|
THOUGH THE OBEROI
RESORTS and fabulous retreats my colleague Stanley Moss covered
for Lucire offer elegance and luxury fit for a raj—or
at least Aishwarya Rai—our recent trip to Rajasthan and Delhi
on Stanley’s heels was driven by what connects us: a shared
passion for luxurious textiles, great vegetarian food, bazaars and
dramatic gold and silver jewellery (though not necessarily in the
same order for each of us). After our satisfying exploration of
the Golden Triangle, we made our way to Kolkata via Indigo, India’s
quirky, fun and efficient budget airline, for a sort of vacation
from our vacation.
While one of us (Leyla) is a veteran traveller to India,
making regular stops to Kolkata and regarding it as a second home,
the other of us (Elyse) was new to an Indian holiday but not Indian
culture, thanks to regular visits to “little India” neighborhoods
in Chicago (West Rogers Park) and Los Angeles (Artesia).
Though travellers often associate India with earthy, jewel tones
found in the great historic sites, palaces and temples of India’s
Golden Triangle, Calcutta, or Kolkata as it is now officially known,
is awash in green. While much of the city’s foliage is a direct
result of British colonialism personified in sprawling parks and
gardens, most of it is a product of East Bengal’s natural tropical
terrain.
In fact, when you leave the airport, the wide, palm
tree lined boulevards and pastel-hued modern buildings evoke Miami.
As you drive deeper into the city and closer to downtown through
residential sections, New Orleans’ or Sydney’s residential
areas come to mind, with the lacy verandas, terraces and quaint
cafés lining the streets. Every spare space is filled with
lush equatorial plant life.
However, there is also plenty to remind you that you
are indeed in India, from Hindu temples to bustling bazaars and
markets to stores and boutiques of all stripes showcasing vibrant
local fashion, textiles and jewellery. Even the popular Chinese
restaurants smell and taste wonderfully different from our favourite
neighbourhood noodle shops in LA. And
with all the culture, cuisine and style this city has to offer anybody
seeking a compelling urban destination, it is indeed surprising
that Kolkata is not as popular a tourist destination as one would
think.
 For
starters, Kolkata is a foodie’s paradise, from Indian–Jewish
fusion pastries sold at local institution Nahoum’s Bakery in
Newmarket to the popular Swiss-owned hangout dessert emporium Flury’s
to Halderam, a stand-alone food court that is a temple to India’s
great street foods, sweets and snacks. On the higher end of the
dining spectrum, the wonderful Oh! Calcutta and Sigree restaurants
(www.speciality.co.in)
are distinguished with regional menus with specialized dishes (for
West Bengal and India’s far north, respectively) that will
surprise Indian food fans and non-fans alike through subtle flavours
and low-fat cooking preparations.
As one of India’s great draws is its status as
one of the world’s most tolerant countries, a
popular bus tour covering a variety of Hindu, Jain and other temples
is recommended by locals often sold out. However, if  you
are fortunate enough to get tickets, be prepared for a full day
of architectural feats and fascinating history.
The elegant Victoria Memorial will also keep culture
vultures busy for at least a morning, with its fascinating art and
history exhibits reflecting its deep cultural connections with the
British Empire and other European cultures bringing their influences
into India via the busy trade routes of the 17th, 18th, 19th and
early 20th centuries. The expansive gardens surrounding the impressive
1905 structure provide a relaxing and fresh counterbalance.
The Indian Museum, one of the oldest museums in Asia
founded in 1914, makes for an unusual academic experience, with
a 4,000-year-old mummy, fossils, coins, stones, Gandhara art, meteors
and botanica mounted in library-like settings, with displays and
artifacts exhaustively labeled. The Academy of Fine Arts (2, Cathedral
Road, Kolkata), meanwhile boasts an impressive collection of miniature
paintings, Indian textiles and sculptures as well as contemporary
Indian art exhibits. When it comes to people-watching and modern
Indian culture, Dolly Soanes and her kids say they spend time at
Fleury’s (a cute café opened by Swiss expats) and the
Oxford Bookshop, with its own upstairs café with a view.
Though open markets are as busy in Kolkata as they are
elsewhere in India, Kolkata is also home to several spotless enclosed
malls like South City and the Forum, blending known European and
American brands with chic Indian fashion chains. Ritu Kumar and
Biba are our personal favourites. Department store Westside, meanwhile,
is an excellent one-stop shopping spot for clothes, home décor
and cosmetics.
There is also a large branch of FabIndia that will appeal
to anybody who swears by stores like US
chains Anthropologies and Urban Outfitters, with a range of nifty
housewares, costume jewellery and comfy cotton Indian and Indo-European
style travel clothing. Swabhumi Heritage Plaza, which features local
craft vendors and an amphitheatre is also a fun visit and a great
place to snap up high-quality, low-cost souvenirs for friends back
home.
‘You really need to come back in December,’
our host Shelley Metha advised, ‘as there is so much more happening
in Kolkata with the holiday season and winter festivals.’ The
temptation to return is firmly embedded on our mental to-do list,
but it’s combined with a belief that Kolkata is also figuratively
one of the hottest cities on Earth. It’s only a matter of time
before the rest of the world catches on. •
|  |
Kolkata is a foodie’s paradise, from Indian–Jewish fusion pastries sold at Nahoum’s Bakery in Newmarket to the popular Swiss-owned Flury’s, to Halderam, a stand-alone food court that is a temple to India’s great street foods, sweets and snacks 
 
 
For general information on Kolkata and West Bengal,
visit www.incredibleindia.org,
www.kolkatahub.com and www.tourismindia.com.
To book a customized trip, which can cover Jewish highlights, visit
www.makemytrip.com, recommended
by Dolly Soanes and Shelley Metha. New York-based TCI
(1 917 353-0797) also offers custom India travel, including Jewish
heritage itineraries.
Elyse Glickman is US west coast editor of Lucire.
Leyla Messian is a senior correspondent for Lucire.
|
Departments
Selected RSS feeds Lucire News | Jack Yan | Summer
Rayne Oakes | Stanley
Moss | Jennifer Lawson | Anna Deans
Crossroads As with many major Indian cities, Kolkata boasts examples
of outstanding architecture, including some buildings in the Indo–British
style.
Lucire Facebook group
Digg it