There are many cities in India that still strives to rise above ethnicity. If you tell a person living in Mumbai, that he is from a Maharashtrian city, he will take it as a offense, until and unless you are talking to Bal Thackeray and his family members. He would like himself to be called as a cosmopolitan. Tell a person staying in Delhi that he is from a Punjabi city, he would like himself to be called a citizen of India’s Capital. Moreover, tell a person staying in Bangalore that he lives in a kannadiga area and he will start giving you technical lectures and will argue on how Bangalore is more cosmopolitan that Mumbai.

The Beautiful Howrah Bridge @ 9pm

Come to Calcutta, the only way to understand what Calcutta is all about is to recognize that the city is essentially Bengali and nothing else. Not a single Bengali mind will come and tell you that we are the citizen of Bengal or a metropolitan city or anything else. A Bengali is proud to be called a citizen of Calcutta because his strength and weakness lies in the fact that Bengali is his pride, rather only pride.

It has got its own disadvantage i.e. the sudden passions, the like to respond to the smallest provocation also and it has got its own advantage too. Calcutta itself stands for the culture, the Bengali love, the win of intellectual over greediness, the warmth of genuine humanity, the beautiful emotions which are completely transparent, lastly, the supremacy of emotions over all the aspects of human existence.

the very very beautiful Victoria Memorial

And that is the reason Calcutta is not for EVERYONE.

People who wants their city to be clean and green can stay in Delhi, people who want a rich and impersonal life can go back to Mumbai. If you want a hi-tech city please go to Bangalore, but if you want love, emotions, culture please come to Calcutta.

When I think of Calcutta, I don’t think of any other place. I agree that when I am thinking of Calcutta I never focus on the greenery of maidan, the superfast metros, the all time beauty of Victoria Memorial, the bustle lanes of Burra Bazaar. What I focus is on the people of Calcutta and their love.

The lip smacking “rosugullas” of Kolkata

Be in Calcutta and you will learn the real meaning of love and caring, emotions and feelings, the human decency, the true warmth, about love and friendship. A city is a complete sum of its people. A city nobody can forget or replicate. Here people judge each other on the things that are really important. If you are living in Bombay there people will judge with your bank balance. But in Calcutta people realized that being rich will never make you a better person.

Life is more than about money, which people of other cities ignore very often, the culture, ideas, art, passion and most importantly the love. In Bombay, a person having a relatively low income will be more interested in spending some amount of his money on share market and in Calcutta a person with the same income does not even know the difference between shares and debentures.

He will spending those hard earned money on things that are really important to him. A person living in Calcutta will make sure that his children gains a proper and correct knowledge. They encourage their children to dance and sing. He will make sure he eats a fresh fish everyday. For him and his family, the religion and culture will always go hand in hand.

Metro Trains, the Richest Heritage of Kolkata

For a Bengali, Durga Puja is more important than calling “Jai Shri Ram” 108 times a day. He will never believe in any meaningless rituals. He only believes one thing. That is the Durga Puja is an essence of all the passions of a Bengali, his culture, love, emotions, warmth of being together, the ultimate joy of celebration. They feel great pleasure in competing with each other on pandal making.

The pandals here have featured each and every great celebrity starting from Amitabh Bachchan to Saddam Hussain. As soon as Durga Puja comes the whole city unites together and participate in the worship of beautiful Maa Durga.  To understand Durga Puja is is very important to understand Calcutta first from inside as well as outside. Its not a easy task buddy.

Durge Puja celebration in Kolkata (2008)

Certainly you can’t do that until and unless you come and live here. Wherever you go Calcutta will go for you. Guaranteed. Its a feeling that will never go away. I am proud to be a part of such a beautiful city. I cherish all the moments of my life I have spent here.

What are your lovely moments associated with Calcutta. Please share your views. Thank you!