Hooghly Bridge-Kite Flying-Rainbows-Sunset

Day 17, Sep 17, 06: Kolkata:

Though I hit the sack early on Saturday night, which might come as more of a shock to all of you, I greeted Sunday morning rather late. (I surfaced at 9 am, rather shocking by my Kolkata standards and even more shocking by my Delhi standards).

Once up, quick breakfast of Luchi-Torkari (equivalent of Puri-Aloo) and the rest of the day followed chit-chatting till lunch time. Gobindo-bhog rice pulao (Bengal’s equivalent to Basmati which give out a beautiful scent while cooking), chicken curry et al.

Post lunch I had been craving to take a drive out on the Vidyasagar Setu. The bridge which was completed just before I left Kolkata 12 years ago, is Kokata’s pride and was presented about the same time as the Kolkata Metro. So Kolkata was flying over and under way before the rest of the country. I guess that’s where the saying “What Bengal thinks today the world does tomorrow” or something like that.

The drive was a treat especially going from Park Circus till the race course on the newly built 2.5 km long flyover above AJC Bose road. Once I was near Hastings and on the approach to the Vidayasagar Setu, its four Suspension Pillars dominating the skyline intimidating and dwarfing even the 18 wheelers that approached the bridge connecting Kolkata to the GT Road to Delhi.

Once on the bridge, the skylines of the twin cities of Howrah & Kolkata on either side of the Hooghly seem to be bowing down to this mammoth structure.

Across the bridge, we made a pit stop for the impending evening I had planned. Kite flying on the terrace. A quick purchase of kites and several meters of ‘Manja’ (special thread used for slicing other kites) and we were back on the bridge back to the city. Kite flying is customary on Vishwakarma Puja and so as planned at dot 4 pm we were on the terrace launching our first kite. The sky was already dotted with hundreds of others. It was a beautiful Sunday evening with a bright blue sky and white and grey puffy clouds in the distance above the skyline. It would’ve been a pity if the wind gods played truant, but as usual there were gusts of wind giving flight to the colourful kites in the sky.

Our first voyager was set out and soon after it had taken flight, I was given the reigns. Not for very long. My first flight ended in disaster and the kite nosedived when I pulled too hard. I wasn’t too good at “pulling strings” it seemed. That done, my aunt who happens to be an expert navigator took the helm and the next two and half hours saw several battles in the sky above. I didn’t some training flights every now and then, but as usual when there’s an expert around, let her do most of the flying. I spent my time capturing some beautiful scenery while we were up there. I guess I was honing my skills at something I like doing more. Several rainbows and a gorgeous sunset were beckoning to be captured.

So thus ended another week in Kolkata.