Kolkata is my city, my home. It stirs up my emotions, it stirs up my soul. My Bengali genes are to be blamed not only for my random creative pursuits but also my unsatiated taste-buds. The former British capital of India boasts of an illustrious past which reflects through the fascinating art, marvelous architecture, and declamatory literature of the city. Don’t miss out on an amazing experience in the alluring food streets of the city.
A boat safari in the Sundarbans brought us face-to-face with rare birds, lush mangroves, and unforgettable family memories. Guided through this unique ecosystem, we marveled at the tranquil waterways and enjoyed a festive meal on board, soaking in the wonders of the world’s largest mangrove forest.
Durga Puja, the most important festival of Bengal is coming soon. Christmas in New York, Rio Carnival in Brazil, and the La Tomatina Festival in Spain summed up cannot beat the magnitude of the Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, India. Pujo spans 10 days filled with packed elaborate rituals, great food and a stunning display of creativity and art in the form of innovative themed pandals and idols. People deck up in new clothes, flock to the pandals and soak themselves in the festive spirit. The whole city transforms to a festive mood, work comes to a halt as the Pujo spirit hits Kolkata.
Emotions. Homecoming. Togetherness. Durga Puja is synonymous with all these and more. For the first time in recent memory, there will be a gap of an unprecedented 35 days between the Mahalaya and Durga Puja. Also in for the first time ever, no one will be allowed to go inside the pandals this year to reduce the crowds and tackle the widespread Coronavirus. So we ended up having loads of home cooked feasts and enjoying pujo from inside majorly.
I always wanted to travel to the North eastern part of India. Having travelled almost across the whole country, the North east remained a corner which I could not get the opportunity to touch till date. But this year, coincidentally I was jobless and a couple of friends were headed to one of the seven sisters – the abode of clouds, Meghalaya.
Kumbhalgarh Fort is situated in the western part of the Aravali Hills in the Rajasthan. Rana Kumbha founded this fort during the 15th century. Built over a period of 15 years under the expert supervision of the famed architect of Kumbhalgarh Fort Rajasthan named Mandan, it is perfectly perched between eleven peaks of the Aravalli ranges. Maharana Pratap was born in Kumbhalgarh, he was known as the great warrior of Mewar, and the royal families occupied this fort until the 19th century. The world’s second-largest wall surrounds the Kumbhalgarh fort, and this is the second-largest fort in Rajasthan after the Chittorgarh Fort.
2017 was filled with travel plans, visiting new places and new stories to share. I got to visit the Philippines too! A short summary of the 2017 that went by! Completed around 8 trips, a couple of them were quite long ones. The last one of the year, a 3000 km long road trip for 10 days from Srinagar to Kolkata covering the breadth of North India, was one of my finest.
Prinsep Ghat has a specific quality on a February morning — empty ghats, the Hooghly carrying a light mist, and the kind of quiet that Kolkata almost never...
South Park Street Cemetery is not on most Kolkata itineraries. It sits behind a rusted gate on one of the city's loudest roads, and almost everyone walks past it. Inside: two centuries of crumbling obelisks, toppled urns, and epitaphs for people who came east and never went home. A quiet hour with a camera, somewhere between a history lesson and a ghost story.
