Calcutta and Anglo-Indians - Miscellaneous - http://maxpages.com/warrenzone/CALCUTTA

Calcutta to Kolkatta and Calcuttans to Kolkattans by Warren Brown

The city of Calcutta is now the new, rejuvenated and enhanced city of Kolkata. Since the bengali form of Calcutta is Kolkata, the new name, therefore, it will not be long before the official language of the State of West Bengal is declared to be Bengali.

Calcutta's recorded history dates back to the seventeenth century when in 1690, Job Charnock, the leader of the British Merchants moved the British settlement down the river from Hooghly to three small villages-Sutanati, Govindpur and Kalikata which became the nucleus of present day Calcutta. Calcutta takes its name from the last village.

According to all official records, Calcutta remained under British control of the East India Company till 1756, when Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Murshidabad defeated the British and took over the town. A year later in 1757, the British led by Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-daula, who was supported by the French at the Battle of Plassey and he recaptured Calcutta.

Calcutta, the city, developed under the British from 1780 onwards and in the latter half of the 19th century became an important centre in the struggle for Indian Independence. The British therefore, decided to transfer their capital to Delhi in 1911 but even then, the city prospered till after World War II.

Calcutta has inherited a legacy of beautiful old buildings from the British and it is only recently that the Calcutta Municipal Corporation has started taking steps to maintain and renovate these structures.

TOURIST INFORMATION

West Bengal Tourism Centre
3/2, BBD Bagh. Calcutta-1
Phone: 248-8271/72/73

Government of India Regional Tourist Office
4, Shakespeare Sarani.Calcutta-71.
Phone: 282-1402/5813

PLACES OF INTEREST

HISTORICAL

Victoria Memorial:This huge Museum of Indo-Sarasanic architecture is located at the southern end of the Calcutta maidan
Timings: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 3.30pm. Closed on Monday.
Tickets: Rupees Two

Shahid Minar(1841): Built by David Ochterlony after the Nepalese War (1814-1816). It is a 48metre high monument and it is situated on the maidan and is a centre of political activities.

Indian Museum (1814): Construction of the Museum was completed in 1814 at the corner of Sudder Street and Chowringhee Road. It was originally situated at 1 Park Street. This is the largest Museum in the country and is divided into six sections: art, archaeology, anthropology, geology, zoology and industry. The highlight of the Museum is the Bharhut Gallery.
Timings: Tuesday to Sunday(10am to 4.30pm)
Tickets: Rupees 10 for locals and Rupees 100 for Foreigners.

Nehru Children's Museum: It is located at the crossing of Chowringhee Road and AJC Bose Road .The Museum has a collection of dolls and puppets depicting the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Timings: Wednesday to Sunday (12 noon to 8pm) , Tuesday (3pm to 8pm)

Gurusaday Museum: This Museum houses a rich collection of folk arts and crafts of Bengal and is located at Bratcharigram, Joka.
Timings: Tuesdays to Sunday (11am to 4.30pm ), Wednesday (11.30am to 1pm)

The Marble Palace (1836): It is situated in North Calcutta, the Marble Palace has a collection of statues and original paintings including works of Rubens and Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is necessary to obtain permission from the Deputy Director of Tourism, 3/2 BBD Bagh or from the Government of India Regional Tourist Office, before you visit the place.
Timings: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sunday (10am to 4pm)
Mon, Thur Closed.

Tagore House : It is located near Girish Park , a centre for Indian Dance, drama , music and other arts. This is the Ancestral Home of the Noble Laureate for Literature, Rabindranath Tagore.
Timings: Tue-Sun (10.30am to 4.30pm). Entrance for Rupees Five.
Monday Closed.

ARCHITECTURAL PLACES
BBD(BAGH)-DALHOUSIE SQUARE
HOWRAH BRIDGE
VIDYASAGAR SETU (BRIDGE), 1994

GARDENS AND PICNIC SPOTS

Zoological Gardens at Alipore.
Horticultural Gardens at Alipore Road, south of the Zoo.
Eden Gardens at the North West corner of the Maidan.
Rabindra Sarobar in the South of the city beside the Ramakrishna Mission .
Indian Botanical Gardens on the West-bank of the Hooghly.
Nicco Park near the Eastern Metropolitan Bye-pass.
Science City on the crossing of the eastern bye-pass and JBS Haldane Avenue.

Religious Places

St.Paul's Cathedral situated on Cathedral Road
St.John's Church(1787) close to Raj Bhawan.
Jain Temple(1867) it is situated in the North-east part of the city.
Birla Mandir is located on Old Ballygunge Road.
Nakhoda Mosque is made of red sand stone and accomodates 10000 people.
Dakshineswar Temple(1847/1855) is 12 Kilometres away from the centre of the city, on the banks of the Hooghly.
Belur Math is 3 Kilometres from Dakshineswar on the west bank of the Hooghly.

Arts, Culture and Learning

Academy of Fine Arts, 2 Cathedral Road, Kolkatta-700 016.Phone:223-4302
Alternative Art Gallery, 12D Park Street, Kolkatta-700 016. Phone:229-1945
Arts Acre, P.O.: R.Gopalpur, 24 Parganas(North), Pin: 743518. Phone:573-9468
Birla Academy of Art and Culture, 108 Southern Avenue, Kolkatta-700 029. Phone: 466-2843
Calcutta Information Centre, 1/1 AJC Bose Road.Kolkatta-700 020. Phone: 223-2451
Chitrakoot Art Gallery, 55, Gariahat Road. Kolkatta. Phone: 475-2275
Cima Gallery, Sunny Towers, 43 Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, Kolkatta-700 019. Phone: 474-8717
Gallery 88, 25A, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkatta-700 071. Phone:247-2274
Gallery Katayun, Jassal House, 4A, Auckland Square, Kolkatta-700 017. Phone:247-1519
Genesis Art Gallery, Geetanjali Apartments, Middleton Street, Kolkatta. Phone:229-3886
Galerie La Mere, Lakshmi's House,3, Regent Park-Kolkatta-700 040.Phone:471-2612
Spandan Art Gallery, 87C, Park Street, Kolkatta-700 016. Phone:226-7509/5594
The Address, Ganga Jamuna Building, 28/1, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkatta-700 017. Phone:247-2373.

FOREX

DHP Financial Services, 10 Middleton Row, Kolkatta-700 071. Phone:229-5735/7995

TRAVEL

Discovery Travels and Tours, 13 Woodbun Court. Kolkatta-700 020.Phone:280-6583/6
Mercury Travels, Everest House, 46C, Chowringhee Road.Kolkatta-700 071. Phone:288-3555/59

Car Rentals
Car Cab, 2, Manook Lane, (Off Ezra Street), Kolkatta-700 001. Phone:235-3535

Support Groups for Children

Cini Asha , 63, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkatta-700 016. Phone:245-2705/6662
CRY(Child Relief and You), 234/N, Diamond Harbour Road, Janakalyan, Phone:447-6324
Missionaries of Charity, 78, AJC Bose Road, Kolkatta.Phone:217-5267, 244-7115
Reach (Society for Remedial Education Assessment Counselling Handicapped), 18/2/A/3 , Uday Sankar Sarani. Golf Green.Kolkatta-700 095.Phone:473-7223.

HOTELS

Hotel Hindusthan International, 235/1, AJC Bose Road, Calcutta-700 020.Phone:280-2323
The Kenilworth, 1&2, Little Russel Street, Calcutta-700 071. Phone:282-8394/5
Quality Inn, 12, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Calcutta-700 013. Phone:228-0301
Taj Bengal, 34 B, Belvedere Road, Calcutta-700 027. Phone:223-3939
The Park, 17 Park Street, Calcutta-700 016. Phone:249-3121
Hotel Rutt Deen, 21 B, Loudon Street, Calcutta-700 016. Phone:240-1878/3340

CENTRES OF RESEARCH

Asiatic Society, 1, Park Street, Kolkatta-700 016
Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkatta-700 071
National Library , Belvedere Road, Kolkatta-700 027
British Council Division Library, 5 Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkatta-700 071
American Institute of Indian Studies, 12/2, Swinhoe Street, Kolkatta-700 019
Max Mueller Bhawan, 8P, Barva Sarani, Kolkatta-700 019
Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkatta-700 029
Calcutta University , College Street, Kolkatta-700 072
Goethals Indian Library and Research Centre, St.Xavier's College, 30 Park Street, Kolkatta-700 016
Anglo-Indian Community Research, Melvyn Brown, 3 Elliott Road, Kolkatta-700 016
Indological and General Research, Warren Brown, C/o The Goethals Indian Library and Research Centre, St. Xavier's College, 30 Park Street, Kolkatta-700 016

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Loreto College, 7 Middleton Row, Kolkatta-700 071
Morning Star College, Barrackpore P.O. 24 Parganas(N)-743 101
St.Xavier's College, 30 Park Street , Kolkatta-700 016
Bishop's College, 224, AJC Bose Road, Kolkatta-700 017
Auxilium Parish Commercial School, 8-A, Mahendra Roy Lane, Gobra, Kolkatta-700 046
Lavinia House, 68/A, A.P.C. Road, Kolkatta-700 009
Don Bosco School, P.O. Liluah, District, Howrah-711 204
Don Bosco School, Technical Department, Park Circus, Kolkatta-700 017
Don Bosco School, 23, Darga Road, Park Circus, Kolkatta-700 017
St. Joseph's College, 69, Bowbazar Street, Kolkatta-700 012
St. Lawrence High School, 27, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkatta-700 019
Loreto Day School Bowbazar, 65, Bowbazar Street, Kolkatta-700 012
St. Xavier's Collegiate School, 30 Park Street, Kolkatta-700 016
St. Xavier's School, Township P.O.Haldia-721 607
Marian Education Centre,c/o St. Mary's High School, 92 Ripon Street, Kolkatta-700 016
Loreto Day School ,9, Elliott Road, Kolkatta-700 016
Loreto Day School Dharamtola, 169 , Lenin Sarani, Kolkatta-700 013
Loreto Convent Entally , Tengra P.O. Kolkatta-700 015
Loreto Day School Sealdah, 122, Acharya Jagdish Bose Road, Kolkatta-700 014
Our Lady Queen of the Missions School, 34, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Kolkatta-700 017
St. Anthony's High School, 19, Market Street, Kolkatta-700 016
St. Aloysius' Day School, 2, Mukhram Kanoria Road, Howrah-711 101
St. George's School,Bowbazar, 69, Bepin Behari Ganguly Street, Kolkatta-700 012
St. John Hogh School, Bandel, Hooghly District-712 103
St. Joseph's College, Bowbazar, 69 Bepin Behari Ganguly Street, Kokatta-700 012
Loyola High School, 54/3, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkatta-700 027
St. Mary's Orphanage and Day School, 130, Dum Dum Road, Kolkatta-700 030
St. Mary's School, Ripon Street, 91/1B, Muzaffar Ahmed Street.(92 Ripon Street) Kolkatta-700 016
St. Peter's High School , Moulali, 90 Acharya Jagadish Bose Road, Kolkatta-700 014
Sacred Heart High School, 6th Avenue, Kharagpur, S.E. Railway-721 301

HOMES FOR THE AGED

Vianney Home, C/o The Presbytery, 4th Floor, 9/3 Middleton Row, Kolkatta-700 071
St. Catherine's Home, Daughters of the Cross, 68 Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkatta-700 023
St. Joseph's Home, Little Sisters of the Poor, 2, Acharya Jagdish Bose Road, Kolkatta-700 020

MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS

The Herald, 10 Government Place East, G.P.O.Post Box 445, Kolkatta- 700 069
Cathechetics India, 52-A, Radhanath Chowdhury Road, Kolkatta-700 015
Chitrabani, 76, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkatta-700 016
Nitika, Don Bosco, 52-A, Radhanath Chowdhury Road, Kolkatta-700 015
St. Paul Book Centre, 35 Royd Street, Kolkatta-700 016
All-Parish Paper, C/o Melvyn Brown, 3 Elliott Road, Kolkatta-700 016
The Anglo-Indian Newsletter, C/o Melvyn Brown, 3 Elliott Road, Kolkatta-700 016

*********

The Anglo-Indian Christmas Experience By Warren Brown

That special season is near at hand, when homes are decorated with holly,bells,Santa Claus and Christmas trees, all preparations are made to receive the Christ child in our homes and in our hearts.

Yesterday, a large number of Christmas Cards were delivered by postmen , as the Indian Postal Union has decided to go on an indefinite postal strike from today, the 5th of December.The Union demands are that the postal staff need increased wages from the Government,and a number of other minor complaints.The postal strikes somehow always seem to occur during the Christmas Season, and never during any of the other festivals. Is the Indian Postal Service allergic to Christmas?

The Postmen and the sorters will arrive on the 25th of December to the homes of all Anglo-Indians and Christians for their "Bakshish", alongwith a few cakes, fruits and sweets.This however, is not the only source of income during the year,apart from their salaries. During the course of the 365 days of the year , if a person is fortunate to receive a letter, every day , he is ordered by the postman to give,one Rupee, for delivering the mail. Apart from this petty income the postmen have the authority to scan, pilfer and remove Bearer Cheques and Currency, if found in a packet or letter. People on the other hand are in no position to make a noise, as it is illegal for people to send currency from abroad, or for people to receive currency from abroad. Postmen take advantage of this fact and remove almost anything which can be exchanged for money, and they blame it on the Customs. If the Customs do open up packets they paste their forms and seal the packets before they are delivered to the General Post Office.

With the indefinite postal strike continuing, the Government has enlisted the help of Army personnel to deliver letters and parcels in most of the States in India.

The government of India will go at a tremendous loss in revenue,during this strike period.A large number of postal bags from foreign countries have collected at the Airports of India. The mail-bags will only be removed to the General Post Offices, after the Strike comes to an end.I was stunned to know that each mail-bag weighs 25 Kgs. and contains 25,000 letters. It will not be surprising to receive Christmas Cards in the month of February,2001.Due to the tremendous back-log of mail to be delivered the postal staff, will take their own sweet time "to do the needful", when the strike ends.

Thanks to the stream-lined medium of the Internet, a large number of people have to resort to sending electronic Greetings to friends and relatives all around the globe. The plus point for the Internet is that almost all the sites offer Free Greetings like yahoo.com,americangreetings.com,lycos.com and scores of other sites.The selection of theme greeting cards on the net is vast.I sent a number of Thanksgiving cards to a number of family and friends. I also had the option of sending musical and animated greetings, with free gift vouchers attached.

Yesterday,I saw the trailer of the forthcoming American movie based on Dr.Seuss' story about,"How the Grinch stole Christmas", which will be in movie halls for the Christmas season.The movie clips were funny, with that popular clown, Jim Carrey, who puts so much of enthusiasm and energy into all his roles to make them both outrageous and hilarious.

This Christmas season ,India has its very own Grinch who has stepped in a bit early to steal Christmas.The Indian Postal Service has been bestowed this honour followed closely by the other two grinch, namely the Indian Banks and the Electricity Board, who are threatening to go on indefinite Strikes from the 18th and the 12th of December respectively.

The Indian Government follows the policy of that beloved screen character, who stole the minds and hearts of people down the ages, Scarlett O'Hara,with that immortal phrase,"Tomorrow is another day".

The center of the New Market, near the ancient Cannon ,wears the Christmas look with all the Christmas Trees, Santa Claus, decorations and lights, which will remain till the 31st of December.

Free School Street, also wears the festive look with all the Christmas trees and decorations put on the street on display.A few of the old Record and music cassette shops, have also put on display some highly polished Gramaphones, in the price range of 1500 rupees to 2500 rupees,in the hope that foreigners or Anglo-Indians from abroad will buy a few of them.

The Chinese shoe shops on Bentick street, are being forced to close down,due to the stiff competition from new shoe companies like Sreeleathers and Khadims, whose shoes are cheaper, with a wider variety of designs. Large numbers of the Chinese community are leaving Calcutta for countries like Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Last week, I saw a few Anglo-Indians doing their marketing, at the New and restored Hogg Market, for dried fruits, to make Christmas cakes at home, while others order Christmas Cakes from the friendly neighbourhood baker.There are still a large number of People who prefer Nahoum's Christmas fruit cakes any day.This Christmas ,we will miss the Doughnuts,fudge and Heart Cakes of M.X.D'Gama, as the shop has been sold out and converted into a garment store. A number of Bengali Christians also buy bulk quantities of Christmas Cakes from the "Cheap Jacks", for their relatives and a friends, while Nahoums Cakes are their personal delights.The cost of Christmas Cakes are on the rise and even the "Cheap Jacks", are not so cheap anymore according to Indian standards.

Christmas is Christmas, just as a rose is a rose and there can be no substitute for this wonderful and joyous season.Have yourself a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year 2001. May the "Grinch" never steal your Christmas,have a fantastic time and have a few Rosa-cookies and Kul-Kuls for me.

****************************************************************************************

Sign Guestbook

View Guestbook

Mr. Warren Brown

Hounslow

Middlesex

United Kingdom

0790 885 2230

warrenbrown21@lycos.com

Visitors: 02755

Page Updated Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:48pm EST