Calcutta aka Kolkata

Calcutta.........its too difficult for me to call it Kolkata. But I have to; because that's the new official name the city has! Kolkata, the 'pucca' colonial city, the city of joy, the city of dreams of pre-independence era of every youth of 'Hindoostan', the city of art, the city of culture and above all, the city I love immensely. (One must know what 'Hindoostan' means to appreciate what I am saying) To be precise, one of the city I love. And I love the city immensely. Other cities, of course, are Aurangabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad-Secunderabad and old Dilli aka Shajahanabad. I just fall in love of this city way back in 1986 when I had an opportunity to visit it for one full month! Though, my visit was official, because then I was in job, I utilised the opportunity to explore the city to the fullest possible extent. I was a young lad of just 26 then. No camera of my own. So whatever is engraved in my memory is the only picture I have with me to this day! But I remember vividly the city as it was then. Thoroughly Colonial! May be because I had an opportunity to stay in a thoroughly British hotel at Explanade. It was famous by name 'Carlton' and was owned by a British lady. Now the hotel is demolished. It's no more in existence. But my memories are! They are vivid! And I shall write about them here, in addition, of course, to the experience I had this year in the city I love. A entirely new structure, being hotel again, has come up on the very site where the Carlton was. Carlton was two storied structure. With typical colonial slanting roof. Now the building which came up there is a high rise. And my friend told me the other day, that the new hotel has one restaurant which serves the best Bengali food in town! When I was standing in front of the building, for clicking its photographs, I was very emotional, nay almost in tears!