I was tired of my hectic schedule and of course of all the sour food in Chennai. I have grown up in North India and meals there are a grand feast every day. Moreover, I couldn’t understand a single word the locales speak. So, when one of my friend asked me to visit Kolkata, I was more than glad and accepted the offer. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal and is believed to be the 13^th most populous place in the entire world.

I visited Kolkata during Christmas and my friend managed to take a few days leave from her work and was generous enough to offer me to show around the place. I had taken a short detour to Delhi to visit my family and then hopped on a train for Kolkata. The taxi ride to the homestay that we had arranged for our stay through the majestic Howrah Bridge made us feel so welcome. After having an early lunch at the homestay which comprised of authentic Bengali delicacies, we hopped on to a bus and got down at Eden Gardens. Though we couldn’t see much from outside, seeing the legendary stadium made us feel happy. We enjoyed a boat ride at the Princep Ghat and it was a beautiful experience. I must say that the Vivekananda Bridge looks amazing from Princep Ghat. The view of the sunset from here was completely mesmerizing. We got back to our homestay and our extremely friendly hosts had our dinner ready. And not to mention, it was as amazingly delicious and had us wanting for more though we were full to the brim.

Early next morning, we went to Tiretti Bazaar and we gorged on Tibetan food. I was stupefied hearing that this is a daily affair in Kolkata. Next, we went to the St. Paul’s Cathedral since it was the Christmas day and even though it was a little crowded, I felt at peace. About a 10 minutes away from the church, we went to the famous Victoria Memorial. The beauty of the splendid white monument is beyond words to explain. Next, we went to the India Hobby Centre. They had all those miniature vehicles which I really loved. Our hosts had mentioned about an eatery in Park Street that served the most delicious biriyani. And we found ourselves seated at the restaurant and truly the biriyani was not only different but it was exotic.

Next on our list was the Indian Museum. It is the largest museum of India and is of great historical importance. We spent the rest of the evening roaming in the streets of Park Street. Tiny twinkle lights hung across the streets and it was a sight to behold. Hundreds of people had gather around the street to join in the festivities. The happiness of the people is so infectious and contagious.

The next day we went to Belur Math and we crossed the Ganges by a steam boat and reached Dakkhneshwar. The whole journey was very enjoyable.

Our amazing trip was made even better with the finger licking Bengali cuisine and the happy atmosphere. The other biggest reason why Kolkata is believed to be the ‘City of Joy’ is probably the warmth of the people that makes you feel at home.