^th century. The metro trains of Kolkata, being one of the oldest metros in India, still are a very efficient transit system. The heat and humidity would make you want to wait for an air-conditioned train but the real essence is felt in the non air-conditioned as climatically you haven’t been disconnected from the city. Climate plays a very important role in the experiential quality of the metropolis.

The city also imbibes a myriad of literature from one of the best writers and poets India has seen. The termite filled shelves on College Street houses one of the best collections of Literature. Surrounded by a jungle of ancient moist notes on literature would make you want to not get out of there ever. But the aroma of the traditional filter coffee coming from The Indian Coffee House down the road will surely pull you at it!

Walking down the dark and narrow streets of Kumartali, an extremely undisturbed part of Kolkata, the settlement of the sculptor families that create larger than life size sculptures of Goddess Durga and other Gods that are worshiped all throughout West Bengal, you will also notice quite many Roman and Greek style sculptures being recreated. These grass and mud sculptures are later painted in stunning bright colours.

The randomness and the chaotic vibes of the cultural mix is actually a key factor in making Kolkata what it is today. Unfortunately the local government doesn’t feel so and are trying to put in a lot of effort and money into formalizing the city. Creating boundaries by fencing all the public properties and painting them in White and Blue, stating these two colours are “The City’s Colours” can be taken as a strong example. A lot of public buildings, pathways, fences, busses, and even the new taxis are now being painted in White and Blue, trying to create a formalized system of order and rule which is also affecting a lot of historical sites of the city. Nevertheless, the locals of the intellectually climatic city carry pride and respect for their city’s history and are putting their best efforts to maintain and develop at the same time.

“Different” is the word that describes the city of Kolkata, it keeps offering and you can just  never get enough of "The Melting Pot" !