Cityscape Calcutta

Republic Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:37:53 PST

Republic Day is one of India's most anticipated national holidays that is celebrated with great gusto every year. One of the highlights of the festival is the grand parade and celebrations aiming to bring together all the diversity of its various regions to form one colourful collage that represents the true spirit of the state. The parade is broadcast across the state on radio and television and serves as one of the biggest attractions of the day. The parade ends with a fly-past by jets from the Indian Air Force. Schools and colleges organise functions to keep the fizz of patriotism alive amongst the younger lot as national flags are seen fluttering over various government buildings and offices.

Lufthansa

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:56:08 PST

Lufthansa started its relationship with India in 1959, when a Lufthansa Lockheed L1049G Super Constellation landed in Calcutta to signal the launch of Lufthansa's scheduled services to India.

Kolkata Airport

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:07:38 PST

Kolkata airport has a distinguished place in the history of aviation, traditionally serving as a strategic stopover on the air route from Europe to Indochina and Australia. Many pioneering flights passed through the airport, including that of Amelia Earhart in 1937. In 1924, KLM began scheduled stops at Kolkata, as part of their Amsterdam to Batavia (Jakarta) flight. The same year, a Royal Air Force aircraft landed in Kolkata as part of the first round-the-world expedition by any air force.

Sir Stanley Jackson, Governor of Bengal, opened the Bengal Flying Club at Kolkata aerodrome in February 1929. In 1930, the airfield was made fit for use throughout the year, and other airlines began to utilise the airport. Air Orient began scheduled stops as part of a Paris to Saigon route, and Imperial Airways began flights from London to Australia via Kolkata in 1933. This began a trend that drew many airlines to Kolkata airport.

Kolkata played an important role in the Second World War. In 1942, the United States Army Air Force 7th Bombardment Group flew B-24 Liberator bombers from the airport on combat missions over Burma. The airfield was also used as a cargo aerial port throughout the war for supplies and equipment by Air Transport Command, as well as being a communication centre for the Tenth Air Force.[13]

Passenger services grew after the Second World War. Kolkata became a destination for the world’s first jet-powered passenger aircraft, the de Havilland Comet, on a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) route to London. Furthermore, in 1964 Indian Airlines introduced the first Indian domestic jet service, using Caravelle jets on the Calcutta - Delhi route

Netaji

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:17:59 PST

Born on 23 January 1897 Subhas Chandra Bose known by the name Netaji (Respected Leader) was an Indian revolutionary who led a military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in India today.

He is presumed to have died in absentia on 18 August 1945 from injuries sustained in an alleged aircraft crash in Taihoku (Taipei). However, no actual evidence of the death of Subhas Chandra Bose on that day has ever been officially authenticated and many committees were set up by the government of India to investigate the mystery of his presumed death.

Kolkata Book Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:35:07 PST

Kolkata book fair is the worlds largest book fair and is a unique book fair in the sense of not being a trade fair. The book fair is primarily for the general public rather than whole-sale distributors. It is the world's largest non-trade book fair, Asia's largest book fair and the most attended book fair in the world. It is the world's third largest annual conglomeration of books after the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair.

Many Kolkatans consider the book fair an inherent part of Kolkata, and instances of people visiting the fair every day during its duration is not uncommon. The fair also has a typical fairground experience with a book flavour with the presence of picnickers, singer-songwriters, and candy floss vendors on the fair premises. With a total footfall of over 2 million people, it is world's largest book fair by attendance.

Prawn Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:04:46 PST

Prawn is a major dish in Bengal and the Chingri Malaikari or Prawn Cream-curry is a delicious Bengali dish, which, the housewives of Bengali homes are the best cooks of this authentic Bengali cuisine.

Bleeding Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:16:48 PST

Bally Bridge Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:47:39 PST

Bally Bridge lit up at night.

Foggy Mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:27:26 PST

The weather during the winter is very favorable in Kolkata. December to February is the winter season in Kolkata. The early mornings are foggy here. The temperature varies between 8°C to12°C. It is during this time that would be the best choice to plan for this city as the humidity is low and the weather is pleasurable.

Patishapta: Creamy Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:46:51 PST

Patishapta (pancakes with coconut filling) is the most popular among all pithas prepared during Sankranti, which is actually a rice flour crepe with coconut and jaggery fillings. The softness of the crepe and the sweet filling inside makes it the best pitha and most commonly prepared pitha. Traditional Patishapta is made with a rice flour batter and fresh coconuts/cheese and jaggery. Extremely scrumptious and easy to make, this sweet dish is a real delight to those who are born with a sweet tooth.

Read about the recipe here

Pitha: Steamed Dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:47:25 PST

Pithas are strongly associated with the winter harvest festival of Poush parbon (Makar Sankranti) served with sweet syrups such as date tree molasses. Traditionally the variety ranges from Patishapta Pithe, Gokul Pithe, doodh-puli (steamed dumpling with a filling of coconut and soaked in a cream of milk) and the Ranga Alur Puli Pithe. Patishapta is the most popular among all pithas which is a rice flour crepe with coconut and jaggery fillings. The softness of the crepe and the sweet filling inside makes it the best pitha and most commonly prepared pitha.

Read about the recipe here

Poush Parbon

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:43:26 PST

In Bengal, Makar Sankranti is also known as Poush Sankranti being celebrated on the last day of the Bengali month of Poush and is celebrated as a harvest festival Poush Parbon. The freshly harvested paddy along with the date palm syrup in the form of Khejurer Gur is used in the preparation of a variety of traditional Bengali sweets made with rice flour, coconut, milk and 'khejurer gur' (palm jaggery) and known as Pithey. Thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country gather at Gangasagar, the point where the holy river Ganges meets the sea, to take a dip and wash away all the earthly sins.

Big Baazar

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:08:19 PST

Launched in September, 2001 with the opening of its first stores in Calcutta, Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarket designed as an agglomeration of bazaars or Indian markets with clusters offering a wide range of merchandise including fashion and apparels, food products, general merchandise, furniture, electronics, books, fast food and leisure and entertainment sections.

Though Big Bazaar was launched purely as a fashion format including apparel, cosmetics, accessory and general merchandise, over the years Big Bazaar has included a wide range of products and service offerings under their retail chain. Most Big Bazaar stores are multi-level and are located in stand-alone buildings in city centers as well as within shopping malls. These stores offer over 200,000 SKUs in a wide range of categories led primarily by fashion and food products.

Cognizant Building

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:15:42 PST

Cognizant’s first campus in Kolkata at Salt Lake Sector V.

Double Decker Train

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:07:33 PST

Introduced in 2011, the first double decker AC train was flagged off from Howrah, running indigenously on diesel traction. They consist of nine coaches including seven AC double-decker chair-cars, with 128 seats in each coach.

Double decker Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:12:12 PST

The British brought the Double decker buses to Kolkata way back in 1926. Over the past 86 years they have ferried four generations of Kolkatans.

Fort William

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:20:53 PST

Constructed in 1706, Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly.

Raj Bhavan

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:49:17 PST

Built in 1803 and once the residence of the Viceroy of India, Raj Bhavan is the residence of the Governor of West Bengal. Raj Bhavan used to be 'Government House' in the Raj era, the seat of British imperial power.

Calcutta University

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:43:59 PST

Founded in 1857, The University of Calcutta is the first multidisciplinary modern university in South Asia, and the oldest institution to have university status.

IIM Calcutta

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:25:24 PST

Established in 1961, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) is the first of the IIMs. IIM Calcutta is a fully autonomous institution and offers several Post Graduate Diploma and Fellowship programmes in Management, as well as a bouquet of Executive training programmes. In addition to its main academic programmes, IIM-C is also engaged in Research, Consultancy, seminars, academic conferences and research publications.

Floatel

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:49:52 PST

The Floatel Hotel, a 4 star urban resort, floats on the River Hooghly only a hundred yards from the shore. The Floatel on the Hooghly today, between the Howrah and Hooghly Bridges, brings back that history in its splendor. The Floatel does not move, it remains in its wonderful location on the edge of the river with spectacular views of the river and the charms of this old colonial cultural city.

Flower Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:58:33 PST

Sealdah Station

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:58:06 PST

Started in 1869, Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important sub-urban rail terminal.

Elliot Park

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:24:02 PST

Elliot Park, situated in the centre of the city is spread over a big expanse of the southeast part of the Maidan covering 90,000 sq. feet and is a famous hang-out within the city. It is a beautiful place with lush green gardens and scenic views all around and also has a jogger's track stretching over 1.5 kms.

New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Kalyan P) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:24:29 PST

New is the year, new are the hopes & the aspirations, New is the resolution, new are the spirits.

Warm wishes to all the readers, visitors and City Bloggers around the world for a promising and fulfilling

New Year 2012

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