Life in Kolkata: a unique blend of bliss and yen for better
People from all across the country, whoever has visited Kolkata so far for few days even, have opined that life here is quite different, at least it is not like life in other metros in India. The City of Joy is always a layer special for its lively gregariousness. The tinge of distinct flavor that has marked the Kolkata lifestyle is a bit special not due to its legacy, commercial prosperity or disparity or not for charismatic political propaganda; to be precise, it is because of the demography of this place. As a whole, the people of Kolkata are aggressively intellectuals, but they are imbibed with a natural gusto of wit and humor…that’s make the life force of the city so different!
Life in Kolkata cannot be described in pen and paper at an easy go. Rather one has to feel the hang of the everyday titbits that depicts the city in its own way. There is regular delay in metro rail station, here local trains may run late, buses are found many a time creating mayhem on the road, and people in the bus may start calling the driver and conductor a name; but there is a BUT: in spite of all anomalies around, there are ample human elements almost in every moves. There is wit, creativity, ample empathy, and sympathy, as well as there is the fire of bold protest, and that’s the flavor of everyday life. People are little nosy and interfering but hardly here public is insensitive about others insult or abuse. For bitter or better karma, kolkatans always make free the handicap seat in buses, seniors and ladies are allowed to sit up front, and ask for a stoppage info, thousands of unknown faces will offer you genuine assistance. There are exceptions too but the shades of humanity are still alive in this metropolis and that makes the life force in this metro somewhat extra-special.
These days, lifestyle is dynamic everywhere; Kolkata is no exception too. The daily life of this metro is also facing a sea change recently. In comparison to the relaxed lifestyle of 10 years’ back, today’s lifestyle is more hectic, fast-paced, passive and professional but amazingly it is never ruthless. If there is a queue in a bus stop or in the auto stand, students always get the priority or the elders are spared to get the safer seat. Competition is everywhere in Kolkata but Kolkata people are never blindfolded for pursuing the rate race and that is why often they are called unprofessional intellectuals. Some may call the life of Kolkata slow, sluggish, too easy going and somehow lazy but it is full of vivacity that will keep your energy level high and creative in its best positive way.
The city is rightly called the intellectual capital of India. This is the reason secularism has got blended in the city’s inherent character. Gender bias can hardly be felt here: the incidents of communal disturbance is really rare in this city. The city celebrates Eid and Dussera with the same gusto. This is one of the traits of Kolkata life that people here takes pleasure in celebrating every occasion, regardless it is an Islamic ritual or Christian ceremony or a Hindu puja day. If it a holiday, people of Kolkata is happy to celebrate the same!
However, there is the other side of the coin too. There is a back office group of workforce they work round the clock. No matter if it is Durga puja or Muharram, emergency services are always available in Kolkata. Lifesaving ambulances are now available larger in number and they can be called 24x7 to make the life of Kolkata medically safer than ever before. Call centers are working 24x7: youngsters are never out of a job if they want to work in these BPO sectors. Information Technology and communication sector is showing promise for this city of joy in terms of short-term employment and that has added a new facet in the life of Kolkata: still, it is slightly different than thriving metros like Delhi or Mumbai because of its human element. This new-age responsiveness is also a new improvisation of kolkata city life, truly the city never sleeps on an emergency.
Foods play a vital role in Kolkata life. Street foods here is a part of its culinary culture and you will hardly get sick after having foods from these street outlets. These food joints are the office kitchens in larger city life where curd rice, chicken chowmein, and anda roti reside side by side in separate containers showcasing the best cosmopolitan fraternity, typical of kolkata. There is a steep change in taste buds nowadays: Besides Bengalee special “macher jhol, misti doi, and rosogolla”, Chinese, Thai and Continental foods have become quite popular although street side phuchka is still stealing the show. You just cannot think of life in Kolkata without these local culinary delights.
Nightlife in Kolkata is a part of its lifestyle but it is really not as exotic as Delhi or Mumbai. The city has its own rhythm and that makes it typically different. Varieties of nightclubs and discotheques are there but if you want to feel the nightlife of this metro, unlike many other cities, you can roam here in a taxi. Kolkata will not bother you and the taxi driver mostly will offer you self-proclaimed guidance about the city and its locational details and even without asking will drop you at the nearest point from where you can go back to your shelter…safely. This is Kolkata… it has more human and emotional character than the matter-of-fact professional stoic attitude of people around and it’s the archetypal feature of Kolkata life.
Life in Kolkata cannot be described without talking about the city’s ecstasy about sports. The excitement of football league, IPL, Football World Cup, as well as Cricket World Cup bring a new frenzy in Kolkatans. Besides Eden garden and Salt Lake stadium, Kolkata has the oldest Polo Club of the world, and it is rightly called the football city of India. Kolkata residents mostly are sports lover and they can spend surprisingly unlimited hours confronting and analyzing their favorite football match or cricket tournament hampering their everyday routine no matter if it’s about attending the doctor’s chamber or attending an urgent office meeting.
Before a decade, Kolkata was notoriously known for its political chaos and frequent procession culture. Credit goes to current political stability, life in Kolkata is now almost free from political turbulence. It’s not entirely indifferent and professional like other metros but the new-age speed has added a new layer of dynamic attitude to this intellectual city.
Life in Kolkata depiction will never be over because for every Kolkata residents it is an endless saga. Although the city has manifold shortcomings still it has the fire in its heart that keeps the cultural heritage always alive be it is about hosting a protest at Presidency College or Jadavpur University or continuing a silent appeal for the punishment of Jessica murder on the street.
Life in this city is never static: it’s free-flowing and in a massive way it’s emotional. The metro has a special vibe and that gets echoed in its demography and public moves regardless of the class or social strata. Life here is not limited to the everyday affair. You can feel the warmth of this cultural hub actively kindled in the coffee house; it is largely on the go at college street university campus; it is flamboyant at South City mall, Acropolis, as well as busy in Gariahat and Madox Square. The life of Kolkata gets resonated by musical compositions of Kolkata bands, in the slogan of 15th August, and in the celebration of 25th Baishakh, etc.
The life in Kolkata is all about a cultural legacy: the city may have lots of glitches but it is gifted with a unique life force and that makes the life of Kolkata utmost special.
