Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Calcutta Part 3


The next day early morning I decided to take a stroll with my camera (as it was really bright by 6 am)
From far I could see this huge board and as I came closer I realised that it was the entrance to a garden. The bench and the lamp post indicates it to be a place to relax. (sometimes simple illustrations convey the meaning in a subtle way)


Early morning joggers were already leaving the park (and I thought I was the one who got up early! )


A little ahead of the garden is  the south entrance to the famous Victoria Memorial. There is a lot of history attached to the Victoria Memorial and how it was built but I won’t go into it.

 After paying a nominal entrance fee of Rs 5, I came directly in front of King Edward VII arch. The statue over the arch is really big but you fail to notice it as it is very high up


Before clicking I placed myself in such a way that it looked as if King Edward was looking directly at me. The horse’s one leg was raised, indicating that the rider was injured in action (if both the legs are raised, it depicts that the rider has died in action)
The lawns around the Memorial had a few people doing their stretching and breathing exercise


while the squirrels and the birds were happy to sunbathe in the  morning




Saw this tree on the lawns. One may link it to one of those contemporary modern art (with some inner meaning that the artist wants to convey) but to me it looks like the tree is decaying from one side and needs immediate attention


On the front right side of the Memorial is this placid lake with an old rusty pump. A good example of how rotary motion is converted to linear motion.

On the way back I decided to have tea and found many outlets  near the Gurudwara chowk.

People were having their breakfast either in their car or  on the benches provided.


Hot jalebis were being prepared and this guy had to literally work  fast to meet the demands of his customers

  
One unique thing that I observed was the people sitting outside the eateries. I mean its not only in Europe  that you find this phenomena of sitting out. . . . .

I feel there is a similarity here in Calcutta



Later in the day wifey was all excited as we were going to …… yes you guessed it right, we were going shopping ! I was more worried about getting to the place, but as usual the Calcutta taxi came to the rescue. He took us to the right place   (Dakshinapan) through the shortest route.
The whole complex had emporiums from different states of India. We decided to visit this one which was sort of a co-operative shop run by the government. The prices were reasonable and we did buy a little more than half a dozen including some Dakhai Jamdhani sarees. 



These ladies were very helpful in ‘selecting’ the sarees (and I learned a few lessons in salesmanship )
While the sarees were being selected I was more engrossed in the game of carom that was going on outside the shop.  My hands were itching as its been ages since I laid my hands on a striker.

After dinner we went for a stroll and found these pandals with deities all lit up and displayed at many of the by lanes.

Now, how can I end a write up on Calcutta without a picture of Durga? 
Truly a city of joy.

Next post. . . . . . life in Goa

38 comments:

Connie said...

It looks like a very interesting spot to visit with a lot happening from one place to the next. Nice photos! I liked the animal pictures from the garden the best.

Beth said...

Nice photos! I especially like the one of the squirrel. Our squirrels here are quite different!

Sabi Sunshine said...

with your way of writing, feel like i am in Calcutta .. i love the pic of Jalebi. Yummy

L

Purabi Naha said...

Being a Bengali myself, I love Kolkata. Beautiful pictures of the park. Those Jalebis and sarees look really good!

deeps said...

looks like this is an endlessly beautiful city

Bikram said...

it is a lovely city indeed , thanks for sharing so many pics

Bikram's

Lawyer Loves Lunch said...

I love how the sari fabric varies so widely all across in India. Here's to more shopping excursions :)

TexWisGirl said...

shopping is SO not my thing, but the park looked lovely.

Cloudia said...

Most enjoyable!



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Stephanie said...

What an amazing photo tour!! Thanks for sharing your journey with us :)

OldLady Of The Hills said...

It is quite a treat to see these pictures of Calcutta....I feel like I took a tour, with you! Thanks for visiting my blog.
And...I hope you are wrong about Gun Control....If there was ever a time it MIGHT change, even just a little bit, it is now.

Sharmila said...

Such beautiful descriptions and photos. Loved reading the series. :-)

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

Beautiful coverage. You took me home!
Happy New Year.

www.anucreations.blogspot.in

magiceye said...

Beautifully captured!

Dave King said...

What a great collection. I particularly fell for your board - how brilliant was that? And the decaying tree. I could see it as you did, but also in its other "arty" guise. Great post!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Haddock .. thanks for the visit and I love these views of Calcutta ... Happy New Year - cheers Hilary

Ms Sparrow said...

What an interesting day in Calcutta. Thank you for sharing it with this snowbound Minnesotan!

juliefordoliver.blogspot.com said...

This was a lovely trip down memory lane for me. Not in Calcutta but Bangalore. Some similar sights.

Project Curve said...

there's a place called dolly's in dkshinapan..they have amazing ham sandwiches.it's a frequent hangout spot for students like me.

Elise Fallson said...

What great shots of Calcutta. I've never been but these pictures make me want to visit someday, the park, the history, the food and the shopping too all sound wonderful.

Indrani said...

Great to see these ordinary yet 'precious' shots!

Lynn said...

Lovely post - I enjoyed this trip to the park and out shopping. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

That garden is beautiful! What a pretty city. Thanks for showing us the sites, clear around the world. Also, thank you for your kind comments on my blog. We are all doing much better after the wreck.

God Bless,
Jackie

Sara Louise said...

The photo of the memorial and the King Edward Arch is stunning!

Amy said...

What a wonderful way to explore a place with the camera. :) Thank you for taking us with you on the visit. Happy New Year to you!

Destiny's child... said...

Lovely pics! Jalebis, the squirrel, that tree, the shop, people at caroms - all of it captured beautifully. This is how an ideal travelogue on a blog should be - perfectly balanced with pictures and writing. :)

Dianne said...

the joggers look so happy
I love early morning - the light is lovely and the streets are calmer
wonderful series of photos!!

R. Ramesh said...

pleasant post sir..khoob bhalo:)

Glennis said...

Thank you so much for posting a nice comment on my blog. I will read yours. Your Calcutta photos are quite wonderful.

Shivani Singh said...

i am inspired.Thanks for sharing and now i must check out the before this stories. :)

Hilary said...

It's always interesting to see a city through anothers eyes. Great street photos.

Deborah Ann said...

Wow, love the pictures! Looks like you're having a great time...

Swapna Raghu Sanand said...

Loved the pics from Kolkata and read the post - can't wait to read the one on Goa. Come back soon!

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Interesting photos and write up. Some of the photos brought back memories of the days when I was in Calcutta. I used to go there for training when I was working. Our head office was located at Waterloo St. and we had a factory in Alipore extension. I used to stay in an old hotel called Carlton hotel near Roxy cenema threatre. Once the police was lathi charging a bunch a demonstrators but they were hitting people including the bystanders and I had to run for my life to escape the lathi blows.

Best wishes,
Joseph



My Unfinished Life said...

I was in Kolkata in last week of December during Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed myself there, in fact I havent enjoyed christmas like this ever in my own city!!!!

I have been to this park and its a nice place to roam about.......and the street food in kolkata is awesome!!!!

http://www.myunfinishedlife.com/

Panchali said...

The places look familiar...so, they add more to the fascinating blog! Lovely...

Journey of Life said...

Sounds like a nice trip you have. I would love to join your wife on that shopping trip :-)

Sharon said...

Beautiful travelogues, Haddock. Thanks for participating in our giveaway on www.thekeybunch.com

Sharon