India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [586]
College Street This stretch of road, deep in the heart of the university quarter, is famous for its 5,000 or so secondhand bookstalls, and for the renowned Presidency College, where India’s greatest filmmaker, Satyajit Ray, studied. Many of the booksellers here are semi-literate, but remarkably, each is able to recall the titles and prices of thousands of academic and technical books, the volumes typically piled feet high. Look for the bust commemorating the father of Bengali prose literature, the reformer and philanthropist Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, who also introduced a ban on forced marriages.
Bidhan Sarani, N. Kolkata.
Meeting Bengalis
The Indian Coffee House (15 Bankin Chatterjee St., first floor; 033/2241-4869; Mon–Sat 9am–9pm, Sun 9am–12:30pm and 5–9pm), where the Young Bengal Movement started, is the quintessential College Street haunt. This is where M. N. Roy, founder of the Communist Party of India (as well as the Mexican Communist Party), Satyajit Ray, Nobel Laureate Dr. Amartya Sen, and a host of other famous personalities discussed the future of India over platefuls of fish fingers and coffee. A lone photograph of Rabindranath Tagore looks across a vast former 1930s dance hall with sagging ceiling fans and scattered tables around which men, young and old, demonstratively argue the issues of the day. Surly waiters plod around rather aimlessly, so be patient while waiting for your greasy pakora and a strong Coorg. Meals are not the reason to come, but it’s a good place to strike up a conversation over a cup of coffee. For an even more animated and authentic interaction with locals, head for the Calcutta races (www.rctconline.com); ask any waiter or at your hotel about the next event. All walks of life are to be seen here, many in their finest glad rags. As everyone celebrates the chance to escape their dharma, the atmosphere is electric.
Marble Palace Up a back street, in what was once known as Black Town, stands a vast mansion—a wonder to behold—sporting a plush Romanesque veneer that incorporates at least 90 different varieties of marble. Built in 1835 by the wealthy zamindar (landowner) Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur, this palatial family home has seen better days, and is now the center of a bitter feud between relatives, some of whom have been accused of sneaking off with the more valuable displays. But several works attributed to Titian and Renoir remain, while Venetian chandeliers, Ming vases, Egyptian statuary, as well as paintings, sculptures, furniture, and antique vases accumulated from 90 countries crowd the enormous, dimly lit rooms that open off deep verandas around an inner courtyard. Get there soon, since the feuding of the Mullicks makes it uncertain which prized item might next disappear. Admission is free, but you need a pass from the India Tourism Kolkata Office; if you arrive without one, the guard will let you in for a small fee (although this simply adds to the culture of corruption in India). A guide (at times, a young boy trying to make pocket money) is sent with you but it’s pretty much a sham—insist on someone knowledgeable. In the same compound, you’ll find a small garden and an animal enclosure.
46 Muktaram Basu St., off Chittaranjan Ave. 033/2269-3310. Free admission but you need a pass from the India Tourism Kolkata Office. Tues–Wed and Fri–Sun 10am–4pm.
Paresnath Temple Jain temples are generally the most beautifully adorned in India, and Paresnath, dedicated to Sithalnath—one of the 24 perfect souls (tirthankaras) of the Jain religion—is no exception. Built in 1867 by a jeweler whose love of intricate designs, mirrors, and colored glass is evident everywhere, it boasts lavishly adorned patterned marble, beautiful European chandeliers, and stained-glass windows. A quiet garden is dotted with silver statues, and the temple houses an eternal flame that’s apparently never gone out.
Badridas Temple St. Free admission. Daily 6am–noon and 3–7pm.
Durga Puja—Not Just Another Festival
Indians celebrate all year long throughout