My hippie lifestyle of late brought me back to Kolkata this week. I had been to this city before, but never really stayed for a long duration. And here I was in the supposed cultural capital of India. My expectations were simple - a rustic city, bubbly bengali people, narrow one-way roads and a marxist atmosphere in the city.
I was fairly surprised by the city. Of course, for a die-hard Delhiite like me, the city was as close as I could go to a small town.
(1) The Roads : Though Delhi's roads are far superior, Kolkata is not far behind. However, the traffic sense of Kolkata's people is much worse than Delhiites. There is not even a slight sense of lane driving. Traffic signals are few and far apart. The yellow taxis are as irritating and ubiquitous as the green autos of Delhi, though their larger size means a bigger nuisance.
(2) The Food: Unlike Delhi, Kolkata has a unique food culture. Bengalis have their own form of biryani, which is much oilier and consists of a plateful of slightly coloured rice, a boiled potato and a single peace of chicken. Any form of chicken gravy is strictly avoidable for health reasons (the gravy is mostly oil). But Kolkata is a non-vegitarian's ultimate delight. You get all kinds of rolls and then you have great bakeries that serve all kind of non-vegitarian fare. Not to forget China Town, the paradise of Chinese food. You get authentic chinese fare at reasonable rates. A great bargain!!
(3) The Weather : Kolkata's cold is obviously not as chilling as Delhi's. But I noticed that its always foggy in Kolkata. You can roam around with just a t-shirt on, something unimaginable in Delhi (of course, the native people tend to wear a lot more on them). The summers are bad. If there is any power cut, you better pray for electricity to return soon. Or else, you'll be drenched in sweat within minutes.
(4) People : I've mostly been annoyed with the people of Kolkata. They're enthusiastic, alright. But they're also very proud, vane, slow and loud. They tend to speak at very high volumes. They are capable of parking their vehicles in such a way that the road traffic gets blogged. The shopkeepers don't seem to want to sell their things - they're so slow. Compare this to a Delhiite, who is generally a bully and is fast, conceited and proud. Maybe its because the Government has pampered the people. That's what a Marxist Government tends to do.
(5) The Public Places : Kolkata's public places are more "intellectual" than Delhi's. Its very difficult for people to survive the entire National Museum of Kolkata - not to mention the fact that half the things in their Egypt section are fakes. The science city, my brother told me, is very boring. You have Nicco Park, which is a decent amusement park, with a water park better than Delhi's Oysters. The ticket price of Rs.250 is quite worth it. The malls are good, though no match on Delhi's malls.
However, the place where I stay (Patuli) is an ideal place for someone like me. There is almost no visible air or land pollution. Its a little far from the central areas, but there is no need to go to places like the Park Street. You have quite a few malls nearby. And the greenery !! The greenery in the entire Kolkata makes it worth a stay.
