From Chattrapati Shivaji International airport to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport...exciting would be a much much milder word to describe the experience...I was visiting Kolkata for the first time in my life...I had heard a lot about the city and people...Was looking forward to see them upclose...as expected, it was a very different world!
The city has a culture of its own and everything I could see was reflecting it...they all seemed to be bound by a common thread. Unlike Mumbai where everyone moves at a different speed, this city has the same speed! It stops at the same time...starts at the same time...everyone seemed to be operated by a certain rule/a law which only the people of the city knew, not the outsider.
I was amazed to see that almost at the same width of the road where the traffic in Mumbai seems to be congested, the roads in Kolkata were generous enough to accomodate huge Ambassador taxis,buses(private and public seperate) private vehicles people and still it had place for the tram as well!
The entire traffic would come to a standstill, people would come out of their vehicles, dust them , yawn, start chatting and surprisingly knew when they had to return back and the entire traffic would move at the same time...buses, trams almost brushing people/vehicles on the way but not one accident happened,not one screeching brake, not even a quarrel as often seen between rickshaw and bus drivers in Mumbai.
Everyone seemed to be so used to the 'chaos' that the 'chaos' itself has become the 'rule' that operates the city!
I was Lucky to be in Kolkata at DurgaPuja time...Lucky to have a friend in Kolkata whom I met after years but he made me feel like it was just yesterday...Did a lot of Pandal hopping, travelling by cab/launch/tram/metro/cycle rickshaw and realized that everyone and everything there has its own set limit and boundry...unlike Mumbai where even a street kid can dream to be a millionaire...here the people seemed to be content within their respective limits.
what was missing in the city I thought was 'Change'...I am not saying that it does not adopt new things...all I am saying is they do not let go the old...hence the old and the new co-exist at the same time!
And 'people' are the centre of all activities here, not time(Mumbai), not money(Delhi)! Dats the beauty of Kolkata! There was a constant to and fro conversation happening between the city and the people and the city seemed to be taking care of the people. Even when on the road and travelling, it felt like home. Not in terms of Luxury and comfort, but in terms of care and affection.
Darjeeling:
Up in the mountains the story is quite different! Here also the similarity exists of the same road making way for tourist vehicles, buses and the 'Toy train'...however the of all activities here is 'self respect'.
It reflects in their demand for a seperate 'Gorkhaland'...not willing to succumb to the rule of west Bengal but very much commited and willing to die for the country India! The small shop owners getting upset when the tourists bargain to an already well priced product...People speaking much better Hindi than the people in Kolkata but the localites are seen to be neutral to the tourists...respect for self and love for the land was a dominant and striking feature in the mountains. They are not just willing, but aspiring and looking forward for the 'New' and at the same time preserving the old as well.
The scenic beauty of the place is amazing, snow clad Kanchanjunga range, Sunrise at Tiger hills, Happy valley tea garden, Lloyds botanical garden, Tenzing rock were few of the places I saw and liked. However, the way in which different cultures co-exist in Dargeeling at the same time is what amazed me. There is a Buddhist monastry, Hindu temples, Churches, Mosque even a Japanese Pagoda, and all seem to be an inevitable part of the place.
Two cities...beautiful people...full of emotions...wonderful places...memorable experience!
Inspite of its speed, Mumbai seems to be a dull place to me now coz the softer aspects of life are totally missing here...no time for watching sunrise/sunset, no time for emotions, no time for self respect, no time for 'truly' social events...everything here seems artificial and business minded.
I guess dats the reason why one needs a 'break' to go places and see things and meet people that appeal to the 'HEART' and not the 'BRAIN'
