Kolkata Cityscapes

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by nova

I too would like to know.

Excellent pictures there.

As far as I know the City of Joy phrase comes from the book of the same name by Dominique Lapierre. That name in turn comes from a fictitious slum named Ananda Nagari (which loosely traslates into city of joy) about which the story is. It is said that Ananda Nagari is based on a slum in Pilkhana, Howrah [Kolkata's much neglected twin city].

[Suncity]

A view from an apartment in Ballygunge on a rainy day..

The tall building in the left is Tivoli Court and was probably built in the seventies. Much of the highrise boom in this area can be traced back to the seventies and eighties when aesthetics lost to the quick buck. The crumbling house in front is even older and will probably be pulled down to make another apartment.

Pic by Arunava

[Suncity]

Vidyasagar Setu

[Suncity]

Saltlec on a cloudy day. These pics by apaton.

1



2



3



4 - you can see Rajarhat coming up beyond the lake

[Suraj]

I have never been to Kolkata, and the pics I've seen on this thread seem to portray a city that looks dated and modern at the same time. Some scenes look freezeframed from a bygone era. It reminds me of something my dad said after visits to Colombo, first in the early 1990s, and then very recently. The first time he spoke about how Colombo was modern and better than Indian cities. This time around he said the place looks like its never changed, and how it looks old now in comparison to New Delhi. Some Kolkata pics bring a similar thought to mind - it made me wonder whether the pic was recent or 20 years old.

One thing that struck me about the Hoogly banks near Kolkata is that it is so eerily similar to Shanghai, specifically the Bund. It also brings to mind the fact that at one time Kolkata was the nodal port of the most dynamic part of India, when the country accounted for a quarter of world GDP and Bengal itself accounted for a third of that output. It would be only right if Kolkata can again rise to become a global trading behemoth. Bengalis and Marwaris are hardworking entrepreneural people who can easily drive the rebirth, provided the dinosaurs who run the place have enough sense to take lessons from their Chinese masters in economics.

[Ashok]

I have never been there aswell, but i really like this city, the buildings are so unique and beautiful.

[Suncity]

Kolkata

The original downtown (extending a concept that probably wasn't in use in those days): Birla Building the corporate HQ of some Birla companies - BBD Bag



The GPO, RBI, Writers Building



Unfortunately the Government which rules from BBD Bagh tries very little to maintain this beautiful square. It is busy building new city centres which is fine but one needs to also take care of the existing too. The less said about the lakhs of people who come to Kolkata daily, the better - Most of them care two hoots about the city and litter it without any shame. And the civic staff don't work either. If every sweeper/cleaner employed by Kolkata corporation reported for duty and did their job, it shouldn't be a problem to clean up the mess left behind by the thoughtless people. But I digress.

The second downtown: L-R - Jeevan Deep, Jeevan Sudha and Tata Centre

[Suncity]

Kolour me Kolkata

















More projects at http://www.espaceindia.com/

[drwho]

^good pics sun!!..i really like the style of the style

[cncity]

those are really nice pics of kolkata....ive never been there yet...but ill be going to kolkata next year....and will be in the gariahat flyover area..so im gonna check it out soon........

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by cncity

those are really nice pics of kolkata....ive never been there yet...but ill be going to kolkata next year....and will be in the gariahat flyover area..so im gonna check it out soon........

That would be great!

The Reserve Bank of India and Writers' Building

[Luckystreak]

The not so good looking famous trams of Kolkata...

[thalaiva]

Originally Posted by Luckystreak

The not so good looking famous trams of Kolkata...

There was an article in the Business World magazine about Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee trying to emulate China's Deng Xiao Ping. I hope he does the emulation soon and tranforms Calcutta into a modern metropolis. I always seem to have apicture in my mind of Calcutta being full of really old buildings, even though I have never been to Calcutta. But I guess things are changing for the better.

[Suncity]

STP II

[Citi-Zen]

^ Sun, what is STP II???

[Citi-Zen]

Originally Posted by Luckystreak

The not so good looking famous trams of Kolkata...

In these pics, seems like there is no direction to the way traffic moves...no medians, no lanes, people, trams, cars all moving in every directions. Hope thats just what it seems like from the pic and isn't the real case.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by Citi-Zen

In these pics, seems like there is no direction to the way traffic moves...no medians, no lanes, people, trams, cars all moving in every directions. Hope thats just what it seems like from the pic and isn't the real case.

Unfortunately that is the real case in Kolkata. There is no traffic sense or discipline. Everybody thinks that the road is their backyard. While this may be the case in most cities [I have seen worse pics of others], it doesn't really have to be this way. All that is needed is enforcement and abidement.

[thalaiva]

Originally Posted by Citi-Zen

^ Sun, what is STP II???

I believe it refers to Software Technology Park. Correct me if I am wrong, Sun.

[Luckystreak]

Some Vintage pics of Kolkata

Calcutta Stock Exchange - 1947

[fred_the_cute_guy]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Unfortunately that is the real case in Kolkata. There is no traffic sense or discipline. Everybody thinks that the road is their backyard. While this may be the case in most cities [I have seen worse pics of others], it doesn't really have to be this way. All that is needed is enforcement and abidement.

Agreed completely about the below-par traffic discipline maintenance in Kolkata. But in these particular picture, it is probably is because of the pictures only. This imght be Rashbehari crossing, with the Chetla-Gariahat signal open and the Tallygunge-Esplanade signal blocked, and tram bending to/from the Ballygunge/Gariahat direction, which is legal by the said signal.

So if I have got the place and scenario correct, this time it is a bad infrastructure problem unlike the usual "personal/daddy's road syndrome" which is very common. As I had suggested a long time back in one of the threads, a north-south flyover at that crossing is long overdue (but I don't think the neta-s are in tandem with me)...