Oh ...Kolkata

I arrived in India yesterday. But... where is India?

I took a direct flight from Chittagong to Kolkata, two of the three major cities of the Benglosphere (Dhaka sucks... ah-hem). For some odd reason, I was expecting Shah Rukh Khan and Bipasha Basu to greet me at the airport. Well, didn't happen.
Then, I was expecting crazy pickpocketers harassing me till I give them everything but my cardinal treasures. That also didn't happen.
I was also expecting a cosmopolitan megalopolis brimming with activity. Fortunately... that happened.
Kolkata was built during the British Raj (colonial era) as the capital if British India. This is reflected by its very Victorian monuments, architecture, and obsession with 'elite culture'. People from all parts of India and abroad migrated here for the many economic, political, and cultural opportunities.
However, post-independence Kolkata is very different. Gone are the days of its prominence, as New Delhi and Bombay stepped in the arena. Gone are the days of Zamindar Babus walking in their super-starchy pleated dhotis. However, one can still see the monuments and colonial buildings that line Park Street and the Maidan.
(Can't post pictures yet... will in couple of days)

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