Stained Glass in Kolkata churches

The art of "stained gass" in which molten glass is stained in small batches with mineral colours and is later assembled into large pictorial windows, was imported from Europe into India in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and especially into Kolkata, which at that time was the centre of the British administration.

This picure is of the stained glass to the right of the alter at the St. John's Church on Council House Street near BBD Bag in Kolkata.

The stained glass window at St. Thomas' Church on Middleton Row close to Park Street in Kolkata, is quite large and colourful.

Karla - An unfrequented Buddhist site

While tourists throng to places like Sarnath and Sanchi to visit places noted in history and lore of Buddhism, Karla, which just about forty kilometres from Pune in Maharashtra, just off the main Pune-Mumbai highway, is far less frequented. And yet Karla boasts of a history dating back to the 2nd century BCE, when Buddhism was fast spreading into peninsular India. Of course, the approach to Karla is over a fairly long stone stairway and "senior citizens" will need to take this carefully.

The picture above shows the front facade of the Karla cave with its distinctive architecture and entrance-way.

The "chaitya" hall, or where the Buddhist monks once assembled for prayers more than two thousand years ago, is fairly large and is marked by a stupa to designate the impression of the Buddha, while overhead the roof is sculpted in imitation of the wooden rafters that were used even earlier for such prayer halls. Along the two sides are pillars with capitals similar to those in Ajanta and other Buddhist sites, and marks the places where monks used to sit for the prayers.

Discovering Calcutta - A book now in Bengali

 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.

 

Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajasthan

 Kumbhalgarh is located about 80 kms. from Udaipur town and boasts a grand fort that is said to have been constructed in the reign of Rana Kumbha of Mewar in the 15th century. Architecture of the Kumbhalgarh Fort is quite unique in that the outwardly bulging walls made it difficult for any invaders to approach closely. The name of Rana Kumbha is associated with several heroic deeds in the history of Rajasthan. It was here that Rana Pratap is said to have been born. The inner buildings are approached a number of high gates such as Bhairon Pol and Vijay Pol. The fort encompasses a number of temples such as the Neelkantha Mahadeo and the Parshvanath temples. 

The length of the fortress walls runs for 26 kms. thus making it the second longest protective wall after the Great Wall of China. The width of the wall is also remarkable being about 5 mtres wide.  It is certainly a grand spectacle.

Jaisalmer in Rajasthan

 As most people know, Jaisalmer is situated in Rajasthan right on the western border of India. It is well-known for its fort and the desert scenery nearby. It is connected by air and rail from the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. 

 

The Jaisalmer fort is truly magnificent and towers over the city. The golden-yellow sandstone with which it has built given a spcial glow in the early or late sun-light. 

Inside it is equally impressive with beautifully designed pavilions and intricate carvings.

But it is the evening out in the desert together with a camel ride over the sand dunes that is most attractive to tourist.

West Bengal - Terracotta temples

Terracotta,  or unglazed fired clay products, is an ancient art form in India. It seems to have developed as an extension of pottery-making, which is possibly the oldest craft practised by mankind after the making of stone tools. 

It was of course much later, possibly around 700 or 800 CE, when temples began to be built in India that ways had be found to decorate the temples with sculptures, and it was mostly in stone in those days. Sophistication in temple architecture progressed with time and finer and more elaborate carvings began to be made by the 15/16^th centuries. 

Yet finer designs and in less time and less effort came with the development of terracotta tiles to decorate temples with. Necessarily, terracotta generally flourished where stone for temple building was scare and clays were abundant, as found in the numerous river basins, such as the Kangsabati, the Damodar, Ajoy, Rupnarain rivers and of course the Ganga (Hooghly) in West Bengal. It was of course to some extent deliberate because of the ease and the sophistication of designs that could be made in clay relative to that in stone.  This found a great flowering in the late 17^th, through the 18^th and into early 19^th century. A good part of this now has become part of Bangladesh but a great deal remains in West Bengal to be enjoyed in towns such as Bishnupur, Kalna, Ilambazar, Guptipara and elsewhere in the Bankura and Midnapur districts of the state. These sites are quite easily accessible from Kolkata by journeys of just three to five hours by bus, vehicle or train.

The "Jor-Bangla" temple in Bishnupur

"Raghunath" temple in Ilambazar

A hunting scene on Jor Bangla

A detail with Shri Krishna in Shyam Rai temple, Bishnupur

  

As the above illustrations indicate, the motifs for the sculptures in the terracotta are diverse, ranging from the secular, such as wars and royal hunts, to the common devotional theme of Shri Krishna with the gopinis in Vrindavan. Tile after terracotta tile is placed on the basic superstructure of the temple, made here mostly of laterite blocks, to create a wonderful piece of art. 

Barrackpore - once a colonial outpost

Much has been lost in Kolkata (till 2000 known much more widely as Calcutta, the first capital of British India) over the last one hundred years or so; but much still remains. Thanks to the personal interest taken by Shri Somen Mitra, Additional Director General of Police (West Bengal Police), the Governors' House in Barrackpore near Kolkata has received a new lease of life. Slowly, the classical architecture with the Doric facade is emerging out of the dust and shadows of years of neglect.

Barrackpore can be easily reached by a short drive of less than an hour from Kolkata along the Barrackpore Trunk Road, turning left at Chiria More, or four-way crossing, towards the Barrackpore Cantonment; the main sites are to the left shortly beyond the small Lady Hardinge Bridge. One may go in a shorter time of about half an hour from Sealdah Railway station by suburban train up to Barrackpore; but such trains tend to be quite crowded.
The history of the governor's house at Barrackpore goes back to the life and  times of Lord Wellesley, governor-general at the Fort William in Calcutta in 1798. Since then it has served as the country residence of successive Governors-general and Viceroys of India under the British colonial rule, till India achieved Independence in 1947.

 

It was in the adjoining military cantonment at Barrackpore, that Mangal Pandey, a sepoy in the Native Infantry, lit the lamp of revolt against the British military establishment, that saw its rise into the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 (also known as India's first War of Independence) against British misrule in India. 

Barrackpore is a short journey by local suburban train (best over a week-end) or by car from Kolkata. After passing "Lat Bagan" (literally, the governor's garden) at Barrackpore,  one would have get permission from the local Directorate of Police Training and proceed to the Lady Hardinge Bridge a short distance from the "White Tiger Statue". The small museum in the basement of the Governor's House is a "must see" for local history - indeed for modern Indian history.

  

Kolkata - a city that grows on you

Tucked away in the far south-eastern corner of the Gangetic plains, about 1400 kms away from the bustling capital city of Delhi, Kolkata ( earlier known as Calcutta - once the second city of the British Empire) had not been given much attention earlier by tourists. It is overlooked that Calcutta was the administrative centre of British India during the days of the East India Company from about 1695 and later, from 1858, the seat of the British colonial administration in India. It was, in fact, capital of British India upto 1912, when this was shifted to Delhi. 

Now it is coming increasingly into its own. Teeming with people of all colours and creeds, with notable historical sites, a major centre for art and culture, cuisine of all sorts at affordable prices, many places to "chill-out" with friends, Kolkata seems to grow on you.

                                            The Calcutta Collectorate

Walking through the streets of Kolkata there are so many sights and sounds that one can experience: there is the Flower Market on way to the Howrah railway station, church bells on a Sunday morning, or chanting of prayers at a temple, or a horse carriage ride near the Victoria Memorial. The archtecture in the city is varied, from a ixture of Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque during the British adminitsration, to the Indo-Saracenic, to "ath-chala" of native Bengal; a few of these are illustrated on this page.

                                            Victoria Memorial

                                                        The Flower market

                                                        St John's Chirch

There is so much to see and do, so many interesting art galleries and museums, theatres (though mainly of Bengali plays). There are many books on the history and architecture of Calcutta, and the work "10 Walks in Calcutta" is a useful read, appreciated by Lonely Planet and Frommers. This book guides the visitor through easy walks to discover the city. For those who can read Bengali, one can leaf through the "Paye Paye Kolkata" recently published by Ananda Publishers, that should give a visitor a good introduction to the city.