5 Unusual Places to Visit in North Kolkata
Let’s start on a
different note this time. Remember Twilight saga? Remember how Jacob imprinted
on Renesmee?
***
Imprinting on someone is like when you see her,
everything changes. All of a sudden it's not gravity holding you the planet, it's
her. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for her.
***
This is what one is
bound to feel while standing on the roads of Shovabazar or Sutanuti of Kolkata.
The bygone era of history comes whooping in imprinting on your mind. The best
place for street photography, be it the narrow lanes through the century
old buildings, the hand-pulled rickshaw or the ramshackle trams, North Kolkata
is Bengali’s own way of connecting to the past it had risen from. Here enlisted
five such wonders of North Kolkata (besides the above-mentioned ones) that one
must not miss while on the first visit.
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| My route map |
Kumartuli
Situated on the
banks of River Hooghly, Kumartuli or Coomartolly is where the present-day
the artistry of Idol-making perseveres. Started off from Ahiritola Ghat,
towards the lair of the proficient artistes, to witness the making of Bengal's
largest festival of Durga Puja. However, Kumartuli remains busy
shaping the clay idols all through the year but the month of September is
swirled with huge idols for the coming October's Puja. The onlookers are left
awestruck at how adeptly the artists shape the figures in such a restricted
space available to them. Each and every long stretch of shaded space is
packed with the clay figurines of Devi Durga on her lion with Mahisasura at her
feet and her children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Karthik, and Ganesh). The "Mrit
Shilpi"s sculpting the figures out from mere bunch of straws and
painting it to give a lively look is a month-long process and indeed a sight to
see and is a delight to the photographers' lens.
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| The clay idol-making |
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| The moulding of hands through the touching of hands |
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| The Lion of Devi Durga |
Best time to
visit: From mid-August to the last of September
depending on the Durga Puja timing;
Cost: The
photographers need to get a ticket of ₹50 for a camera which is valid for six
months and an entry ticket of ₹50 for the group.
Although originally a saat-mahala house
the most intact of the remaining spaces is the courtyard with
the thakurdalan. A saat khilan thakurdalan with multi-foliate
arches supported on pairs of squared pilasters. Pairs of columns with plain
shafts rise up between the arches to support the entablature above [Courtesy:
Wikipedia]
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| The board narrating the historical background |
Best Time to
Visit: During Durga Puja, on other times prior
permission may be needed;
Timing: Closed
on Sundays. On other days 10 am to 4 pm with prior permission;
Cost: Free
Thakurbari, the
house of the Tagore's, it is the place where the Bard of Bengal was born and
breathed his last. The red-green building typical of North Kolkata is situated
amidst a verdant spreading lawn. Going straight through the door gets you
in the Thakur Dalan or an open-roofed corridor encircled by the rooms of the
main building.
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| The frontal view of Thakurbari |
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| The sign saying "the main doorway" |
The main building
is now turned into a museum with the artifacts of the progenies of Maharshi
Dwarkanath Thakur. The first room at the entrance depicted the then
“Baithakkhana” with an attached kitchen. The next room was of
Rabindranath himself and it was here he breathed his last. Through his
room, the inner corridor and other rooms (Andar Mahal) are
accessible.
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| The Thakur Dalan |
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| The rear portion of Thakurdalan |
The other rooms on the first
floor are dedicated to Rabindranath Thakur’s various visits all over the
world. Rabindranath himself was no less a traveler in his times.
He visited 36 countries. The halls are dedicated to his visit to Japan,
China, the USA and Hungary. The hall of China is turned to a miniature
Chinese monastery with similar ambiance- with hanging Chinese lanterns and
Chinese paintings on the wall, a miniature Buddha in the adjacent
hall, followed by a seating hall with scriptures and porcelains from China,
giving way to the last hall with Chinese books. The entrance to the hall
is itself a lookalike of a monastery entrance. The stairs to the second
floor led to the Hall of USA and Hungary with features depicting the
places. The hall of USA has a mini Statue of Liberty, one would also
find the famous frame shared by Einstein and Rabindranath here. These are
all situated in the Andar Mahal and the trail through the house is made
comfortable by air conditioning, the trail through the inside veranda is
shaded by typical the then matted curtains (madur-parda).
Back to the outer
corridor, towards the right of the entrance, is the Vichitra Bhavan
showcasing the artefacts used by Abanindranath Thakur, to the right of
the hall there is a smaller room showcasing Mrinmayi Devi's (wife to Rabi
Thakur) things. The stair to the top leads to the roof and the second-floor rooms of Maharshi Dwarkanath Thakur.
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| Angled view of the Thakurbari |
Best time to
Visit: In March during Basanta Utsav,
or during May, especially on Rabindranath Thakur's (9th may)
birthday. However it is opened all through the year;
Timing: 10
am to 4 pm;
Cost: Students:
₹10. Indians: ₹20. Foreigners: ₹100. Cost for
carrying camera: ₹50. Camera is only allowed in outer premises. Not
allowed in the museum
The not-so-known
the grandeur of Kolkata is situated right in open sight. From Rabindra Sarani,
it’s at a stone's throw distance. Surprisingly all through the way, the place is
comprised of Marble shops. One would wonder at the significance of the name
right from the streets itself. On reaching the destination one would awe
at its sheer presence there. The palace is placed right in between the
green lawns which are again decorated with white Marble lions. The palace
has its own zoo which is not maintained now, however, has species of
peacocks, storks, and monkeys. In between the trees, there are round
Marble seating shaded by the scrubs and bushes.
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| The Marble Palace |
The entrance to the
palace has two large deer-head mounts. Entering into the palace will
literally connote the name of the place. The palace is flooded with
marble effigies and indeed a paradise for art lovers. The reception
hall has billiards boards and a notable Japanese bronze vase of about 4
ft. Walking on, the guide took us to a dark room which when lighted
displayed the 6 ft high Mahogany statue of Queen Victoria. Other statues
included the Greek Goddesses; the ceiling of the room too was decorated with
wooden motifs. The “hakur dalan” has a marble fountain like structure in
the center, with the marble floor designed in floral patterns. The
central worshipping pedestal too is of Marble with the figurines of Rama and
Sita made on the walls behind it. The arched roof above the pedestal
section too has cupids and floral designs plasterd on the edges. The corridors
had caged macaws of different types and cockatoos.
The first floor was
availed through the wooden stairs with the wall paintings overlooking the
visitors. The first floor itself is another grandeur with frequent black marbled
statues of birds (ravens mostly). Worth mentioning is the dancing hall
with the ceiling long wall mirror of Belgian glass on both sides of the
room, that my friend is going to etch its place on your memory. Throughout the
hall were other statuettes personifying the Greek deities four seasons- Spring
Autumn, Summer and Winter, the statue of Commerce and Agriculture.
The other hall had the oil paintings of the linage of the Mullick family. Other
paintings are – the “Marine View” by
Dutch painter Jan Van Goyen, “Madonna with Child” by Italian painter Giovanni
Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, “The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine” by
Rubens and “The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian” by Piero del Pollaiolo, as also
some paintings by famous Indian artist Raja Ravi Varna and The Last Supper. The first ever piano, the grandfather’s clock, and the ivory tusk
are the notable mentions. Other statues worth mentioning are the greek
Goddesses of Venus holding cupid, Apollo, Moses etc.
Best time to
visit: Anytime;
Timing: 10
am to 4 pm. Closed on Mondays and Thursdays;
Cost: Free
entry, however, you may tip the guide on your wish. You might need prior
permission from the tourism board. Nevertheless, if you don't have
any, a government identity card would do.
One of the grandest structures of Kolkata. The
architecture of the mosque resembles the Indo-Saracenic Akbar’s tomb at
Sikandra. The entrance of the mosque is said to be built after the Buland
Darwaza of Fatehpur Sikri. At the heart of the mosque, the purification pool is
a sight to mention.
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| Courtesy: West Bengal Tourism |
Best time to
visit: Anytime;
Timing: All
days of the week. 6 am to 8 pm.
Cost: Free
Where to Eat
Arsalan. Address- Shyampukur Street, 138, Bidhan Sarani,
Hati Bagan, Shyam Bazar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700004
2 comments
There is so much architectural beauty in Kolkata. My friend who is a an architecture designer who visited to study these beautiful designs if buildings in Kolkata. I would love to visit one day too. Especially during Durga puja if possible.
ReplyDeleteLoved it! Excellent! You have portrayed the vivid descriptions of Kolkata icons so well! Only one comment: I would have loved to see Rabindranath Tagore's own room that you have mentioned, unless the photography is forbidden.
ReplyDelete