Kolkata (Calcutta) Guide

Hey guys here is something very helpful... I got this as a WhatsApp forwarded message... so the credit goes to the original itinerary planner ... I  am posting this here as it will reach more and more people...

If you happen to be in Barrackpore and wish to have "Heenger Kochuri" and "Chholar Daal" then don't think twice... head straight to Joluaa'r Dokan (Joluaa's Shop) opposite Barrackpore railway station. The actual name of this place is Satyanarayan Mishtanna Bhandar but it is popularly known as Jolua'r Dokan... Jolua being the nick name of its founder.

Raja Nabakrishna Deb (1733-1797) was considered to be "Calcutta's (now Kolkata) premier zamindar" during his time and his palace in Shobhabazar was thought of as the foremost in the list of North Calcutta's great houses. Originally built by Shobharam Ghosh in the early eighteenth century, Nabakrishna, came to own the property (at 33A Raja Nabakrishna Street ) in 1757. Raja Nabakrishna Deb  After acquiring the palace he did a series of alterations and renovations. The Thakurdalan was completed in just three months, in time for a lavish Durga Puja Festival. Such was the prominence of Nabakrishna in the North Calcutta society that other Durga Puja ceremonies could only begin after the firing of Nabakrishna's palace cannon.

Khelat Bhawan's Thakur Dalan             (Image courtesy Khelatbhawan.org) If anyone wants to experience the sheer elegance and class of the yesteryear Bengali aristocracy then the best way is to visit the mansions of the yesteryear Zamindars and Aristocrats in Kolkata... and the best time to do so is during the Durga pujas. The traditional household Pujas of Kolkata are also known as Bonedi Barir Pujo in Bengali. These traditional houses have actually preserved the culture and tradition. During Durga pujas these Bonedi (aristocratic) houses allow tourists to take part in the puja celebrations and see the Thakur Dalan ( Ceremonial Platform ) of these mansions & palaces. Since Durga puja is approaching I feel this is the right time to plan the itinerary of your visit to kolkata's traditional houses. West Bengal Tourism has some good tour packages for the same ( http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/packages ). So you have to book ...

A time when Brands like Baristas or Cafe Coffee day were not there, or rather they didn't come into being, Calcuttans had the luxary of having a place like these coffee shops where they could while away their time and no one would bother them and ask to leave the place or order something.

After reading one of my earlier blog post on online Bengali newspapers (Published from Kolkata) many readers asked me to write a post on the online Bangla newspapers (epapers) published from Bangladesh. I fully agree and support their demand and think that everyone must get a chance to see and share the rich Bengali culture that is present both in India and Bangladesh. So here I am, with the ever-expanding list of Bangla Newspapers that are published in Bangladesh and are also available online. In Bangladesh the daily newspapers are published from Dhaka, as well as from major regional cities of Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal. All daily newspapers are morning editions, there are no evening editions in Bangladesh. Some Newspapers have just portals... and some have epapers... so in this post have mentioned links to ePapers as well as News Portals. If you feel that I have missed to mention any site then please do tell me in the comments section. Also your feed...

A poorly illuminated medium sized room with a few white marble-top tables and some wobbly chairs – this is what ‘Favorite Cabin’ apparently looks like. Located at 69B Surya Sen Street, the lane off College Square, this unassuming cabin is north Kolkata’s (Calcutta's) oldest tea stall and is quenching Bengalis' thirst for Tea for over 94 years. Favourite Cabin - Photo Courtesy "Ei Samay" Newspaper