Along the busy Strand Road in Kolkata, a grand structure has quietly witnessed the evolution of India’s financial history. Samriddhi Bhavan, now the headquarters of the State Bank of India, is not just a building; it is a symbol of time, endurance, and the beginning
There is a saying: “Atithi Devo Bhava”—the guest is akin to God. The Taittiriya Upanishad speaks of this philosophy, and we witness its finest expression in this metropolis. One wonders if anywhere else, apart from Kolkata, exists such an organised coexistence. Kolkata—the city of Koli.
We were walking north along Netaji Subhas Road, west of Lal Dighi, passing on the left the GPO, the Reserve Bank, and the Eastern Railway headquarters, and on the right, Writers’ and Lions’ Range behind us. By “we,” I mean myself, my American friend Dr.
Kolkata, the City of Joy is renowned for its lively roads, ancient structures, tram lines and crowded bazars. A stroll down its by-lanes would expose one to an energetic mesh of tradition and contemporary life. One of the unique features of the city has always been
Can you believe it? Kolkata’s bus service is almost two hundred years old! Just like trams, the look and infrastructure of buses in the city have gone through many changes over time. Naturally, alongside trams, buses too have become an inseparable part of Bengali nostalgia. Keeping that
Single-screen theaters in Kolkata are embedded in the city’s past—it has become an intrinsic part of its identity. These theaters formerly beamed as the locus of entertainment of the common folks, where clerks, teachers, doctors, and drivers could all sit in the same hall. Crowds could
For the fourth consecutive year, Kolkata has been declared the safest city in India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently released a report for 2023 indicating that Kolkata scored the lowest number of crimes of all major cities in India. In 2023, Kolkata had 83.9 cognisable offences
In 1972, after much violence and significant loss of life, East Pakistan had just become Bangladesh. Radio calls were put out across the world, asking for doctors, nurses and volunteers. As soon as Dr. Jack heard it, he threw some clothes into a bag and
For a long time, Questions have been raised why Bengali is not more widely used in Kolkata’s offices, shops, advertisements, and high-rises. Questions have been asked again and again, even sparking movements. Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Dhaval Jain has issued a directive that Bengali must be
The Chhat revellers made Chand Paul Ghat a colourful soiree that they do almost every year. But not known to many of those revellers as well as many of the city dwellers is how important this ghat was under British India. We tend to speak