Hi
Keeping with my promise to post more scenes of 'Indurbanity', here's
Amar Sonar Kolkata -- "Our Golden Kolkata"
..from photos I've collected over the last several months. I initially feared overexposure of the subject (Suncity beat me to a Kolkata thread
), but I realized that this Kolkata is rarely covered outside a hackneyed Mother Teresa-esque dickensen streotype of the city. Also, Suncity's thread is a great introduction and orientation to the city whereas I'm going for the goal of capturing the city's character and life. Be sure to check his brilliant thread out, first.
Anyway, introductions first. Kolkata (English name formerly Calcutta), is the capital of West Bengal state in India. Originally founded by the British, it was the intellectual and the political capital of India before New Delhi. Even today, Kolkata is the focal point of modern Indian art, literature and independant media. Bookstores, small as a street vendor's cart or large as a warehouse, are on every block. The permiating intellectual nature of the city is so that even the most uneducated taxi driver can hold you in deep theological discourse as he drives you to the touristy.
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Some Kolkata Aerials
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^ Looking towards the river over old Kolkata
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^ Over the many bungalows that make up the city. I like this pic because you can actually see the Monsoon rain creep toward the foreground.
![]()
^ The aftermath of such a downpour. Kolkata is not far from Cherrapunji, the wettest place on this planet, and torrential rain is as much a fact of life as Kolkata's communists or books.
![]()
^ The city is situated in the delta of the confluence of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, and many of its tributaries (ex: the Hoogley) run through the city
![]()
^ Kolkata, like all Indian cities, is experiencing a construction boom of new towers. Not only are tall apartment and s&g buildings becoming the new norm, but the many magnificent older buildings Kolkata are slowly being restored to their glory
![]()
^ Part of the skyline of the city, viewed from the Strand.
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Kolkata Bridges
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^ The rivers of Kolkata are spanned by a large number of bridges. Here is the Vidyasagar Setu bridge.
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^ The venerable Howrah Bridge, a national monument.
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^ Vivekananda Setu Bridge, named after one of Kolkata's numerous luminant personalities and freedom fighters, Swami Vivekananda.
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^ Many barges and ferries also are used to connect the bustling city.
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Kolkata landmarks
![]()
^ The General Post Office ("G.P.O.") was built in 1864 on the old British fort. You can see its famous dome, clock and its beautiful pillars.
![]()
^ The Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, constructed in 1855, is a magnificent example of late Bengali temple architecture. It is dedicated to Goddess Kali, much venerated in Bengal. Bengal's famous saint Ramakrishna used to meditate here.
![]()
^ Science City Museum is a large Children's science museum and gardens. It's a field trip must for schoolchildren of the city. Here you see the auditorium.
![]()
^ Science City's Evolution Theater, where, I assume, scientific-related drama is held.
![]()
^ Another view, showing some of the gardens. I've heard that some of the vines and plants in this garden can grow up to a foot a day.
![]()
^ The Science Museum's Space Theatre.
![]()
^ The recently restored, and aptly named, Writer's Building orignally housed some of the vast armies of Indian clerks and bureaucrats that managed the day-to-day workings of the British Indian Empire. Constructed in 1780, it is a prime example of Indian-Gothic fusion architecture, and currently preserves all records and important documents of the Government of West Bengal from 1834 onwards.
![]()
^ Kolkata's Indian Museum, founded in 1814 in the Asiatic Society, is one of the preeminant history museums of in the world. It boasts a matchless collection of ancient artifacts and relics going back to Harappan times.
![]()
^ A collection of official-looking government office buildings on the banks of the Ganga. I'm not sure what the exact names are.
![]()
^ The Ultadanga Jain Temple somehow gleams, though made of stone brick
![]()
^ The awesome Victoria Memorial Museum is the focal point of Kolkata city. Built of solid marble between 1906 and 1921, it is one of the finest examples of monumental Raj architecture in India.
![]()
^ The monument, surrounded by beautiful gardens, is among the finest example of Indo-Saracenic (Indo-British fusion) archiecture in the world as well. It is now a museum, containing a priceless collection of paintings, manuscripts, and other objects of historic value in its Museum and Art Gallery
![]()
^ The Maiden, located adjenct to the Victoria Memorial, is a large park in the cultural center of the city, next to the Birla Planetarium, the St. Paul's Cathedral, Academy of Fine Arts, the Rabindra Sadan with its superb auditorium and fountains, Nandan Complex stand, etc.... Originally intended as a ground to test-fire the guns of the Fort William, it is now a popular haven of tranquility and respite from the busy city.
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Continued Below
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Keeping with my promise to post more scenes of 'Indurbanity', here's
Amar Sonar Kolkata -- "Our Golden Kolkata"
..from photos I've collected over the last several months. I initially feared overexposure of the subject (Suncity beat me to a Kolkata thread
), but I realized that this Kolkata is rarely covered outside a hackneyed Mother Teresa-esque dickensen streotype of the city. Also, Suncity's thread is a great introduction and orientation to the city whereas I'm going for the goal of capturing the city's character and life. Be sure to check his brilliant thread out, first.Anyway, introductions first. Kolkata (English name formerly Calcutta), is the capital of West Bengal state in India. Originally founded by the British, it was the intellectual and the political capital of India before New Delhi. Even today, Kolkata is the focal point of modern Indian art, literature and independant media. Bookstores, small as a street vendor's cart or large as a warehouse, are on every block. The permiating intellectual nature of the city is so that even the most uneducated taxi driver can hold you in deep theological discourse as he drives you to the touristy.
----==--=--==-----
Some Kolkata Aerials
^ Looking towards the river over old Kolkata
^ Over the many bungalows that make up the city. I like this pic because you can actually see the Monsoon rain creep toward the foreground.
^ The aftermath of such a downpour. Kolkata is not far from Cherrapunji, the wettest place on this planet, and torrential rain is as much a fact of life as Kolkata's communists or books.
^ The city is situated in the delta of the confluence of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, and many of its tributaries (ex: the Hoogley) run through the city
^ Kolkata, like all Indian cities, is experiencing a construction boom of new towers. Not only are tall apartment and s&g buildings becoming the new norm, but the many magnificent older buildings Kolkata are slowly being restored to their glory
^ Part of the skyline of the city, viewed from the Strand.
----==--=--==-----
Kolkata Bridges
^ The rivers of Kolkata are spanned by a large number of bridges. Here is the Vidyasagar Setu bridge.
^ The venerable Howrah Bridge, a national monument.
^ Vivekananda Setu Bridge, named after one of Kolkata's numerous luminant personalities and freedom fighters, Swami Vivekananda.
^ Many barges and ferries also are used to connect the bustling city.
----==--=--==-----
Kolkata landmarks
^ The General Post Office ("G.P.O.") was built in 1864 on the old British fort. You can see its famous dome, clock and its beautiful pillars.
^ The Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, constructed in 1855, is a magnificent example of late Bengali temple architecture. It is dedicated to Goddess Kali, much venerated in Bengal. Bengal's famous saint Ramakrishna used to meditate here.
^ Science City Museum is a large Children's science museum and gardens. It's a field trip must for schoolchildren of the city. Here you see the auditorium.
^ Science City's Evolution Theater, where, I assume, scientific-related drama is held.
^ Another view, showing some of the gardens. I've heard that some of the vines and plants in this garden can grow up to a foot a day.
^ The Science Museum's Space Theatre.
^ The recently restored, and aptly named, Writer's Building orignally housed some of the vast armies of Indian clerks and bureaucrats that managed the day-to-day workings of the British Indian Empire. Constructed in 1780, it is a prime example of Indian-Gothic fusion architecture, and currently preserves all records and important documents of the Government of West Bengal from 1834 onwards.
^ Kolkata's Indian Museum, founded in 1814 in the Asiatic Society, is one of the preeminant history museums of in the world. It boasts a matchless collection of ancient artifacts and relics going back to Harappan times.
^ A collection of official-looking government office buildings on the banks of the Ganga. I'm not sure what the exact names are.
^ The Ultadanga Jain Temple somehow gleams, though made of stone brick
^ The awesome Victoria Memorial Museum is the focal point of Kolkata city. Built of solid marble between 1906 and 1921, it is one of the finest examples of monumental Raj architecture in India.
^ The monument, surrounded by beautiful gardens, is among the finest example of Indo-Saracenic (Indo-British fusion) archiecture in the world as well. It is now a museum, containing a priceless collection of paintings, manuscripts, and other objects of historic value in its Museum and Art Gallery
^ The Maiden, located adjenct to the Victoria Memorial, is a large park in the cultural center of the city, next to the Birla Planetarium, the St. Paul's Cathedral, Academy of Fine Arts, the Rabindra Sadan with its superb auditorium and fountains, Nandan Complex stand, etc.... Originally intended as a ground to test-fire the guns of the Fort William, it is now a popular haven of tranquility and respite from the busy city.
----==--=--==-----
Continued Below
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