MEMOIR — PLACES — CULTURE
Calcutta: A Melange of Heritage and Joy
Weaving the memories of yesterday and today through a nostalgic journey during my few weeks in Calcutta
Calcutta (now Kolkata) holds a sentimental significance for me — I ‘belonged’ to Calcutta.
Life’s memories are not life’s history, but the original work of an unseen artist – Rabindranath Tagore, My Reminiscences
I often reminisced about the eighties and early nineties — taking the tram to New Market, savoring a sausage roll at ‘Nahoum’s,’ trying out silver jewelry at ‘Chamba Lama’, strolling down Free School street exploring old books and LPs, relishing the legendary prawn cocktail at ‘Skyroom’ (shut in 1993) or going for a swim to the ‘club,’ a colonial feature still inherent in the city life of Calcutta. Having left the city for almost three decades, I succumbed to the worse affliction in Calcutta called ‘nostalgia.’ The city had reduced to a tired admiration of its past for me.
In January this year, I got Calcutta to myself for a longer time.
Serendipitous to have started my first-week conducting workshops in a classic building at ‘Esplanade’ – once the commercial hub of the British Raj as Calcutta was the colonial capital from 1772 till 1911. I entered the building, the high ceiling with its wooden beams displayed signs of aging. The visible imperfections — the dangling and entangled old wires added to the character of the building. The age and the slowness of the elevator had charisma. I started a casual conversation with the liftman, learned the building was over 100 years, and he has been working there for over 40 years! I walked down the corridor on the third floor with the huge wooden louvered windows. Despite years-old layers of dust and dirt, the windows exuded the ‘Calcutta’ charm. The louvered window, found largely in green color, better known as “Khorkhori” in Bengali, derived from the “khar-khar” sound of the shutters is a predominant feature in most old houses in Calcutta, including my ancestral home. Satyajit Ray immortalized “Khorkhori” in his iconic film, “Charulata.” At the end of the corridor, I stumbled upon the state-of-the-art office nestled within this timeless building! The space had all possible modern amenities with stylish fittings and cutting-edge technology! Pleasantly surprised to see Calcutta has embraced change while still holding on to its roots. Or, maybe only I was holding on to the past!
“I felt myself still reliving a past which was no longer anything more than the history of another person;”
― Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time
After a promising start to my trip, the next few weeks, I romanced Calcutta.
“So in the streets of Calcutta I sometimes imagine myself a foreigner, and only then do I discover how much is to be seen, which is lost so long as its full value in attention is not paid. It is the hunger to really see which drives people to travel to strange places.”
― Rabindranath Tagore, My Reminiscences
Early mornings were spent walking and swimming in Tolly (The Tollygunge Club) — a country club established in 1895 with a more than two-centuries-old clubhouse. After an hour’s swim, sipping the Darjeeling tea with its delicate floral notes and mildly astringent while looking out at the sprawling greens was meditative! Then arrived the archetypal cheese mushroom toast — an ideal way to regain those lost calories and replenish my energy!
During the days, I’d head to New Market (Hogg Market, estd.1874) without purpose. Unfortunately the trams don’t run on that route anymore, so I drove. One of my favorite stops is ‘Nahoum’s’ — a 121-year-old Jewish bakery that holds a special place in the hearts of all Calcuttans. As a kid, I used to queue up with my mother to get their legendary rich fruit cake. ‘Nahoum’s’ still maintains the tradition — the massive teakwood façade with glass shelves showcasing the savories. The marble center table continues to be precisely where it was, with the boxes of fruitcakes arranged on top. The lemon puff, the rum ball, the baklava, and the sausage roll taste exactly how they used to decades back! Unfettered by the new competitions, ‘Nahoum’s’ continues the legacy!
During the 80s, I got my shoes hand-crafted by Chinese shoemakers at Newmarket. The community settled mainly in the Tangra area, the newer Chinatown, taking their shoemaking skills into tanning and leather businesses. These skilled artisans were known for their exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail; the court/pump shoes were in different colors and high-quality leather. I was disappointed to see these time-honoured shoe shops have disappeared; only one (Henry) has survived and is a beacon of hope!
The Chinese community, with two Chinatowns, in cosmopolitan Calcutta represents the intersection of different worlds during the colonial era and the formation of diasporic identity in postcolonial times. I have precious memories of sharing the best piping hot chimney soup served in a huge brass pot with my family and friends at an ancient Chinese Restaurant, How Hua, on Free School Street, which shut down over a decade back! But the traditional Chinese breakfast is still alive at the Tiretti bazaar, the older Chinatown where the steaming Dim-sum, Baozi, and hot noodles soup are served in the aromatic open-air market — absolute bliss for food connoisseurs!
Talking about food, Calcutta’s culinary life is a testament to the city’s rich cultural heritage and Calcuttan’s love for good food. From street food to fine dining, the city truly is a foodie’s paradise! My gastronomic journey in Calcutta always starts with Mocambo — an iconic restaurant established in the 1950s. Mocambo emits a 60s charm with its red retro pendant lamps and turbaned servers. I always experience my own “Madeleine Moment” while savoring the flavors of some dishes- Fish a la Diana (prawn wrapped with Bhetki fish,) the prawn cocktail, lobster thermidor, and the devilled crab, to name a few! A single paragraph is deficient to fully delve into Calcutta’s rich and diverse culinary experiences!
Next few days, I continued my epicurean pilgrimage at Peter Cat, Flury’s, Amber, and Trincas to relive memories and create new ones; the character, quality, and ambiance of these iconic places have remained consistent over the years.
“No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses…”― Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time
“Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library.” — Walter Savage Landor
Since my stay was longer, I took a temporary membership at the National Library to spend my afternoons. The online process is unexpectedly simple! I leisurely walked to the library, a stone’s throw from my house. A regular here during my college days, a wave of emotions swept over me while walking through the gates of Belvedere Estate after 25 years! As I strolled across the beautifully manicured lawns, I was transported back to the days — spending countless afternoons in the historic reading room, enjoying the scent of old books with the note of vanilla and almonds that wafted through the air, lounging on the grand staircases with friends, and sipping on chai in the canteen listening to the canteen staff telling us spooky stories about the spirits that allegedly lurked around this 260-year-old estate at night!
I enthusiastically walked towards the heritage building to the reading room with the long teakwood table in the center, with vintage bulbs suspended from sturdy chains from the ceiling that was almost invisible for the height, the ancient fans that clumsily swooshed breaking the silence. I could not locate the reading room! There was no one around to ask except a couple of pigeons. So, I entered a room and was convinced by the magnificent ceiling height; this ‘was’ the reading room! But everything was gone — the books, stacks, catalogs, table, fans, and antique light fixtures — all had disappeared! It has transformed into a fancy exhibition area with trendy lighting. I walked out in dismay and eventually figured out that the library had shifted to the newer building, ‘Bhasha Bhavan’ years back!
I had to collect my pass from ‘Bhasha Bhavan’ and head to the new reading room! For someone who had spent countless afternoons in the old reading room, finding the same energy in the newer one was tough. Some changes attached to our nostalgia are challenging to accept initially, but it’s all about acceptance and letting go — making way for the new! The bright side is having access to the finest library in the country all seven days a week! Later, I returned to the exhibition area; the space was showcasing ‘Icons of Nationalism- from the Soil of Bengal,’ about the life of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, and their extraordinary contribution to the freedom struggle. The exhibition is interactive, using multi-sensory technology. Maybe, this is a more effective way to reach out to the current younger generation, who are mostly not interested in reading in print. Let the memory of the historic reading room remain cherished in my heart.
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new…” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The two events I miss the most after leaving Calcutta are Durga Puja and the Calcutta Book Fair — the former occurs in the fall and the latter in the winter. It’s a pity I couldn’t make it for any for two decades. However, this time I made sure to attend the book fair before I left.
A visit to the Calcutta Book Fair, the third largest in the world after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair, is an annual pilgrimage for any Calcuttan. While growing up, my pilgrimage companions changed with time from family to friends to sometimes solo. But the precious childhood memories I have of the Calcutta Book Fair in Maidan — holding my grandmother’s hand and navigating through the bustling crowd, exploring the large pavilions with wonder and awe while savoring a candyfloss, Rabindrasangeet (Tagore’s songs) echoing from the public address system. I called my erudite grandmother “Chalanta” Bengali dictionary, meaning a moving Bengali dictionary. From taking me to the local library to our annual trips to the Calcutta Book Fair buying books to helping me understand the complex themes of Tagore’s and Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s works, I owe it to my grandmother for my love for reading and be a lifelong learner.
Fast forward to 2023, and I was back at the Calcutta International Book Fair. The venue has now changed from Maidan to the Saltlake ground. As I walked through the fairgrounds, I was pleasantly surprised to see the swarm of people with jute bags overflowing with books. The queues outside the two local publishing houses Ananda Publishers, and Dey’s Publishers, have remained constant since I last visited! The rise of online stores has not killed the spirit of Calcuttans. Calcutta Book Fair continues to thrive, with almost 900 stalls, hosting more than 20 countries — Spain being the focal theme this year. The next couple of hours were unparalleled joy perusing the shelves, reading the summaries, and giving in to the temptation. Soon, I realized the weight of the bag; I sat on the grass, watching the vibrant people. Tagore’s melody filled the air, and I felt the presence of my grandmother sitting next to me, having Jhaalmuri, reminding me of all the beautiful memories we had shared.
The next day I was ready to fly out; I was pensive. The three weeks were an emotional journey — I left Calcutta long back, but the city never left me. Calcutta embraced me with the same warmth and joy reassuring me that I ‘belong’ to the City of Joy.
“I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times… In life after life, in age after age, forever..”
— Rabindranath Tagore, Unending Love
