Kolkata Exclusives – Unique in the City of Joy

Kolkata, fondly known as the City Of Joy- A City with many shades of emotions and a subtle sense of belongingness. Someone rightly said, you may leave this City, but this City never really leaves you. As the renowned Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay rightly stated in his poem ‘Me and Kolkata’, “Kolkata weighs my heart down like a stone”- one just knows the meaning of these lines when he/she leaves the city. You can never really get enough of this place, maybe that’s the beauty of it.

The same old lanes, vintage vibes, a chaotic crowd, some walls of modernization being erected amidst the fleeting time yet some part of the City remains as it is- maybe not visually but eternally. So here’s an ode to the City Of Joy- a little yet not so little something that one can only find in Kolkata:

1The Magnificient Howrah Bridge 

Over the Hooghly River stands the mighty and beautiful Howrah bridge is one of the most famous and historical places in Kolkata. It was renamed Rabindra Setu on 14 June 1965, after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was the first Indian and Asian Nobel laureate. It is still popularly known as the Howrah Bridge.

If you want to indulge in the raw essence of Kolkata? Take a ferry ride from Howrah ferry ghat and as it sails down the Howrah bridge you will literally feel the cool soothing breeze brushing your face, and brownie points if you make it in the evening as you will be witnessing the Howrah bridge covered with beautiful lights mixed with yellowish neon City lights- sounds gorgeous isn’t it? This won’t do justice unless you experience it!

2The age-old Cabin Culture 

The Cabin Culture is one of the oldest yet relevant eatery structures in Kolkata. Calling it a mere eatery structure wouldn’t really do justice, rather it’s an emotion for the people of Kolkata. Deeply embedded in the history and culture of Kolkata – the old cabins in quaint corners of the City Of Joy still hold the same amount of charisma they held back in 1925.

Anadi Cabin was the first ever food cabin established in Kolkata serving middle-class Bengali with various authentic Bengali delicacies. Since then many such cabins have come up such as Basanta Cabin, Dilkhush Cabin, Das Cabin and many others, who have miraculously stood the test of time. Make sure you try out Kolkata’s famous Fish Kabiraji, Mutton Chop and Cutlet when you visit any of these cabins.

3Legendary Yellow Taxi 

Now you must be wondering what’s so special about a taxi!? Let’s flip some pages back in time- taxis first made their way into the City Of Joy back in the year 1908, when the fare was just around 8 Anna per mile. But it wasn’t until the year 1958 that the iconic yellow taxi made its mark in the streets of Kolkata, back then it was known as the ‘king of roads’ due to its perseverance and reliability.

With time the emergence of technology and other applications along with other internal factors, the necessity of these yellow taxis has diminished a lot. But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that these taxis continue to gracefully embrace and hold up the culture and heritage of Kolkata in every way possible. One of the best ways to explore the City Of Joy is via a yellow taxi ride – that you can only find in Kolkata.

4A Slice of Royalty at Bonedi Baris and Rajbaris 

Have you ever wondered how the Raja Maharajas or Zamindars lived back then? Come to Kolkata and experience it live. Yes, you read that right! Kolkata has a rich history and culture of Rajbaris and Zamindari baris. Well, both are different and unique in their own ways. Rajbaris were the gigantic mansions housing the royalty, on the other hand, Zamindari Baris were homes of the founding families/ zamindars of Bengal. Back then, the residents of these baris had an extraordinary lavish lifestyle rich in culture and heritage.

After the extinction of the Royal and Zamindari culture, these Baris still remained as it is. While some of the families to whom these baris belonged from the very beginning still stay there as it is their ancestral home others have been converted into heritage properties for tourists. You should definitely experience a slice of Zamindari life at these heritage properties in Kolkata, some of them being Jorasnako Thakurbari, Basubati, Bagan Chandra Roy Bari, Shovabazar Rajbari and many others.

5The awe of Mullick Ghat Flower Market 

One of Asia’s largest flower markets located in Kolkata – The Mullick Ghat Flower market is around 130 years old. People travel all the way from the suburbs to sell flowers here. Probably one of the most buzzing marketplaces in Kolkata, you’ll find yourself being lost in the sweet fragrance of thousands of flowers, their colours and the hustle and bustle of the crowd that visits every morning as the fresh flowers arrive at the market.

One of the most relevant places in terms of trade and commerce, flowers are exported in chunks to foreign countries like Europe. Thereby creating a platform for flower sellers to earn their livelihood. Do not forget to capture some aesthetic shots when you visit here as it’s an extremely picturesque spot, especially during dawn around 7 am when the light is just right and there’s a scent of freshness all around. 

Culture and authenticity in Kolkata have been as it is since eras, from historic structures to food, to transportation, and lanes everything is still connected by its roots. So even if you visit Kolkata now, you can still experience what the city of joy holds since the time of Raja & Maharajas. Those are the things that you’ll only experience in Kolkata or are uniquely Kolkata for a reason. If you can’t stop falling in love with Kolkata then you should definitely follow @things2doinkolkata now!  

by Antara Mukherjee

Content Writer at Things2do