In Bengali, there’s a saying, “Uthlo bai to Cuttack jai” (উঠলো বাই তো কটক যাই) which roughly means doing something impulsively.

That’s exactly what happened on 8^th July afternoon, Deepika & I were having lunch with Sumita Sangeeta & Santanu at the ANAND NIKETAN CLUB where Sangeeta asked Deepika, “How’s the wedding (Ayush’s) preparation progressing?” That one question and its disjointed answers prompted Sangeeta to suggest that we all go to Kolkata to do the wedding shopping. Santanu immediately booked his and my air tickets under senior citizen (without any discount). And I booked for the other three for 4^th August to Kolkata and return on 8^th August. Sangeeta suggested we check into her cousin’s vacant apartment in New Town while I took up the task of arranging a suitable vehicle for our commute. I spoke to my dear friend Atish who connected me to Kali-da who runs a cab service. Kali-da promised to send one Innova at the airport for pickup and our commute in the city for the duration of our stay.

Meanwhile, our home was in a mess with renovation and repair work happening since the beginning of April with an interlude of one month (May) when the contractor was away to his village for some marriage function. We thought, the house would be ready before we leave for Kolkata but it was not to be… about 10-15% job remained to be completed which we were assured will be completed in our absence.

DAY ONE

Our flight Vistara UK705 was at 7:40 on 4^th August Friday… Vistara advised 3 hours prior check-in expecting weekend rush. Between us, we decided 5:30 am as the meeting time at the airport and accordingly asked Guddu (our driver and man Friday) to take us around 5:00 am. Deepika & I were first to reach and checked-in (for some unknown glitch in the Vistara App, Santanu and I could not generate our boarding pass and had to collect it from the counter). Sumita, coming from the furthest distance (Sohna Road, Gurugram) made a faux-pas by booking the cab for 6:45 am. The call from Deepika urging her leave by 4:45 am made her realize the mistake… she was the last one (of the group) to check-in.

The Vistara aircraft was brand new (Airbus A321Neo) with slanted seating in the Business Class but the Economy Class was the same… minimum leg space. However, this time they made up with decent food parcels. We landed at NSCB Kolkata around 9:35 am and were out by 10:00 am. As promised Kali-da had shared the vehicle number as well as the driver details… in fact the driver, Rajesh Ali called me while we were taxing in Delhi. I called him up and told him where we were and in about 5 minutes he came. We first went to Sangeeta’s Mama’s (maternal uncle) house in Baguihati/ Lake Town to pick up the keys and after tasting the Kolkata Sondesh went to our temporary abode in New Town, close to Salt Lake City to freshen up for the shopping excursion.

Our first stop was Bhojraj situated on Rash Behari Road near the Triangular Park. It’s a small shop but boasts of quality sarees both in terms of material and designs. Deepika picked up one saree having seen more than a dozen. It was the beginning… next stop was right across the street, Aadi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya, very famous shop spread in 3 floors for not just sarees but for Kurta-Dhoti, ladies suits and dress material. Here, Deepika picked up a Banarasi Saree for her Bahu and I picked up a Dhuti for Ayush. I liked a silk Kurta but it was quite expensive, moreover, I don’t wear kurta except on special occasion. Guided by Sangeeta, our next pit stop was Meera Basu Boutique on Dr. Sarat Banerjee Road, Ballygaunge. Meera Basu has the exclusive collection of sarees right from Dhakai, Dhonekhali, Tangail to Baluchari. It was difficult to choose and reject because most of them were hard to find elsewhere…exclusive sarees!! After spending more than 2 hours sifting through the sarees shortlisted, 3 sarees was finalized, one of them for Deepika, anniversary gift, it is a kind of special weave called Shiburi. Meera Basu, as a widow started the saree business to sustain her family and over the years became a legend for quality and designer sarees. She’s no more but her legacy continues…

In between we had Jhal Muri, Kurmur and Phoochka, all extremely popular and quintessential Kolkata Street Food. And these were our lunch on day one!!!

From Ballygaunge, we proceeded to Gariahat… Balaram Saha Handloom Saree Store, Ekdalia, Gariahat. The shop is situated on the first floor above an oriental restaurant. I have been to this shop earlier with my dear friend Atish when he bought a saree for his M-i-L. I must give credit to the Sales Person for his immense patience…in over 2 hours he showed more than 250 sarees in different textures, designs, hues and colours. Deepika and her 2 friends kept selecting-rejecting-selecting…only to shortlist about 6 sarees as semi-final. And then they went back to the ones they had rejected just to see if they had rightly rejected them or not. After much deliberation Deepika picked up 4 sarees from Balaram Saha and was happy with her final selection. Needless to say, the final selection was pushed by yours truly, not just here but at all the shops.

We were feeling hungry and it was time for dinner…the choice was to go to Park Street or China Town. We decided on the latter as I have never been to China Town and wanted to taste the authentic Chinese cuisine. We went Kim Ling as most of the dining apps gave it a very high rating and they were not wrong. We ordered soup both veg and non-veg; mixed meat Hakka noodles, egg fried rice, sautéed Chinese green, prawns chilly garlic and chicken in black pepper sauce… one portion of each and still couldn’t finish them. Santanu and I enjoyed a chilled beer as well.

We reached our home around 10:30 pm and signed off Rajesh Ali requesting him to report around 8:30 am for I wanted to taste the Kochuri-Aloor Dom at Aadi Haridas Modok at Shyam Baajar 5 point (Paanch Mathar Mor).

DAY TWO

In the morning, Santanu, Sumita and I went for the famed Kochuri-Aloor Dom at Aadi Haridas Modok. At INR 30 per plate of 3 Kochuris, it is perhaps the cheapest breakfast one can have in the city. In the early mornings, I am very hungry, so I ended up having 2 plates. We packed 2 portions of Chhanar Chop (Paneer Cutlet) for Deepika & Sangeeta and proceeded to another iconic place called Dwarik’s Grandson, a sweet shop that has been in existence since the time of Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans and Swami Vivekanand. Here, we picked up Misti Doi and 2 portions of Radha Ballavi for Deepika and Sangeeta. We also had Baked Rosogolla which was out of this world, I had it in Delhi at Annapurna as well as Kamala Sweets but they are no match to this one. I knew Deepika would love it so packed couple of pieces for her as well.

Our destination was Rash Behari Avenue or more precisely to Kimbadanti, a shop specializing on Kurta and the only shop I knew where I could find a kurta of Ayush’s size. I must mention here that since we agreed to a Bengali style wedding it is but natural that the groom will be attired in traditional Dhuti-Panjabi (dhoti-kurta) at the wedding ceremony. Therefore, not only for Ayush but for me too, a silk kurta and matching dhoti was picked up. Next we explored a few shop nearby from where D picked up a saree for our housekeeper.

We moved on to Park Street to explore more sarees. Deepika wanted to gift a saree each to Sangeeta & Sumita on the happy occasion of Ayush’s wedding. Sangeeta liked one saree that was way beyond what we had budgeted but we encouraged her to accept it as she liked it dearly. Sumita, on the other hand did not like any of the sarees not just here but at all the previously mentioned shops. She would invariably find some fault with all the sarees even the ones which she found somewhat likeable. While exploring the saree shops, Sumita and Sangeeta found a roadside vendor selling jhal muri, kurmur and couldn’t resist. I resisted because the Aadi Haridas Modok was still heavy on my stomach.

If you are on Park Street, Flurry’s is the natural choice for evening tea and snacks. I opted for Darjeeling Tea with a mutton patty and a cream roll which Deepika shared as well. Deepika and Sumita went on to meet their college friend Radhika with whom Sumita being very close decided to stay overnight. I dropped Santanu and Sangeeta at their maternal uncle’s home at Lake Town. Thereafter I met up with 3 of cousins at two ends of the city, Salt Lake and Kasba.

DAY THREE

It being a Sunday, most markets in Kolkata were observing holiday, so we decided to visit Raichak on the Ganges, approx 60+ kilometers from Kolkata for a day trip. We left around 8:30 am and on the way picked up Sumita from Park Street near Don Bosco school on way to Raichak.

Raichak on Ganges is a collection of hotel, resort, spa and theme based country homes beside the river Ganges, located at Raichak, 50+ km from Kolkata, West Bengal. The properties located in Raichak on Ganges are Ganga Kutir, Anaya, The Ffort Raichak and The Ffort Suites besides many private B-n-B options.

We were going for a day trip hoping to have lunch there and do a bit of sightseeing before returning in the evening. Except for Ffort Raichak managed by Radisson all other properties had restricted admission and did not entertain the walk-in customers. Sangeeta called up the resort and reserved a table for us and also requested if the manager can allow us to visit their other property Ganga Kutir which is situated right on the banks of Ganges with breathtaking views of the river.

Radhika had made breakfast of Aloo Paratha and Egg Sandwich for five of us but the quantity which she had packed was good for cricket team of 11+reserve players!! We devoured most of it as soon as we hit the serpentine 2-lane Diamond Harbour Road to Raichak. I dearly missed my mug of black coffee after the breakfast… had water instead and made myself comfortable on the last row of the Innova to take a nap!!

I woke up as we reached the gate of the Raichak on Ganges. The gate is manned by security personnel who allowed only the guests of the resorts/ B-n-B inside. We told them we are going to Ffort Raichak and they can verify with the manager. The guards simply noted down our vehicle registration and asked us to proceed.

The Ffort, was originally built back in the colonial rule (1783) for keeping a watch over River Hooghly to ward off the pirates. For many years post independence, the fort was left ignored and was in shambles. Later, Radisson group of hotels overtook it and converted it into a hotel. Opened in 1997 in West Bengal, the Ffort Raichak stands amidst 65 acres of landscaped greenery against the backdrop of the Hooghly River. The riverbank has a jetty where you can board a boat to reach the other side, to Haldia. A British commander, General Watson, resided here with his wife Mary and daughter Caroline, and 65 soldiers. The best part of the entire fort experience is the narrow tunnel-like steps which takes you directly to the riverbank.

At the fort, we checked the artifacts of the bygone era that adorned the walls of the reception area and about the brief history of the place. We were directed to the dining hall situated on the first floor of the fort. It was quite large with spaced out seating and had a big terrace from where one can get a glimpse of the fort landscape and the river Hoogly or Ganges. The river was very wide here… one can hardly make out the shoreline on the other side. There was reasonable traffic on the river of small fishing boats and bigger Launches carrying containers for the ships anchored somewhere near the Mohana at the Bay of Bengal.

We did not realize it but the breakfast was quite heavy on our tummies leaving little room for lunch. We shared plates of veggies, chicken and fish with rice and chapattis. The lunch was leisurely spread over 1.5 hours and then another 30 minutes on the terraces to enjoy the breeze and the view. We wanted to take the boat ride but the planned cruise had to be abandoned due to incessant rains and insufficient numbers to fill the large boat. We were not comfortable going on the dinghy fishing boats.

The manager at the fort confirmed that we could visit the Ganga Kutir to view the scenic river up close. The guards at the Ganga Kutir guided us to the public area where we must confine ourselves while enjoying the views and take photographs. Standing at the banks of the river, one could understand why the property Ganga Kutir is so much sought after; not just the views but the sound of the waves were magical especially at night when you are sitting on the decks that almost reaches the water… you might be tempted to sing Rabindrasangeet or Bhatiyali songs!!

We left for Kolkata hoping to be back in the distant future for an overnight stay at Ganga Kutir, Raichak. The Diamond Harbour Road is a 2-lane serpentine road that connects Raichak with Kolkata, no other alternative road available. As luck would have it, a large tree had fallen unable to hold on to the brittle ground anymore and all traffic came to a standstill. It had to be cut into pieces by hand saws which took almost an hour before the traffic moved.

We reached Gariahat Market, being a Sunday, the market looked deserted with most shops closed, we were lucky to find a Dashakarma Bhandar open. A Dashakarma Bhandar is a typical shop that specializes in selling Puja Samagri for Bengali rituals. Before going to Kolkata I had got a list of items made by our panditji but realized it was not needed as the shopkeeper had a printed list of items ready. You just have to tell him the occasion and he will mark it and get them nicely packed for you. We got all the items as per our list completing our target.

On our way home we picked up Mutton Biryani from Arsalan, Park Circus. It is a must have whenever I visit Kolkata. The biryani is non spicy (unlike the Hyderabadi) but full of flavours plus true to Bong tradition, they add a full potato and egg. Moreover, at an extra cost, one can add mutton, potato and eggs as much one likes.

DAY FOUR

We had leftovers of aloo-paratha and egg sandwich which were consumed for breakfast after which we left for Bahu Bazaar (বউ বাজার) for jewelry shopping. Santanu and I dropped the girls at the P C Chandra Jewellers and proceeded to Bentinck Street where many moons ago I had purchased a pair of leather boots from a Chinese shop. To my utter disappointment, all the Chinese shoemakers have vanished from there and non descriptive shops selling useless tidbits have come up…most of them selling stuff that are available in hoards at Sarojini Nagar, Karol Bagh and Lajpat Nagar markets in Delhi at less than half the price. Walking down the street we came across a KHADIM outlet with signs of 50% Discount across all products. I liked a pair of running shoes but putting them on realized the quality was not up to my liking. A further hundred meters down the road was another Khadim outlet but it was primarily of bags and purses. I picked two leather purses for Deepika and my sister and then returned to the jewelry shop. They had done their shopping so after paying up we came to Esplanade, more particularly to New Market. The original New Market was destroyed in a devastating fire few years ago and a new avatar is in place. It was quite like the Palika Bazaar of Delhi and I didn’t like the feel about it. However, there was one shop I had heard a lot about and wanted to check it out… it happens to be the favourite of Santanu… It is the Nahoum’s Bakery, an old Jewish establishment without any frills. I tried their Chicken patty which was nothing in comparison to the Wenger’s at Connaught Place, New Delhi. Overall, I was quite disappointed especially after hearing so much about it from Santanu and my other Kolkata friends.

Our next stop was another iconic food joint, Badshah, a favourite joint of Sangeeta for its Rolls. We stepped into their family station and ordered for mutton rolls and tea. The Badshah Special Mutton Roll was good but I won’t go back for it. Our next stop was Park Street where Deepika wanted to take a chance at buying a saree for Sumita. But as luck would have it, by the time we reached the Park Hotel it started pouring cats n dogs, the first heavy rains we experienced in 4 days. Next to the Park Hotel is the Bishwa Bangla outlet that showcases the handloom and handicrafts of Bengal. I had seen a small Dokra statue of Durga and family at their online store but it was out-of-stock then, I decided to try my luck. They had a bigger version but the price was too high. I settled for a pack of “first flush Darjeeling Tea” and a bottle of Aam-Kasundi pickle that Deepika loved.

There was no indication of the rains stopping anytime soon, so we went to the Trinca’s (a multi speciality restaurant of the Park Hotel), which is in existence since the Colonial days and a favourite watering hole for the Kolkata elites. It was too early for dinner especially after the Badshah Special Roll… we ordered for beer and mocktails which were served after almost 30 minutes that too after two reminders. Soon, I realized that I can’t eat any more and conveyed to others that I am feeling full and won’t have dinner. Others too expressed similar feelings, so we paid up and left for home. A few kilometers down the road I started feeling very uncomfortable and desperately prayed to reach home at the earliest.

I rushed to clean up my system and realized some or more items did not gel with my body… it was food poisoning. I felt very sick and called it a day. The following morning I got to know three things; (i) Sumita too had become unwell, (ii) Deepika, Sangeeta & Santanu had a feasting dinner from “6 Ballygunge Place” and most importantly (iii) Sangeeta had left her purse at the Trinca’s and needed to go there again to fetch it. I was still a bit under the weather so Santanu and I stayed back.

DAY FIVE

The girl brigade took more than their allotted time to fetch the purse… apparently they first went to Gariahat Market to pick up packing trays for the Gaye Holud Totto and then to Park Street for one last attempt at buying a saree for Sumita before collecting the purse from Trinca’s. We finally met at the MISHTI HUB at the Gate No. 3 Eco Park, New Town. Mishti Hub (মিষ্টি হাব) is an MSME enterprise established by the Government of West Bengal to promote different types of sweets of Indian state of West Bengal. One can have sweets made by renowned manufacturers from different parts of Bengal, in one place, under one roof, its only one of its kind in the state of West Bengal.  There are permanent stalls of some of the renowned sweet shops viz. K C Das, Ganguram, Banchharam, Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick et al. I have had the sweets from all of these places. Santanu and I decided on Surjya Kumar Modak which seemed to be a new addition. As per their claim, they are the inventor of the famous Jolbhora Taalshansh Sandesh. We picked up few boxes of mixed sandesh for home as well as gifting. Earlier, we had planned for a typical Bong lunch at a nearby restaurant but realized we were short on time, so settled for Radha Ballavi with Aloor Dom at Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick followed by Kulfi from Gupta Brothers.

Our flight back to Delhi was at 8:30 pm but as we had lots of luggage, we decided to reach early for the check-in and left for the airport around 5 pm. We were collectively 3 kg overweight but the Vistara Counter person allowed the extras when I mentioned that we have been shopping for my son’s wedding. Our assigned gate was at the far end of the terminal, so we decided to find a place to rest nearer to the gate instead of going to the lounge.

While in Kolkata, we got the news that our driver-cum-man-Friday Guddu Kumar had a cardiac arrest and was in the hospital. His services were ruled out, so, I downloaded the Blue Smart cab service app and booked us a cab from IGIA T-3 for our home.