THE KOLKATA KONNECTION

For me, a trip to Kolkata is always a mixed bag - I love the food, I hate the heat and mugginess. I love the crafts and textiles, I hate the traffic. I love the colonial buildings and old Bengali baris, I hate the long dusty ride from the airport. I love the old wooden buses with conductors at the door with little folded currency fans around their fingers, though I dread travelling by one on a hot summer afternoon. I hate the slow traffic-curbing trams - I just don't see the charm. I am still not sure about the yellow Ambassador taxis - I adore the flower-bedecked shrines on their dashboards and the fact that they look superbly graphic. I still can't put a finger on the "pace of the city." 

Many intellectuals (all Bengalis by heart) have deliberated on the city's intangible pace. After living in Delhi, let's just say it is a little slow and frustrating. Life seems slightly sluggish and there is no urgency whatsoever. For me, the city - a communist bastion for over a good four decades- was synonymous with hartals, strikes, bandhs and little red flags. Hopefully the change of guard will redeem the city of its peculiar reputation.

While outsiders like me can try and deal with the pace, most residents of this 'City of Joy' uniformly endorse it as its greatest strength. It is this pace, they claim, that has nurtured the seeds of creativity, be it music, art or literature. Bengal has long thrived with its unique weaves and crafts all seamlessly interwoven with their rituals and festivities. It can boast of the most intricately embroidered kanthas and delicately woven jamdanis. Over the years, it has emerged as the nerve centre for the finest and cheapest hand embroidery. A talented pool of designers have harnessed this skill beautifully and managed to put Kolkata in the Indian and international fashion map.