Trip To Patuli Nursery (11/02/2015)

There are a number of nurseries in Baishnabghata Patuli Township. They are closely located to Dhalai Bridge, just before Shahid Khudiram Metro Station. They draw a considerable number of onlookers and customers on a daily basis. People who love flowers throng these places and look for their favorite choices. Starting from Patuli four-point crossing, these flower vending shops are scattered along both sides of the Eastern Metropolitan Bye-pass.

Types of flowers displayed in these nurseries

Flowers displayed here in these nurseries include but not limited to orchids, petunia, rose, sunflower, hibiscus, ornamental cabbage, nayantara (Catharanthus roseus), marigold, strawberry and so on. These plants are regularly watered and tended by a number of people who work for the owners of these nurseries. There are many nurseries across Kolkata but these nurseries are quite big in comparison to them, displaying a wide array of known and unknown flowers.

I went there along with my photography enthusiast friend Kunalda on 11th February, 2015 and clicked around 120 photos with my Canon EOS 1100D. The photo album link is given below. This might help those who are keen to buy flowers to decorate their balcony or lawn.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.921679677864391.1073741876.672990912733270&type=3

Trip To Kolkata Book Fair 2015

I am a bookworm and I don't miss the Kolkata Book Fair at any cost unless there is something extremely urgent in my work schedule. This year was no different. I went there along with my friend Kunalda on Fourth February.

About the Kolkata Book Fair

Kolkata Book Fair, also known as the International Kolkata Book Fair in English and কলকাতা বইমেলা বা কলকাতা পুস্তকমেলা in Bengali, is a fair which is held during the winter months in Kolkata. The fair is famous for a number of reasons, for example it is the book fair attracting highest number of visitors in the world and also the biggest book fair in Asia. Kolkata Book Fair has attained the position of the biggest non-commercial book fair in the world, as well. We Bengalis should feel proud to know that Kolkata Book Fair features the third largest yearly collection of books only next to the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair. We the residents of Kolkata regard this fair as an integral part of our cultural heritage. This fair opens up an opportunity for a multifaceted display of books, culture, and art under a single roof and is visited by around 2-2.5 million people every year. Previously, the venue was Kolkata Maidan. However, nowadays it is held at the Milan Mela ground, just opposite Science City Auditorium. The organizer of this fair is Book Sellers and Publishers Guild.

Kolkata Book Fair 2015   

Every year, there is a central theme for this fair and this year, the focal theme for the fair was Great Britain. This was the 39th edition of the fair (the first one being held in 1976) and it continued from 27 January to 8 February. Though I did not take my camera with me, some mobile clicks are available in the link given below.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.917100098322349.1073741875.672990912733270&type=3 

Puja Parikrama (Patuli and adjoining areas)

I live in Baishnabghata Patuli Township, which is a comparatively new area in the southern suburbs of the city. A number of Durga Pujas are held in my area some of which earn notable rewards and recognition in various criteria such as pandal decoration, idol, lighting and so on. So, in three consecutive years (2012, 2013, and 2014), I went out with my camera to capture some of the views of this popular festival.

I mostly covered Patuli Central Club, Baishnabghata Patuli Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Uttar Purba Baishnabghata Patuli Durgotsab, Kendua Shanti Sangha, Jatrashuru Sangha, Patuli Ghoshpara Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Rabindrapally Sarbojonin Durgotsab, and Chaitali Club. Going out during the festive season with your trusted camera is fun, especially when it comes to Durga Puja. The enthusiasm among people visiting pandals till the wee hours of the morning is noteworthy. I mostly used Sony Cybershot DSC-S3000 and Canon PowerShot SX500 IS to capture these shots.

Photo album links: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.844957318869961.1073741867.672990912733270&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/susmitbharadwaj/media_set?set=a.600673493322704.1073741828.100001401776652&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/susmitbharadwaj/media_set?set=a.436919276364794.101272.100001401776652&type=3

Trips To Victoria Memorial (1 and 2)

I went to Victoria Memorial, one of the most famous architectural landmarks in Kolkata, on two occasions. The first trip was a solo trip and on the second one, I was accompanied by Kaushikda, who is also a photography enthusiast like me. The first trip took place on February 8, 2014 and the latter on September 18, 2014.

A Brief History of Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial, also known as the Victoria Memorial Hall, is a museum situated on the Maidan, by the riverbanks of the Hooghly river. This Indo-Saracenic revivalist style architectural wonder was constructed by William Emerson, a famous British architect. The construction activities began in 1906 and completed in 1921. So, it took almost 15 years to finish the construction work of this architectural marvel. It was built to pay homage to Queen Victoria and recently has been transformed into a tourist draw and museum and is under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. David Prain and Lord Redesdale planned the lawns of this place and when you visit this, you will see a blend of Egyptian, Venetian, Islamic and Deccani pattern architecture in this masterpiece. The entire building was constructed with marble.

Location

The closest metro station is Maidan and the address is Queen's Way, Kolkata, WB, India. It is just within walking distance from the metro station and Jawaharlal Nehru Road. A number of BBD Bag< Howrah and Esplanade bound buses also ply near this area.

Things To See

The Angel of Victory, a statue, lies over the central dome of the memorial. In addition, there are other attractions like the Royal Gallery, the Calcutta Gallery, the National Leaders Gallery, central hall, the Portrait Gallery, the Arms and Armory Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, the lakes and the gardens. King Edward VII memorial arch is another aspect to be seen here and there are statues of governor generals such as Cornwallis, Hastings, Wellesley, Clive, Bentinck, Ripon, Curzon and Dalhousie.

Photo album links: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.719089784790049.1073741858.672990912733270&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.838911719474521.1073741866.672990912733270&type=3

Trip to Rabindra Sarobar on 21/07/2014

Rabindra Sarobar. also known as Dhakuria Lake, is a must visit among all the tourist draws in Kolkata My City. It is a man-made lake, situated in the southern part of the city. This huge water body is surrounded by Rashbehari Avenue to the west, Southern Avenue to the north, Suburban Kolkata railway tracks to the south, and Dhakuria to the east. Morning walk, jogging, picnic, sports, and offering prayers to the sun are some of the common activities noticed here.

A brief history of Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake)

This lake was created in the early 1920s by the Calcutta Improvement Trust (CIT). Formerly, it was known as Dhakuria Lake due to its proximity to the Dhakuria area. However, in 1958, the name was changed to Rabindra Sarovar to pay homage to the world famous Bengali author and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Gardens, children's parks, and an auditorium (Nazrul Mancha) are some prime features of this area. People mostly visit the place for recreation. There are a range of migratory birds that visit this place during the winter months. However, the count is falling most probably due to the increasing extent of pollution. Fishing is stringently banned in this lake and the water body contains different types of fishes.

Landmarks

The landmarks in and around Rabindra Sarobar lake are Mukta Mancha, the sole Japanese Buddhist Temple of Kolkata, Rabindra Sarobar Stadium (a football stadium), a mosque, and a number of swimming and rowing clubs, namely Calcutta Sports, Anderson, and Lake Friends. The lake lies within walking distance from the Ramakrishna Mission, Golpark. It can be easily reached from both Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station and Tollygunge Railway Station.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.808250155874011.1073741862.672990912733270&type=3

Trip to Purbasthali (Chupi Char) on January 30, 2014

Purbasthali is a tiny village lying in the Kalna subdivision of Burdwan district. The distance from Sealdah is almost 125 km. The most convenient means of going to Purbasthali is boarding the Sealdah-Katwa local. It will take around three and half hours to reach there. Purbasthali is mostly famous for its oxbow lake, also known as Chupi Char. The oxbow lake is huge in size and was the creation of the Ganges river. The distance from the famous pilgrimage site of Nabadwip is just eight kilometers. The length of the lake is around 2-3 km and is home to a range of migratory birds, especially in the winters.

My companions in this tour were Bimalendu whom I met in CKBS and his friend Soumyadip. We boarded the Sealdah Katwa local from Bidhannagar Road station at around 8 am in the morning and reached Purbasthali at around 11 am. Auto rickshaws and vans are available at the station for visiting the oxbow lake, a prime attraction during the winter months. Boats and canoes are available on hire for touring the lake because one cannot get a close view of the migrant birds if they don't go for a boat ride on this lake. The rates differ depending on the time for which you are hiring a boat. We had the opportunity to view a number of birds coming from as far as Siberia. Asian Openbill Stork, Bronzed Drongo, Common Sandpiper, Little-ringed Plover, Red-crested Pochard, Common Greenshank, Common Teals, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Little Cormorant, Northern Pintails, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, and Small Pratincole are some of the commonly found bird species in this place.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.714551041910590.1073741855.672990912733270&type=3

Trip to Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary (Narendrapur) on January 21, 2014

There are a number of bird and wildlife sanctuaries in West Bengal and Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary, also known as CKBS, is one of them. Closely located to Ramkrishna Mission Narendrapur, the sanctuary is also called as Kayaler Bagan. Visitors come here to see a wide assortment of birds which is often a rare spectacle in the city or metropolitan areas. Those who want to visit this bird sanctuary can avail the metro rail and get down at Kavi Nazrul metro station. Plenty of buses and auto rickshaws are available from this place to CKBS. The nearest railhead is Narendrapur, 15 km from Sealdah.

My visit to Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary is also memorable for another reason. This was the occasion when I met another photography enthusiast Bimalendu Hazra, a medical student from the Midnapur district. Though he was much younger to me, I mingled with him quite easily and clicked a number of shots together.

CKBS is mostly known for its collection of avifauna, ferns, orchids and butterflies. It was set up in the year 1982 and has emerged as a popular destination for birdwatching. The place usually remains crowded during the weekends. The name of this reserve forest was changed from Narendrapur Wildlife Sanctuary to Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary in order to pay homage to the well-known sculptor Chintamoni Kar. If you visit there, you will mostly see birds like Asian Koel, Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Scaly-breasted Munia, Jungle Babbler, Long-tailed Nightjar, Green Bee-eater, Kingfisher (both White-throated and Stork-billed), Dove (Common Emerald and Spotted) and Woodpecker (Rufous and Streak-throated).

The link to some more photos is given here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.709378279094533.1073741853.672990912733270&type=3