Hey!! My Name is Kanishk. Recently I had the fortune of visiting Kolkata -the city of joy. Unplanned adventures give the best memories, my trip to Kolkata was totally out of the blue. I was supposed to be attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit,2023 at IIT Kharagpur. Suddenly, it struck me to check the detour I would have to take to reach Kolkata where my school friend Soumyadeep had recently shifted. I checked the distance between Kolkata and Kharagpur, and it was meagerly 2 hours by train. So, I booked a seat on the earliest possible train I could find on the day after the last day of the summit. The train ride I took to Kolkata from Kharagpur was really amazing. It was my first time traveling on a non-AC train and I observed how the culture and people's lifestyles in West Bengal were so different from what we see in North India, and yet how similar it is to it on various levels.
I reached the chaotic station of Howrah and decided to make my trip even more exciting by taking a Bike Taxi to my friend's home in Jadavpur. The bike ride although a little uncomfortable with luggage in my hand gave me an exclusive tour of the roads of Kolkata. I spotted the classic yellow Kolkata Taxis on the roads which tingled the tourist in me to capture it.
I spend the day with Soumyadeep exploring some of the most renowned tourist spots in Kolkata- the Victoria Memorial and Park Street. Victoria Memorial was built during the British Raj to be dedicated to Queen Victoria. The beauty of the architecture took my breath away. It also had several beautifully maintained gardens and lakes where families and friends had come to spend the day together. The entry ticket for the Victoria Memorial was only 20 Rupees per person.
After an amazing day out at Victoria and toothsome biryani at Arsalan, we proceeded to park street where we explored the local market and grabbed coffee at this really cute place right around the corner called TRINCAS at park street.
We came back home and were welcomed by a traditional Bengali Dinner comprised of Fish, Rice and the delicious sweet of Roshogulla at the end. I had heard about the famous Roshogulla of Bengal but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how tasty it actually was.
The next day I spent some wholesome time with my buddy-we danced,talked,laughed and just enjoyed each other's company.Soumyadeep's mom even took me to the nearby local market in the afternoon where I bought the traditional White and Red combination Bengali saree for my mom, sister and grandmother.
In the evening after spending after almost 2, very wholesome days at Kolkata with my beloved brother, I packed my bags and took my train to Delhi from Howrah.
An amazing ending to an amazing trip!!
When I was making my ticket reservations back from Kharagpur detour to Kolkata seemed like a drainage of much energy and resources, but I am so glad I mustered up the strength and will to visit Soumyadeep because my trip wouldn't have been as amazing and thrilling as it was if it wasn't for my Kolkata trip.
I'll be back with my next exciting travel vey soon!!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Kanishk Kadyan