Celebration time...

If one visited Cal during the pujas, one would have thought the buying-selling-visiting-rushing around was the ultimate in frenzy. The city was in puja fever. But, come December, and the Christmas-New Year fever seems to compete with the pujas.

One clear indication of how Calcuttans celebrate is the rush in New Market. You cannot move a millimeter without bumping into either Christmas-goodies-on-display or people-with-serious-shopping-intention. You find yourself being carried in this flood of people and when you find the shop that you want to go to, you have to kind of push and struggle and get out of the human flood, but then, you find that you have left the store behind - so then it is weaving your way back, once again in the human flood going in the opposite direction! Finally, when you do get to the store, getting in is clearly the next challenge, followed by attracting the attention of the shopman, getting him to serve you and finally paying the bill - at the end of it if you have got what you wanted, it's CHEERS!! or else you bravely and in the spirit of the season, make do with what you've bought!!

And, there lies the secret - it is the spirit - and in Cal, there is no dearth of the celebration spirit...in fact, one can only believe that celebration is the way Cal puts up with all the daily hassles and pains...

Newspapers...

It is a matter of great fascination for me that newspapers are pasted, open page after open page on boards that are fixed at eye level at every important junction, or where there is a popular tea stall. They may be party propaganda, or may be local news, but they get to those who cannot afford to buy a newspaper. What's more, they reflect the thinking of the people, which is a much debated topic everywhere regardless of economic strata, level of education, or any distinction whatsoever. These are people's issues, of great interest to the people, and debated by the people.

Of goodies...

Check out Sasha - craft for contemporary living.  Its a not-for-profit marketing organization for craftspeople and producers from all over India.

I've passed this store a hundred times on the way to New Market. It's on Free School Street. Since my daughter's been wanting diffusers, I thought I'd try Sasha. I wasn't disappointed - in fact was so charmed by the store, that I'm surely going back there again and again, if only to browse...


Rajniklal's on Park Street is another store which is full of goodies...I never know where to look, and always feel I haven't looked enough...there must have been some shelf I missed!

The courageous people of Cal...

We often talk about courage. Do we really get what it means? What is involved in it?

Courage lies in dealing with the zillion daily tasks that have to be done every day – (nothing spectacular, but then beauty does not lie in the spectacular, but in the pattern created by daily duties and chores accomplished…)

Courage lies in taking head-on the responsibilities of adulthood…

Courage also lies in the creation of a happy home…

To this end, I was fascinated by the courage people bring to the demands of earning their living. We do not know them. We do not even think about them. They are the nameless, faceless people of our city…And yet, what they do helps in making our lives that much easier and better.

These brave people turn whatever they get to their advantage by their sheer grit and perseverance. Knowing they are often not in a position to choose, they take whatever they get, and create work opportunities for themselves, as well as for others. They work hard to support their families and dependents. And, in spite of all hardships and challenges, still manage to clothe their family well, ensure that the ladies have a little jewelry, educate their kids, put them on their feet, marry them off when it’s time, and have and give their families a good time - their self-respect, self-esteem and self-regard, high!

They never say die, and never give in…

Today in Cal, there are any number of micro, small and medium industries working out of the shells of the factories in Howrah and elsewhere. There are people who give ‘jobs’ to the durzis in Metiaburz, and sell the finished products in their niche market. These ‘jobs’ range from the latest fashions, to embroidery, to hosiery, to whatever else you can think of that comes out of a sewing machine…There are industries that make clasps for the new scaffolding that is made out of sliding pipes; cardboard boxes for shoes; umbrella handles; school bags with canvas; yarn with recycled material left over from the durzis and cloth merchants….the list is endless…

There are sales people who work for big names in Bombay, out of their homes. All the company needs is a godown for the goods ordered. So, no fancy office, no overheads, at all…just a laptop to communicate with the bosses and send in orders, and a godown!! If engineers are required to fit things, when there are a certain number of orders, they fly down for the time required to set up the equipment…

Do we even think about these things???

I was zapped when I went to Chandni Chowk – everything but everything but everything your mind can ever imagine is available, from nails of different sizes to fairy lights… May not be branded stuff, but then this is what the brand names buy and put their brand stamp on anyway…

True dignity of labor, and true labor with dignity…

………………………….and…………..what courage!!

Of parks, ponds and 'maats'...

A lovely thing about Cal is that there are small/medium/large parks and 'maats' in every locality or paada as it is called. These are maintained quite well (I'm not too sure by whom). The residents of a paada are quite proud of their park and 'maat'. The parks have the usual swing, slide, see-saw, and maybe a merry-go-round. The grass is kept cut and the plants and trees have a groomed look. There may be a water body or a fountain too. There are benches placed conveniently around the park. The 'maat' is a grassy piece of land. Again, this varies from small or medium size to something as large as a football field. Calcuttans are mad about football, and the love affair with football starts very early on in life.

Mind you, all around the park and 'maat' there are high rises, but these patches of green are not touched. In fact the residents are very proud of their parks and 'maats'. Pujas and other functions are organized here and this is the place for general get-togethers of the residents of the paada. You'll find the elderly taking their morning and evening constitutionals, and kids swarming all over in the evenings and on weekends.

Going around, you also see ponds which, sadly and very unfortunately, have been neglected. Consequently they have become garbage dumps and the stagnant water is a breeding ground for all kinds of illnesses. Some ponds, though, are maintained quite well by the residents of that locality. One sees benches, and plants around the pond. Some of them have steps leading down to the water...

Of course there is the huge maidan...the glorious, beautiful maidan...

It is these pockets of space that make Calcutta seem vast and spread out and open...