14 April

My first impression of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, was one of chaos, pollution, over-population and poverty.

In his novel-cum-movie, The City of Joy, Dominique Lapierre accentuates this, but today the city offers just about anything one can conceive of.

The Maidan, with its surrounding places of interest, is Kolkata’s most famous landmark, and is right in the heart of the city, half-way down the metro line.

The steeple of St Paul’s Cathedral peeking atop the trees lures me towards it.

The Gothic-style cathedral belonging to the Protestant Church is beautiful, but the inside is unimpressive except for a large stained glass window behind the altar... it is hard to beat the lavish Maltese churches!

Walking towards Fort William, I appreciate the vast expanse of green that makes up most of the Maidan. It was cleared to give the fort’s guns a clear line of fire. Now it is home to the Ladies Golf Club, the Calcutta Bowling Club, a racecourse, a cricket ground and is a favourite spot for pony rides and shepherds grazing their flocks.

At the end of the road, I find that the fort is concealed by a boundary wall. I am amused by a poster outside that says, “Indian Army – Iron Fist” but I am not allowed a photo – fancy me being a spy?

I am not keen on viewing the paintings and busts of British royalty found within the gallery of the famous Queen Victoria Memorial (Foreign Nationals Rs150/-; Indians Rs10/-) so instead I take a stroll in the gardens (Rs4/-).

The sombre Queen Victoria sitting on her throne is easily outshined by the magnificent, white-marble building, while several young lovers sit not-quite-hidden beneath the trees – what ever happened to traditional Indian culture in the city?

Later I visit the Planetarium for the English show at 1.30pm (Rs30/-). Sweet echoes of children’s laughter fill the dome, but when the show begins – a simple slide-show depicting the planets of the solar system – I realise that I cannot understand the accent anyway!

Nonetheless, the displays in the hallway prove interesting.

On the way out I spot the blue-bordered white saris of the sisters of Mother Teresa in the nearby grounds of St Paul’s Cathedral.

I am welcomed to join them and the special-needs children on their picnic, four of whom have just been adopted by Western couples.

To feel the personal touch of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, apart from the magnificent monuments, is the perfect conclusion to my day.

15 April – Bengali New Year

Traditionally, on Poila Baisakh (the Bengali New Year) people go about exchanging greetings and distributing sweets. It marks the beginning of a new financial year for businesses and people decorate their houses with flowers, drawing elaborate rangolis (designs made with rice-flour paste) on the ground near the entrance.

Cultural programmes are held, and, thanks to the courteous invitation by Sripad Acharyya Maharaj and some other Sri Sri Radha-Krishna devotees from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, the Bhakti Yoga ashram I visited some weeks ago, I attend a village programme in the Howrah district. It turns out to be an amazing experience.

Since I am accompanying them, I am treated like royalty too: flower garland around my neck, sandal paste dabbed on my forehead and a place of honour at the centre of the lecture area.

I am soothed by the beautiful devotional song and abundant food... it is a memorable evening because, despite it being in a foreign language, I can feel the good vibes. Only in India would a New Year’s party have God at its focal point.

18 April

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, by the Indian sage Valmiki, are world-famous as the longest epics ever written.

In 24,000 verses, the Ramayana tells the story of Rama, one of the incarnations of Vishnu (or Krishna), the Supreme Lord in Hindu mythology. The Mahabharata tells the story of ancient Indian civilisation in 100,000 verses.

The Srimad Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), the sacred text honoured world-wide for its spiritual and philosophical content in the form of a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra, is included within the Mahabharata.

Apart from the dolls from 37 countries displayed at the Nehru’s Children’s Museum – situated near the Rabindra Sadan metro stop – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are each depicted in about sixty showcases of clay and papier-mâché models, with plaques alongside them telling the gist of the stories, which I thoroughly enjoy.

21 April 2007

A Brahman priest greets me at the entrance of Kolkata’s famous mother goddess temple of Kali in Kali Ghat, showing me his name-tag to show me he is authentic.

He leads me inside and shoves some red Hibiscus flowers – Ma Kali’s favourite – into my hands and mumbles some prayers.

It sometimes happens that a ritual is performed, followed by a demand for an absurd amount of money, so I request, “No puja!” He nods.

Inside the small darshan space crammed with people, he pulls me aside and asks, “Mother name?”

I am puzzled but reply, then he mumbles some prayers while fiddling with the flowers, “Father name?”

Despite my suspicious reluctance, he mumbles prayers through the whole list of family members, including a good husband I do not have, but which he wishes for me.

He ushers me through the crowd to see Kali’s blood-red eyes, yet by the time I throw the flowers as instructed, I am pushed away by the other visitors...

My self-proclaimed guide leads me to two V-shaped structures which, I am a little horrified to learn, are the sacrificial pier, “Goat every day and buffalo on festival day,” he says. I refuse to offer flowers, and I am keen to move on.

Next on my tour is the lake for pilgrims wishing to touch Kali’s feet, reserved for Hindus only.

The remainder of my flowers goes to the Shiva Lingam with more mumbled prayers... and out comes the donation book. Oh dear, I knew it!

They request more than an average full month’s wages – imagine asking tourists in Malta for an offering of Lm350 upon leaving our churches!

I give what I know is fair, and collect my shoes on the way out. I cannot but contemplate how Hinduism can be so diverse!

I notice Mother Teresa’s Home for the Sick and Dying Destitutes beside the temple. I venture into a hall with men all dressed in green on beds lining both sides, while in the next ward I find several shrivelled-up, old ladies wearing long night-dresses.

While I wait to talk to a sister, two bodies wrapped in white linen are carried outside.

A man is moaning at the doorstep complaining of severe stomach pain, and they take him in, accepting a meagre Rs8/- donation towards his care.

Sisters and volunteers are busying around, wearing masks since most of the patients are sick.

The sister explains that volunteers wishing to help the invalid or the special-needs children must register in advance at the Mother House in AJC Bose Road.

I am touched by their dedication and offer a substantial donation without being asked, which she accepts gratefully, acknowledging it with a receipt.

The intensity of this day leaves me pondering how dedication and selfless love are so much sweeter and more attractive than exploitation.

24 April

The Eden Garden near Babu Ghat, which is served by the river-ferry and a major bus terminus, has been closed to the public for two years due to an “administrative problem”.

A man on the street guides me to the Forest Department which is just opposite the High Court, a beautiful, red Gothic building.

As a foreigner, I obtain a “special permit”, consisting of a nod by the ranger who appoints a deputy conservator to act as my guide.

An original piece of Burmese architecture was taken from the city of Prome in 1854 and rebuilt in this beautiful, large garden which is just beside the Cricket Stadium.

What a pity that the Eden Garden cannot be widely enjoyed!

27 April

The Botanical Garden (Rs50/-) feels like a great escape! It is easy to reach too, either by river-ferry to Howrah, a short bus ride away, or an hour’s bus trip from the Esplanade, the main shopping area of Kolkata.

The extensive, lush garden boasts a large selection of trees from five continents, but the main attraction is the Great Banyan Tree, more than 240 years old and with a canopy 450 metres in diameter.

The main trunk was removed in 1925 following damage by cyclones, but 2,880 prop roots make it look more like a mini-forest than one single tree – a natural wonder.

28 April

As the cable car takes me across Science City, situated on the Eastern Bypass, I am fascinated by the domes and mazes that make up this theme park.

The entrance fee is only Rs10/- but almost every attraction needs an additional ticket, except for the Maritime Centre, which is a museum of maritime history, and the Dynamotion.

Dynamotion houses an interesting display of interactive exhibits (although some do not work!) and a large variety of fish in aquariums.

The hall and maze of mirrors are delightfully confusing while the large display of information about space and the weather is captivating.

A whole morning flies by as I feel like a child again.

I get a buzz from the Time-Machine, which is more like a virtual roller-coaster, while the Evolution Park’s mechanical dinosaurs look too artificial although the display is vast and the information interesting.

The Space Odyssey’s show is super compared with that of the Maidan Planetarium – it goes through the Big Bang, various constellations and galaxies, and ends with a slide-show of Kolkata’s most beautiful landmarks – I am really beginning to admire this city!

This is just another day in a different dimension of Kolkata, which proves to be a truly diverse city of joy.

The first seven episodes of Melanie Drury’s diary of her visit to India were published on 22 January, 5 and 19 February, 5 and 26 March, and 9 and 23 April. Episode is 9 due on 21 May.

www.melaniedrury.com

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