Located on the banks of river Hooghly, Princep Ghat never fails to attract the masses by its scenic beauty. With the river and its undulating waves, the lush green surrounding, the conventional boat rides- it has become the prime destination for photographers.The white monument of the Princep Ghat is located between the Water Gate and the St. George’s Gate of the Fort William.
The place is swamped by couples but it is one of the places which still revives the “adda-culture” (adda-culture is a term popularly used in Kolkata where a group of friends or like-minded people hang out together) . Surely, it is an affordable place for everyone- students can go after bunking classes, couples for spending quality-time, family members for refreshment after a tiring week and for outsiders to explore a new site. There are various food stalls present inside the area to curb your hunger pangs.[ But its better if you carry your own food and water. ;)] Boat rides are available for getting a peaceful tour of the river with second Hooghly bridge towerinng above, not to forget the picturesque sunset.
Apart from the all the sight seeing, the gentle breeze and the perfect glimpse of the sunset lets you to have hours of heart to heart conversations with your loved ones. [ as it did for us :)] Its a perfect place to get lost when you want a break from the hustle and bustle of the city-life. Whether you stay in Kolkata or not, try visiting this aesthetic place.
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About the place: “Plated” as the name suggests is quite a chic place. It is an amalgamation of modern and exquisite interior with a traditional and warm ambience. The restaurant serves North Indian, Maharashtrian, Italian and Chinese food. The food is quite exotic. The interior of this place gives a very high-end feeling. Its quite spacious and clean. Lighting is also very good. So, you don’t have to worry about good pictures. It is fully air-conditioned. The staffs are also very warm and cordial in nature.
Location: 27, Adhyapak Layout, Ring Road, Jaitala , Hingna T Point, Nagpur
About food: The place as mentioned above offers different cuisines. We ordered a fresh sweet lime soda, non-veg mixed sizzler and Shrikhand.
Sweet Lime soda: Sweet lime soda is the blend of lime juice, sugar, club soda, crushed ice and some mint leaves. It is an ideal summer ideal that refreshes you to the core. Plus, its comforting to the palate. The drink was served in a pilsner glass with a straw. Overall the drink was good.
Price- INR 110
Rating- 3/5
Mixed non-veg sizzler- The sizzler contains mutton, chicken and fish cooked in delicious sauce. The dish is served in a beautiful wooden plate on a bed of lettuce leaves. There is chicken, mutton and fish (you can ask as per your likes and eating habits) cooked in the sauce, veggies, french fries and the option of either rice or noodles. Overall the taste is really mind-boggling. The non-veg items are quite fresh amongst which the fish tasted the best.
Price- INR 450
Rating- 4/5
Shrikhand– Shrikhand is an Indian sweet dish made of strained yoghurt and ingredients like sugar, kesar, cardamom are added.It is a very popular dessert in Maharashtra and Gujrat.It is served chilled as a side dish with puri or as a dessert.Dried and fresh fruits are also added to enhance the flavour.
The initial taste was difficult to understand.After few spoons of the dessert, the enriching taste was revealed.Though it was too sweet.
Price– INR 90
Rating-3/5
Overall experience was pleasant for us- from enjoying the dishes to watching a Marathi family of huge number celebrating together.The environment was warm and perfect for our lunch date 🙂
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Nagpur is the third largest and winter city of Maharashtra.Famously known as “Orange City”, Nagpur is also known as “Zero mile”.
HOW TO REACH NAGPUR:
By Air– Nagpur flights are connected to Mumbai,New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai airports so you can directly enter Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur.
By Rail– Nagpur City Railway is connected to near about all railway stations and one can get direct train to Nagpur’s main Railway station.
By Road-Nagpur is connected to the National Highway No.7, you can easily get regular buses to Nagpur from other major cities of the country.
THE TRAIN JOURNEY:
At around 6:30 on a Friday morning,we took a cab till Howrah Station.Our train was at 8:20 a.m from Howrah.It was Howrah-Mumbai Duronto Express. It was an altogether different experience for us as we were travelling to a different state all by ourselves for the first time.The journey became one of our best memories to be cherished in near future.From having food together to sharing every little thing, from taking naps together on the same berth(yes, in spite of having two berths we preferred to sleep like crippled people together 🙂 ) to laughing endlessly,from reading books to listening to songs, we did it all. Throughout the journey, we were like eight year old kids trapped in twenty-three old, getting amazed at anything and everything outside the train window.
ARRIVAL TO THE NAGPUR STATION:
We Reached Nagpur Station around 1:30 a.m as the train was late.The first look of the station gave an image of clean and well-maintained station.A distant uncle was there to pick us up and we had no problem as such.The house was almost 20-25 mintues from the station.We were busy looking out of the cars’s window to take a glimpse of the city even in the dark.The roads were pretty good and surroundings were clean.
We reached the house, had a hearty meal late at night and hit the sack as we were too tired from a long train journey.(Not to forget a beautiful and unforgettable memory added to our list).
EXPLORING THE CITY:
DAY 1
We were lucky enough to get a beautiful host who was not only warm-hearted but caring too.She made the famous Maharashtrian breakfast-“Poha” for us.Every Indian knows what poha is.It is basically flattened rice cooked with robust spices with dash of lime juice.After a hearty Maharashtrian breakfast, we took a bath and got ready to go for some sight-seeing.The cab drivers were very cordial and chatty in nature and showed some tourist places.
Nagpur is a city with a very peaceful environment and clean roads.The centre area of the city is quite developed with outskirts still reflecting rural life.There is no hustle and bustle like mega cities.One can rarely see a public transport except autos.It’s all Ola and Uber cabs,private cars and scooties on the road.Men and women, both are seen covering their faces and head with scarfs because of the hot and dry weather.There is less greenery.Trees and lands are all dried up and there is highland like structures at certain places because it falls under the Southern Plateau region.
We visited a nearby restaurant named Plated which was very fancy looking yet affordable. The restaurant is quite spacious and basically for family members to enjoy, We saw a family of almost 25 people enjoying lunch over hearty conversation and celebrating some special ocassion. Then, we got back home and had yet another wholesome dinner and went to sleep. So basically it was a day for us to relish on different cuisines.
DAY 2-
Next day, we had puri and sabzi with dahi for breakfast and chicken for lunch.The taste was quite different from what we eat but it was delectable. That day also we got ready to hit an adventurous sight-seeing.Finally we took a cab and reached Futala lake.
The city boasts of being home to some scenic lakes, the Futala lake is one of them. The lake is also known as the Telankhidi lake located in the western part about 6 kms away from the city.
The lake is quite big and serene.It was surrounded by youngsters and family who came to enjoy the evening like us.(The night light and fountain is a view to watch but we couldnot as we had to leave early).There are lots of carts offering food and snacks.We took a long walk from there to Hanuman Mandir and seeked blessings.
Just beside the temple, there is a eatery shop where sweets and all kinds of chaats are available.We took sweets for the lovely host of ours to show our regards.While returning back, we ate dahi puri( it was very rich and filling).
We reached home at around 7 in the evening and had a conversation about the two cities’ culture and food with the members of the family.Since we had train late at night, we had our dinner and took some rest.The same train journey was repeated but this time we witnessed the beautiful sunrise. It was a short trip but a perfect break from our regular routine and quite enriching. Nevertheless, wherever we go, its always good to come back to your own city- Our city of joy.
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About– The milk shake is a blend of fresh cream, milk, vanilla ice-cream, cocoa powder and ice. All the ingredients are blended to get a thick consistency which is then poured in plastic cups with a lid and straw. The drink also has chunks of chocolate chips into it.
The drink is delicious and the bits of chocolate chips in every sip adds to the flavour.
Price– INR 80
Rating-4/5
Location– Just infront of Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station. The place is also famous for chocolate chai.
BLUE LAGOON
About– This mocktail is a blend of sugar syrup, lemon juice, crushed ginger, some crushed mint, curacao syrup and handful of ice. It is served in a mason jar with a straw.
A perfect combination of all the ingredients makes the drink must have for summers to rejuvenate your mood.
Price– INR 90
Rating-4.5/5
Location– Macazzo, near Menoka Cinema Hall in Southern Avenue.
SWEET AND SOUR LIME SODA
About– The drink is a blend of lime juice, sugar, water, aerated water, black salt, black pepper powder and ice cubes. It is served in pilsner glass.
The drink is very refreshing and perfect for summer.
Price– INR 80
Rating-3.5/5
Location– Blue Mug, Jodhpur Park.
MOCHA SHAKE
About– The drink is a blend of strong coffee, sugar, milk, chocolate syrup, vanilla ice-cream and a dash of salt.
The look of the drink was appealing but it tasted like just plain cold coffee. Coffee lovers can enjoy this cold coffee flavoured drink in the humid weather.
Price– INR 120
Rating-2/5
Location– Macazzo, near Menoka Cinema Hall in Southern Avenue.
MANGO LASSI
About– This drink is a blend of mango pulp and thick yoghurt. It is garnished with grated mawa, chocolate syrup and cherry.
Mango lassi is considered to be tasty but this turned out to be the worst drinks we have tried.The consistency was too thick which made it hard to gulp it down.
Price– INR 30
Rating-1/5
Location– Shyambazar 5 point crossing.
KITKAT SHAKE
About– This drink is a blend of milk, kitkat, coffee powder, sugar and fresh cream. It is garnished with chocolate syrup.
A scrumptious drink to relish and enjoy when you crave for chocolate.
Price– INR 130
Rating-4.5/5
Location– Beans N Bites, Golpark.
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Where temperature soars up in this summer, it calls for drinks. Soothe your body in this summer with this list of refreshing and delicious drinks.
Virgin Mojito
Location- Blue Mug situated in Jodhpur Park, Kolkata.
Virgin Mojito is a popular summer drink. A perfect blend of mint and lime is enough to rejuvenate and calm you in this humid weather.
The drink has a blend of lemon and mint flavour with a cooling sensation. The drink comes in mason jar beautifully decorated with slices of lemon and mint leaves.
Price- INR 150
Rating- 4/5
Blue Lagoon( Recommended by Blue Mug)
Location- Blue Mug situated in Jodhpur Park, Kolkata.
Blue Lagoon is another popular summer mocktail. Blue Mug serves their special drink which is a mixture of blue lagoon mocktail and scoops of vanilla ice-cream presented in a cocktail glass with a cherry on top.
The flavour of this drink is a little confusing. Consistency is also very thick making it difficult to drink. Adding ice-cream to the drink made it disappointing.
Price- INR 140
Rating- 2/5
Oreo Shake
Location- Blue Mug situated in Jodhpur Park, Kolkata.
Oreo Shake is a favourite drink for chococlate lovers especially Oreo lovers who can relish in its flavour.
The taste of this drink is rich and it is quite filling.An impressive presentation of cream, oreo biscuit and cherry in a mason jar. The texture of the cream is not appealing to the palate.
Price- INR 180
Rating-4/5
Brownie Shake
Location- Blue Mug situated in Jodhpur Park, Kolkata.
Hot brownies are all time favourite dessert. When it is served in shake form, it becomes an ideal drink for chocolate and brownie lovers.
The drink is very rich and nectarous. It comes in good quantity which will fill you up very soon. The drink comes in a mason jar. The rim of the jar is coated with a dallop of cream and the drink is topped with a piece of brownie and cherry. The texture of the cream is not appealing again.
Price- INR 180
Rating- 4/5
Kesar Badam Lassi
Location- Ananda Juice Centre situated in Shyambazar, Kolkata.
Lassi is a popular summer drink.This is a blend of yoghurt,kesar, mawa and some dry fruits( raisin and cashew).
The taste was subtle, refreshing and not too overpowering.
Price-INR 40
Rating-3.5/5
Butter Scotch Shake
Location- Blue Mug situated in Jodhpur Park, Kolkata.
This drink is ideal for the ones who do not prefer chocolate.
The presentation was good, served in mason jar with cream(the texture which we did not like), cherry and butterscotch sprinkles.The quantity of the shake is enough to make you full but its too sweet.
Price- INR 200
Rating- 3/5
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Kachori is a famous Indian street food that is made with all purpose flour(maida). It has a rich filling made of a variety of ingredients ranging from urad daal, mong dal, mawa, onions and Indian spices. It is quite different from puri or luchi. Served with spicy aloo curry or different chutneys, it is one of the most affordable and delicious dishes.
SHRI HARI MISHTANNO BHANDAR
About the place-It is a traditional sweet shop in South Kolkata very famous for its kachori, Chola dal and Lyangcha. They have been witnessing and serving generations after generations but have never failed to hold on to their same old tradition and taste.
Location-A few minutes walk from Ashutosh College towards Exide Beltala RD, Bakul Bagan, Bhowanipore, Kolkata.
Price– INR 12 Per plate(Consists of 2 kachoris)
Verdict-Their kachori is one of the most famous ones in Kolkata.Their speciality is the unique masala filled kachoris and Cholar daal( cooked split Bengal gram with mild spices- famous Bengali side dish). They need to present their food in a better way.
SURESH TEA SHOP
About the place– The shop is a famous spot in area of Khidderpore for kachori and tea-lovers. They serve two variety of kachoris- kachori with aloo curry and club kachori, along with samosa and jalebis.
Location-Situated in Kidderpore, a few minutes from ST. Thomas’ School.
Price-INR 12 per plate(consists of 2 kachoris)
Verdict-The kachori is crisp and filled with urad daal and spices and served with aloo curry making it a delightful experience. It is a cheap place for students and people to stop by and indulge in little savory.
J.P GUPTA
About the place– It’s a shop which provides snacks, sweets and lassi. It has a spot to sit or stand and eat your favourite snack. The place keeps buzzing with working people who enjoy the kachori or other dish and appetite their hunger and satiety.
Location-1, National Library Avenue, Kolkata-27
Price– INR 12/ ( Consists of 2 kachoris)
Verdict– A light kachori with aloo curry, chutney and chilli is a perfect combination for a morning or evening snack.
About the place-The shop has no name but it’s a small one situated by the roadside. The shop has tea-shop adjacent to it. So, you can enjoy a plate of kachori with a cup of hot tea sprinkled with coffee powder.
Location-Hazra more, beside Hazra-Kidderpore auto stand.
Price– INR 20(consists of 4 pieces of kachori)
Verdict– A place full of happiness. Enjoy a good meal at an affordable price. You can have it for breakfast, lunch or evening snack. The kachoris have a thin filling of pulses and it is served with potato curry.
VIMLA SNACKS AND SWEET
About the place-It’s a small shop where you get a variety of namkins (salty snacks) and sweets.
Location-It is located in Jinjira bazaar market in Mahestala, Kolkata.
Price-INR 12 per plate(consists of 2 Kachoris)
Verdict– The taste of this kachori is little different from the above-mentioned ones. It has a touch of North Indian flavour to it. A plate consists of kachoris, potato chickpea curry and spicy pickle.
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Fancy restaurants and cafes’ never fail to tempt people. What do you do when you go through month ends?? Here are some of the recommendations of affordable dishes which are good in quantity without burning a hole in your pocket.
About the place: Denzong gives close attention to the Tibetian and Chinese flavours-sour, sweet, salt and spices. It’s cosy environment and mouth-watering food makes it a must visit destination.
Verdict: One plate contains 6 steam momos. The dumpling has a succulent chicken filling that you will not get anywhere except the denzong outlets. It’s their speciality. You won’t be able to stop yourself with just one plate.
The chicken shyapta contains bone-less pieces of chicken sauted with spices, sauce and veggies. It’s a perfect dish for chicken lovers.
NACHOS WITH SALSA AND CHEESE DIP & CHOCOLATE AVALANCHE
Nachos with salsa and cheese dip (Chicken)- INR120 and (Veg)-INR 95 & Chocolate Avalanche- INR 115
Place: BON APPETIT’ CAFE; HAZRA, KOLKATA
About the place: The cafe is not that spacious but provides with good food at affordable price making it a perfect destination for college-goers.
Verdict: A bed of nachos topped with salsa chicken and liquid cheese is enough to leave you wanting for more.
Chocolate Avalanche is a combination of hot delicious brownie with two scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice-cream respectively , topped with chocolate chips and a waffle chocolate stick. Its a treat for sweet lovers.
AMERICAN CHOPSUEY
Mixed American Chopsuey- INR 180
Place: BLISS RESTAURANT; HINDUSTAN PARK,KOLKATA.
About the place: Bliss Restaurant is not that spacious but its ambience, quality and quantity of food is worth mentioning.
Verdict:Cripsy noodles is layered with sweet and sour sauce containing chicken,prawns and veggies topped with a fried egg.The dish delivers a perfect balanced to your taste buds.The quantity of a plate is enough to fulfill the hunger pangs of two people.
BROWNIE WITH ICE-CREAM
Price– INR 150
Place: Beans n Bites; Golpark,Kolkata
About the place:A small yet a fancy place; perfect for hangout with friends and family.
Verdict: An exquisite dessert with brownie topped with two scoops of ice-cream drizzled with chocolate sauce.The sweet savoury dish gives you a deliciously gooey experience.
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Rabindra Sarobar is an artificial lake of West Bengal precisely situated in South Kolkata. It is one of the major attraction of South Kolkata with the majestic lake being surrounded by lush greenery from all sides. The lake has a small island in between which also mainly comprises of trees. There are places for you to sit and enjoy the view of the lake and the greenery.
Location…..
It is located in South Kolkata with Southern Avenue to the North, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Road to the West, Dhakuria to the East and Sealdah-Budge Budge Railway tracks to the South. Menoka Cinema Hall is located just on the opposite footpath of Rabindra Sarobar.
Transport facility……
The place is well communicated by roads and railways. The Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station and the Tallygunge Railway Station is just 5 minutes walk from the Lake.You can also avail autos from taratala till the metro station and then walk to the lake. (Auto fare- INR 11, Fares are subject to change as per increase in the market price). Autos from South city mall as well as Garia is also available till the metro station. Various buses also connect the place with other parts of the city.
Places to eat……
Ex Army Nirala is a food joint which is present inside Rabindra Sarobar.They offer all kinds of food and has also given the place a cafe like makeover with tables and chairs. The whole cafe area is covered with a series of trees. So, you can have food amidst nature. Numerous chai-walas, ghoti-gorom (a famous Kolkata street food) walas and kulfi-walas pass frequently. Outside the lake, there are shops or stalls where one can get puchkas, ice-cream and every kind of snack items.The Southern Avenue region also has a chain of cafes,pubs, restaurants etc. The place is also 15 minutes away from Golpark which also have series of eateries.
Atmosphere…….
The tree lined path of the Sarobar Lake is one of the most popular walking and running spot in the city. Starting from jogging, skating, rowing and the list continues, this place offers all such recreational activities. There are various clubs-cricket, football and more where children and teenage boys diligently sweat it out.The vast stretch of green land with mighty slow moving lake in the middle provides a perfect spot for people to sit and admire the beauty of the nature.
Here, different age-groups are seen carrying out their activities-Old citizens sitting and conversing about life, young adults practising dance moves,playing guitar and singing without any hesitation etc. Sarobar lake is a paradise for photographers to capture the nature -from sunsets to mesmerising backgrounds. Live music shows also take place there under the open sky.
This place holds an important place in our heart. From visiting the place after bunking school and college to hanging out with friends, this place has witnessed all of it.The peaceful environment coupled with the cool breeze provides you the perfect way to escape this summer heat. Head to Sarovar Lake with your loved ones, gang or even family to have a quality time.
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Bolpur- Shantiniketan is a beautiful tourist spot situated almost 164 kms away from the metropolitan city of Kolkata. It is mainly famous for the Vishwa Bharati University which was founded by Rabindranath Tagore. The famous “Basanta Utsab” (The Holi Festival) has also attracted various tourists by its beautiful cultural programmes-dance, rabindra-sangeet etc. Presently, it has developed into a town with all facilities being available and thus have become one of the favourite tourist attractions for many people from all over the world. The place is quite affordable and perfect for a short vacation. Therefore, we packed our bags and headed towards Shantiniketan.
How to reach Bolpur- Shantiniketan from Kolkata?
Every route of Kolkata has bus services till Howrah Station. One can avail trains from either Howrah Station or Sealdah Station to reach Bolpur-Shantiniketan. We took the Howrah- Suiri Intercity Express from Howrah. It leaves around 8:35 a.m from the Howrah Station and we almost reached Bolpur Station by 12:30 p.m.
The journey……….
The journey was quite smooth and comfortable with the scenic and peaceful view from the train. As we reached the stations near Shantiniketan area, we spotted a baul ( folk singers of Bengal) singing “Milon hobe koto dine…….O amar moner manushero sone ” (A popular bengali song). We couldn’t stop admiring his singing and ran upto him to tell how much we liked his songs. Finally we reached the station by 12:30 p.m. As we got out of the station, a bunch of toto drivers came rushing towards us [Such an amazing welcome ;)] We managed to get a toto driver after bargaining with him and he decided to take us to our lodge with was located at Bhubandanga.(Be aware of the price the toto-drivers charge for the rides.)
Where to stay in Shantiniketan?
There are various lodges where you can stay. The bhubandanga area itself has a lot of lodges and the place is near to all the main attractions of Shantiniketan. We checked into Udayan Lodge( contact number: 9635 513301 ). The lodge provided us with all kinds of facilities. The owners and the staff were very warm-hearted and cordial. One of the staffs even mended my slipper which accidentally got torn. The rooms services were quick and on time. They prepared the rooms before we entered. We took one air-conditioned room for 24 hours which costed us INR 1300 with water services and morning tea. There is a medical shop just behind the lodge for emergency medications.
Where to eat?
We ate at a restaurant named Green Chilli which was a 5 minutes walk from the lodge.The restaurant had all kinds of food but their bengali style dishes were lipsmacking. The quality and quantity of the food was also good.
Main attractions we visited…
SONAJHURI HAAT- The haat takes place on saturday from 4p.m. Shantiniketan is a hub for many local skilled artists who make pots, jewelleries, potraits etc for their livelihood. The haat is a place where they showcase their talent to the people coming from all over the world. There are many baul singers and folk dancers performing in the haat as well. It is one of the attraction for the photographers.
KOPAI RIVER- It is a tributary of the Mayurakshi River that flows through Shantiniketan. It was quite hot when we visited and hence the river was all dried up. We could see the rocks and a thin layer of water flowing.
VISHWA BHARATI UNIVERSITY- Founded by Rabindranath Tagore,the university has a huge campus. We saw small raised mud platforms where it is believed that Rabindranath Tagore used to teach children under the open sky. The poet was not a believer of studying within the corners of four walls. We also spotted the tree under which he wrote the famous poem- ” Kumor parar gorur gari”.
KONKALITALA- It is located on the banks of Kopai River and it is believed to be one of the shakti-peeths where the waist of sati fell. It has several temples situated over there.
Returning back….
We checked out of the hotel and visited the Kopai river. The Prantik Station was nearer to the area. So, we took a toto till the station and without reservation we got a train till Sealdah station. Thus, we bid goodbye to Shantiniketan with our heart full of contentment and mind full of tranquility.
Do visit the place specially during the Holi Festival. If you liked our post, then please follow our blog and do share it with your friends and family.
Poila Baisakh is generally celebrated on 13th or 14th April. 2019 celebrated Poila Baisakh on 15th of April. This occassion is celebrated on the first day of Bengali New Year which is based on the Bengali Calendar. It is argued that Bengali Calendar was introduced by Emperor AKbar by merging the Hindu Calendar and the Lunar Islamic Calendar.The day is celebrated not only in other parts of India but also outside the continent.It is known as Bihu in Assam, Vishu in Kerala and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu.
The celebration was started at the onset of harvesting season.It holds importance for the Bengali financial communities where they worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi at their shops.People buy new clothes,jewelleries or accessories which are considered to be auspicious.
Since childhood, it was mandatory for us to buy new clothes before Poila Baisakh. Houses were cleaned beforehand.On that particular day-we used to get up, take bath,wear new clothes and greet everyone.Relatives used to visit us.In the afternoon, we all used to spent quality time over various traditional delicacies and sweets.In the evening, we usually used to go out,visit mela which was followed by dinner at a restaurant.
This year,we (Wandering Girls) went out together to celebrate Poila Baisakh.Though the weather was sultry, we ventured out and managed everything.(Phew!!) Kolkata traffic can take a toll in this hot,humid weather so to cut down the time, we took our favourite mode of transport- train from Brace Bridge to reach Lake Gardens and then an auto from Lake Gardens more to reach Bijoygarh (Golf Green area). For the love of momos, we checked into Denzong Kitchen. The place is quite spacious. Although not very clean, the place offers you with affordable, good quality food with their hot sales being- chicken steam momos and chicken shyapta (for non-veg lovers) and cripsy chilli babycorn and crispy chilli potato (for veg lovers). The hakka noodle is also frequently ordered.
After a heartful lunch, we took 223 bus ( 223 and 234/1 buses are available just from the opposite of Denzong Kitchen. Also one can get auto from there till Ranikhuti and Jadavpur 8B bus stand) and went for shopping.Busy with our schedule,taking out time for shopping was little tough for us.As sales were available on this festive day, how could we resist!. We got down from the bus at Golpark and after a 5 minutes walk reached Gariahat-one of the popular shopping hubs for people in Kolkata.While walking,we indulged in the refreshing jaljeera nimbu pani (worth rupees 10/- each) to quench our thirst.
The place was filled with people shopping,lights, flowers and what a better way to start the Bengalis’ new year.Yes, we were offered a packet of sweets from one of the shops for buying stuffs which was a sweet gesture and it showed the warm spirit of people. We ended the day on a sweet note (Kuch meetha banta hai….) with Kwality Chocolate Feast.
Hope you liked our way of celebrating and do let us know how you celebrated your Poila Baisakh. If you like this post, do follow us and share it with your friends and family.
Every journey starts with a quest for something and our started with the quest for exploring the allies and gullies of North Kolkata. The north and south part of Kolkata is well connected with station and metro railway, thereby reducing cost and time.On a bright Sunday morning, we decided to embark on our journey.We took a train and reached Rabindra Sarovar Metro station.Though it was sunday, the metro was well crowded indicating people love travelling.[We would rather assume that ;)] Around 2 pm, the obscure part for us was ready to be discovered.
Stepping down the stairs of Sovabazar Metro Station, we could instantly sense the stark difference in the atmosphere.The huge old buildings bring the architectural ethos of the city through the intricate and detailed designs. Mitra Cafe, one of Kolkata’s oldest and famous cafes is present just opposite to the metro station whose Fish Kabiraji recipe can surpass any other delicacy.As we started walking through the bylanes, we witnessed a typical sunday afternoon .Most shops were closed, people were playing cards on the street and street dwellers were busy preparing their meals.Every corner of the street had sweetshops with Nalen Gurer Sandesh being their speciality.
After walking for about 10-15 minutes,we reached the lanes of Kumortuli/Kumartuli which can be also called “Idol making para.” The street comprised of small stalls where specially skilled labourers were making idols.From bringing clays , mixing, idol formation to painting of the idols – all were being done by different people.The uniqueness of this place attracts tourist and photographers from all over the globe.The workers exhibited passion and dedication through their works.These idols play an important role in the various festival that add to the rich Bengali culture.
The place weaves a magic of rich heritage and culture which is quite appealling to the eyes.Such an experience filled our hearts with joy.Later, we decided to return by a launch ride.Therefore, we reached Sovabazar launch ghat after about 5 minutes of walking. The ghats act as another important means of communication with reasonable fares that wont burn a hole in your pocket.(ticket till Howrah ghat cost six rupees each)
While waiting for the launch to arrive at the ghat, we witnessed a scenic view- cloudy sky at the time of sunset and its reflection on the waves of river Hooghly.
Then we boarded the launch and reached Howrah Ghat within 10 minutes. If you ever visit this place, don’t forget to take the launch ride, enjoying the cool breeze and the captivating view of Howrah Bridge. After visiting and exploring it through our own eyes, we were able to catch the essence of the old Kolkata.
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Shilpa and Anjali 