Exploring Kolkata

Wednesday 23rd

 We're up at 6 to watch people begin their day on the ghat (or steps) leading down to the Ganges (known here as the Hooghly) near the Howrah bridge. Here a solitary figure is brushing his teeth with a wooden twig, and others are taking their ritual dip in the river, waking up from an uncomfortable sleep on the steps, saying prayers, or mud-wrestling - an entertaining performance that we watch for a while.

Our guides lead us through the crush of the nearby flower market - a wonderful riot of colors. Then we visit the ancient Kali Temple, the city's holiest Hindu shrine. Sugar, Mimi and I opt to go into the inner sanctum, each escorted by a young guide, and find ourselves in a noisy, jostling mass of worshippers, being pushed forward over a low railing and burning candles to make an offering to the three-eyed Kali image. An unnerving but very memorable experience!

We then visit the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, the Catholic order founded by Mother Teresa to work with the poorest of Kolkata's poor. It now houses her tomb and an exhibition about her life, as well as being home to many younger nuns. The reverent silence surrounding Mother Teresa's last resting place is in total contrast to the hubbub of the Hindu temple.

Lunch is a delicious sampling of Bengali food, served on tali, or individual platters of eight or nine small bowls.

In the afternoon, I split off from the group to unearth my parents' wartime Calcutta, with the help of Swagata, a knowledgeable guide, and a driver. Much of colonial Calcutta is very dilapidated - almost beyond repair - with the city's modern development concentrated around its ring road. But Oberoi Hotels are undertaking a massive renovation of the old Great Eastern Hotel, which happened to be where my parents stayed on their way back to England from China in 1944. The colonnaded building will be a 7 star hotel of about 1,000 rooms - hopefully an anchor for regeneration of the historic area.

I'm keen to find the Saturday Club, my father's home away from home on his regular visits to Calcutta, and have called ahead to ask permission to visit. The Club Secretary, a retired Brigadier of the Indian Army, shows me this photo of the club as it must have looked in my father's day. I'm pleased to see that it's still thriving, with school children playing badminton, members meeting over tea on the terrace, great tennis courts and an indoor pool. The buildings are showing their age, but it's a welcome refuge from city living in the heart of the old colonial district.

I rejoin the group at the waterfront for an evening cruise on the river. We're entertained by a lively band of musicians/dancers, and later have dinner on a floating restaurant (akin to Hong Kong's Jumbo). It's been a long but fascinating day.