March 1, 2007
Hot 'n' Happening Kolkata!
Everything was going on as usual. The same life, the same places to go, the same things to do. But not for long. Suddenly a craze swept the city and Calcutta was 'Gone With The Wind'. Then what remained? Yes, that is the question which most of the people who want to visit Calcutta, ask. Oh! I am sorry! There is no Calcutta that exists any more! Everything is Kolkata now! The answer to the question is: The remnants of Calcutta and a fresh new Kolkata that emerged out of this craze. While Calcutta was all about tradition and history, Kolkata is all about chic shopping malls, pubs, parties and young hangouts. And this change began just five years back and is still in progress. Luxury cars are the preferred over two-wheelers, one-stop shops are the choice of the people now. Wide roads, flyovers and highrises have done nothing but accelerated this process. A visit to some of the places in the city evidently proves this. Check out places like Camac Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Loudon Street, A.J.C. Bose Road, Gariahat Road, Bullygaunge Circular Road, Russell Street, Park Street and The Chowringhee Road. Instead of old coffee shops people now prefer to go to hip cafes like Barista, Subway, One Step Up!, or Cafe Coffee Day. There was a time when the entire city used to shut down by 10pm. at night. But now, the day seems to begin at 9pm. - such are the incredible changes that have swept the city completely. Old and boring places have now been transformed so much that they have become some of the hottest areas of the city. So, I would like to welcome you to this new Kolkata and oops! I hope you don't mind to be 'Gone With The Wind' !
The best thing about Kolkata is that it can accept changes that are so sudden. When I aksed a few elderly people in the city about what they thought of this change, the answers were mostly positive. They had, or rather, they have no qualms about the recent changes that have swept the city. "Changes are inevitable. If you want to survive in this world, you do need to change yourself with the changing times and be accommodative" - was the answer that I got from one of them. Kolkata! Here we come!
Spread the word
Leave a Comment