Bengal and Calcutta of my memories in 1986.....Dharamtala, Chowranghee Lane, at the corner shop of K. C. Das; the inventor of ‘Roshogullas’!!! The good old Hotel Carlton of Mrs. Johnes and the newly inaugurated metro in March, 1986. Visits to Victoria Memorial. Park Street to BBD Baugh by tram!!! Good old pipes filled with exquisite tobacco from New Market coupled with tea from Mrs. Johnes!!! Ohhh Calcutta! I miss thee!!! I left smoking long back, but the memories still haunt. Not to mention Bengali movies of Suchitra Sen watched at Light House. I admire her for her looks and her acting in mainly in two films : Mamta and Aandhi. Whatever Bengali films of hers I watched, I could understand little. But I watched them just for her and her acting! Calcutta of my memories of 1986 is essentially about Hotel Carlton; the ‘pucca’ British Hotel next to Oberoi Grand at Chowranghee. New Market, the leather goodies purchased there and yes, of course the finest Pipe I purchased there! Finely hand crafted wooden Pipe with all its accessories. The silver plated accessories to fill and to compress tobacco and finally the lighter!
I spent little over one month in Calcutta in March-April, 1986, while touring entire West Bengal by train for a project work.
The joy, after having sumptuous breakfast of corn flakes with warm milk, double omelette with toasts soaked in butter, chicken cutlet and then two cups of pot tea and then you light the pipe stacked with finest scented tobacco and puff first few strokes! It’s heaven! Yes literally heaven! Even now, just by remembering the breakfast, I regret, I lost the good old days of my Calcutta!
It is almost mandatory now, in every film, documentary, advertisement or any audio-visual on Calcutta to show a shot of sailing boat beneath Howrah Bridge. I did not experience that till my next trip to Calcutta in 2002! But I enjoyed the bridge by crossing it on foot twice! Yes, I crossed Howrah Bridge twice by walking down over it. Great fun and excitement. Try it!
Another thing I acquired in 1986 and reinforced during my visit to Calcutta is the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. I visited Belur Mutt for whole day. I saw Swamiji's cottage where he lived very closely. In fact, I observed the whole Mutt campus very closely. I decided then and there only that I shall adopt the teaching of Swamiji. That was the turning point of my life. I went on studying his teaching and till this day, I am trying to understand that.
The only deep regret now is that, over the period, I lost the pipe I purchased at New Market in 1986!!!
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