Thursday, December 10, 2015

East is Best #MadeofGreat

Never did I imagine that the phrase 'Behta Pani Nirmala' would struck my reality so soon. The college had just ended and it was like a cue to the expeditions that were about to foster in the near future. It was pretty clear by then that exploring is something that makes me feel complete. Some may call it destiny that I joined a profession that involves extensive travelling but I feel it all comes from wishful desires. And the ultimate goal is to be recognized as the globe trotter in my social circle. 

It is by virtue of this profession that I lived and experienced the soul of so many cities. Needless to say that every city offered me a very unique experience of its own. The experiences were so unique that it was often difficult to find the common cultural thread that we, the countrymen, perceive in general.

But if you ask me about my favorite city, it is my own city- Kolkata.Yes, Kolkata is my favourite city. I can offer countless reasons. But this is a war and so let me stick to the format.

Drive
The best thing about the city in my opinion is the ease with which one can commute to the corners of the city. There is not a single mode of public transport that is possible but does not exists in the city. The city has been blessed by metro-rails, local trains, yellow taxis, autos, private buses, government buses, steamers, boats, cycle-rickshaws, hand rickshaws, tuk-tuks and what not. And I am not talking about their mere presence. Their reach is just overwhelming.

If we take drive in poetic sense, then also there is no limit to it. The most famous scholars from our country find their roots in this city. People excel in almost all the fields and the drive to excel just keeps pushing the city to achieve the impossible. And as beautifully summed up by Tata Motors (at http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/), "What drives us from within is what makes us great".

Design
Well, the city may not look like London anymore but we cannot ignore the fact that it was built as the twin city to London. The old part of the city still flaunts the beautiful architecture of pre-independence era. The boulevards in and around Esplanade speak volume of the beauty and love with which the city was built. Along the banks of the river Hooghly, it is easy to find romanticism.

If there is old architecture to embrace, there is a planned portion of the city as well- the Salt Lake and the New Town. In short the city has something to offer to multitude age groups- from youngsters to the veterans.

Connect
Ah! What to say about connect of the city. The city is metropolitan in true sense. You will find communities from across the country living harmoniously since ever. The local language is never enforced on anyone. People prefers to interact in a language which the other person is comfortable with. And this is perhaps the reason why the non-bengalis learn the local language out of love rather than a necessity.

The city is global in true sense. There is not a single sport which is not followed in the city. Ranging from Soccer to F1 to Kabaddi, this city embraces all kind of sport. People listen to a very broad range of music than just humming Honey Singh's compositions. Fashion sense is global too.