There are many books on Calcutta in both English and Bengali. Some deal mostly with the history, some are about a few of the well-known families of the city, some are on the Bengali cuisine, etc.
There is now - thanks to Ananda Publishers - a book that takes the reader around in easy-paced walks to discover the city for oneself.
This book, "Paye Paye Kolkata" (or, Walks in Calcutta) guides the reader along the main routes to see the city more fully, in its history, architecture, something of its social history, the eateries, and so many things. There are sections on old maps of Calcutta, the well-known sweet-meat shops, old paintings and lithographs, and so on. The book is available at most retail outlets, or from the office of Messrs. Ananda Publishers.
I have read & used the English version of the book. It's a treasure! In fact, it was my go-to gift for any out-of-town visitors to Kolkata, till it went out of print. I don't know whether it's available again?
ReplyDeleteRoshmi Raychaudhuri
Sorry I missed your comment. There is a proposal to re-print the "10 Walks In Calcutta" book with necessary revisions and with some enlarging. But the Covid, as with many other things, has pushed this into the back-burner for now. Let us hope that things pick up later this year.
DeleteMeantime one may have to make do with the Bengali translation.