The old part of Kolkata has wide shady streets with sidewalks on both sides:
The newest parts of Kolkata could be a clone of Northern Virginia -- with cows.
And the "real India" cannot be suppressed:
Tourism is not a big item in Kolkata -- a visitor is pretty much on their own to figure out what's worth seeing. And sometimes even the "natives" aren't aware that museums are closed. For example, I was going to visit the Indian Museum -- India's version of the Smithsonian, but this is what greeted me:
The sign reads:
Time for Plan B (or C or D or ...)
I did get to see the Birla Mandir and St. Paul's Cathedral. In Kolkata, the Christian presence is quite noticeable, and it's primarily Anglican, reflecting the British influence (as opposed to the Portuguese Roman Catholic influence on the west coast of India).
The newest parts of Kolkata could be a clone of Northern Virginia -- with cows.
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| One of many cows grazing in the wide medians of New Town, Kolkata |
And the "real India" cannot be suppressed:
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| Shiny new high-tech buildings with traditional lean-to shops in front. |
Tourism is not a big item in Kolkata -- a visitor is pretty much on their own to figure out what's worth seeing. And sometimes even the "natives" aren't aware that museums are closed. For example, I was going to visit the Indian Museum -- India's version of the Smithsonian, but this is what greeted me:
The sign reads:
Time for Plan B (or C or D or ...)
I did get to see the Birla Mandir and St. Paul's Cathedral. In Kolkata, the Christian presence is quite noticeable, and it's primarily Anglican, reflecting the British influence (as opposed to the Portuguese Roman Catholic influence on the west coast of India).
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| On the steps of the impressive Birla Mandir |
Amazing, all of it, for many reasons. Is Birla Mandir a Hindu temple? Also, I love the colors in your outfit.
ReplyDeleteYes, "mandir" is temple -- it literally means "house". Each room/dome/shrine in the temple is dedicated to a specific deity frequently along with the spouse. This temple has Krishna and Radha in the center room; Durga is on the left, and Shiva on the right. Two smaller shrines for Hanuman and Ganesha are also on the site.
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