How do you see Kolkata? It depends. It depends on whether you’ve set foot there or in any Indian city earlier or a first-timer here, whether you’ve a practiced eye to gaze beyond the din, whether you’re ready to accept that what you see is what you don’t see in your hometown, and of course much more.
Here are 2 accounts about Kolkata. One from Indrani Dutta of The Hindu, titled From a bygone era (no surprise here!). The other is from Sheryl’s blog (no surprise here too!). Sheryl from Singapore has been here with some of her friends. Some excerpts:
- From Indrani‘s story:
Next time you are in Kolkata, take a launch-ride down the Hooghly just as dusk is falling on the city. On the west bank of the river, a golden sunset will beckon you and, on the east, edifices of the Raj era will vie for your attention. Today, many of the centuries-old buildings are a mere shadow of their former imposing facades, but some still stand tall, showcasing the heritage of a metropolis that was once considered the second city of the British empire. - From Sheryl‘s blog:
even in the restaurants like pizza hut and ivory, we witness the dichotomy between the rich and the poor classes. the whiter skin of higher superiority would be the ones enjoying the food, yet the darker skin were the ones serving, and only allowed to stare enviously and question the unfairness in life. all of them were of the same race, yet the shade of the skin divided them drasticallysometimes i wonder “god, why arent you helping them?” it was morally draining.
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