Oh Kolkata!

I decided to make good use of the holiday I got for Lakshmi Puja and drove around town clicking pictures of Kolkata. I started by heading out to New Town, Rajarhat and as you can see; it is a reflection of what modern Kolkata is going to be. I had to drive on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to get there. The bypass was initially made as a less congested way to get to Dum Dum Airport skirting the eastern fringes of the city through the wetlands. A lot of the wetlands have now been reclaimed due to Dumping of Garbage and today this area is the centre of Real Estate Development. Real Estate giants like DLF, MGF Emaar and Unitech are making a beeline for the cities burgeoning real estate super growth. In the pictures you’ll see both sides of the bypass have water bodies which are now protected by a court order.

After New Town, I headed to one of my favourite places, The Strand Road along the Banks of the River Hooghly that runs between Vidyasagar Setu (New Hooghly Bridge) and Rabindra Setu (the Original Howrah Bridge). The Princep Ghat with the Vidyasagar Setu towering over it in the background is always a picturesque sight. And the Howrah Bridge in the distance is an awesome piece of engineering.

The Lung of Kolkata, The Maidan is a paradise for young boys as a cricket ground, families come there for their weekly outings giving kids the opportunity for some horse riding and fresh air, not to mention the vast assortment of pav bhaji, puchka, bhel puri, papri chat, masala cola, etc.

The Kolkata skyline is impressive and so is the Victoria Memorial peeping out from over the line of trees.

Finally not to forget that my red Swift that gets me around to all these wonderful sights. The car has been doing me good service with a mileage of over 10 kmpl ever since I got it. Ofcourse the sad part is the innumerable scratches and nicks it has accumulated on the streets of Kolkata.