Worship of the Almighty as Divine Mother is an age-old tradition in India and a refined part of Indian culture. It has been in existence since prehistoric times, but geographically it is limited to Asian countries in general and India in particular, in the current century. The history of ancient civilizations of Indus, Greece, Rome, Babylon and Egypt bears evidences to the worship of Divine Mother in different forms – nature, art, learning, culture and enlightenment. But Mother Worship has evolved from a tradition into a living religion for Indians. In Bengal, it has reached the highest level of devotion and faith in feminine manifestation of the Divine.   

Kumari Puja at Belur Math in West Bengal, India

In Bengal, Durga Puja or worship of Goddess Durga, an incarnation of Shakti, is the most pious and popular form of Mother Worship. In the Bengali community, the elderly people address young girls as Ma out of affection. “To look upon God as Mother is the purest and the highest form of Sadhana,” said Sri Ramakrishna, who is believed to have worshiped his wife as Divine Mother. Mother is all-in-all for a child.

Kumari Puja, a special attraction of Durga Puja festival in Bengal, is held to celebrate this faith through ceremonious worship of young girls in sense of Divine Mother. Kumari Puja is called Kanya Pujan in North India. Bengal celebrates it on Maha Ashtami, the eighth day of Durga Puja, while it is held on the ninth day or the last day of Navaratri in other states of India. The place to be for Kumari Puja in Bengal is Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission ashrams across the globe.

Kumari Puja is held wherever Ramakrishna Math & Mission is in the world. But, it is a cultural refinement, grand ceremony and spectacular ritual at Belur Math on the Hooghly River flowing between Howrah and Kolkata. Swami Vivekananda, the founder of Belur Math, had initiated Kumari Puja in appreciation of Sri Ramakrishna’s devotion to Divine Mother and faith in Mother Worship.

The saffron-clad monks of the Ramakrishna Order at Belur Math look upon a young girl as mother and worship her as a goddess, on Maha Ashtami. According to Sri Ramakrishna, little girls at the tender age when they are away from negative forces of the materialistic world are manifestations of the Divine Mother. A little girl at the pre-puberty phase of her growth is bathed in the holy Ganga water, dressed in a crimson red or fiery yellow sari with golden border, and adorned with jewelry.

Also Check: What Makes Durga Puja Grand Celebration for Global Bengalis

The same rituals are performed to worship the Kumari (young unmarried girl) and the same offerings are made to her as those during the worship of Goddess Durga. She is purified and sanctified through chanting of holy mantras. A spectacular arati is performed. Monks and devotees offer flowers at her obedience. The devoted hearts invoke her blessings through prayers. Kumari Puja at Belur Math fetches in a huge gathering of devotees, every year. Even, the whole ceremony is live telecast all over West Bengal.

To say in other words, Kumari Puja at Belur Math is a sacred celebration of the celestial bonding between the Divine and the human. Needless to say, the Kumari Puja ceremony is worth booking last-minute flights to Kolkata during the Durga Puja festival.

About Travel Beats

Travel Beats is an Indian Diaspora news portal by Indian Eagle, a leading travel organization for overseas Indians having a proven record of booking last minute flights to India. We at Travel Beats connect Indians abroad, including Indian Americans with their cultural heritage roots through our stories and features. 

Interesting Stories of Kolkata

• Kolkata’s Hand-pulled Rickshaws, a British Heritage
• Kolkata as Black & White Calcutta in the 1960s
• Kolkata Street Food Guide for First-time Visitors
• Eventful Journey of Kolkata Tram from 1867

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What are the best things to do in Kolkata this Durga Puja? Hopping across puja pandals, zipping through jostling crowds at puja spots, watching a Bengali art film, riding the underground Metro, visiting the Victoria Memorial, shopping at New Market, and having the quintessential Kolkata street food experience. If you go by a Kolkata street food guide for tips on what to eat on the roadside, you will feel like being spoilt for choice over a huge number of street food items in Kolkata.

So, we recommend five best street food items which you must have in the City of Joy. Notably, ‘Kolkata is the best destination for street food,’ according to a survey that the Taste of Travel conducted among 56727 respondents across 30 street food markets in India this year. 

It is jhal muri that is unique to the Kolkata street food experience for anyone and at any time of the year. One of the most popular evening snacks, it is a great mouth entertainer, both in and out of home. The locals are seen entertaining themselves over this crispy and spicy item, here and there in the city. Vendors are found selling jhal muri at public places including parks, gardens, cinema halls, markets, bus stops and railway platforms. It is made of puffed rice, fried lentils, and other crunchy ingredients mixed with drops of mustard oil, spices, chopped tomatoes and onion slices. You will see young boys and girls standing in long queues outside the puja pandals and spending time over jhal muri during Durga Puja.

Another evening special tongue-teasing item is pani puri that deserves to be among the top ten on a Kolkata street food guide for its popularity with the locals. This iconic Indian street food snack is known as puchka all over  the city. It is a tamarind mixed watery item with spiced potato mash in round chip. The mouthful relish of puchkas outside the Victoria Memorial, a brand icon of Kolkata City, is a craze with tourists. In the Bollywood movie Parineeta, a sequence featuring Vidya Balan, Sanjay Dutt and Raima Sen eating puchkas from a roadside vendor was shot at the Victoria Memorial. It is a must have on the festive evenings of Durga Puja.

India boasts a rich and diverse chaat culture – a common culinary thread in the multi-layered social fabric of the country. Mumbai, Delhi and other metro cities have papri chat, kachori chat, and alu chat in common, while Kolkata enjoys uniqueness for its distinct roadside chaat item – ghugni chaat. It is made from boiled yellow peas mixed with onion and tomato slices, seasoned with lime juice and spices, and served in small leaf bowls. Taste a few spoons of ghugni chaat to feel one with the street food culture of Kolkata. Bengalis are in the habit of taking ghugni chaat with slices of bread.

Kolkata street food retains the distinction of being unique to the culinary essence of the city, and harmonizes with the influences of other countries at the same time. It is chowmein that best reflects this dual identity of Kolkata street food culture. Made by frying boiled chow noodles with mix veggies in oil, chowmein is a borrowing from the Chinese cuisine. The main ingredient may be Chinese, but the smokey, spicy flavor is Kolkatan to the core. Bengalis are fond of egg and chicken chowmein, while veg chowmein is popular with the people in other parts of the country.

Do ask Kolkattans what they like to eat when they go out for shopping or watching a movie? Most of them will say for sure that it is spring roll stuffed with an omelet or chopped chicken or small mutton pieces. The mouthwatering bites of egg rolls, chicken rolls and mutton rolls define the pleasure of evening outings for the locals. Even the Bengalis born and bred in a cosmopolitan society prefer this street food to burgers. Kolkata will not disappoint you if you are veg. Paneer spring roll is also available there. However, rolls are served smoking hot with sauce and wrapped in a thin piece of paper.

Kachuri, moglai, momo, fish fry, chicken cutlet, and alu chop are the other must-try tongue teasers on the list. These items not only define the uniqueness of Kolkata street food culture but also reason why the city is called a city of foodies.

Travel Beats is a community portal by Indian Eagle, a leading travel organization for Indian Diaspora and booking cheap flights to Kolkata from USA. Travel Beats publishes interesting stories from India and USA. Subscribe to our free newsletter and don’t miss the latest updates.

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Durga Puja, the grandest and most spectacular festival of India, is in full swing now.  This festivity is so divine, joyous and fabulous that it never ceases to keep us waiting eagerly for the arrival of the Goddess. Every year, we cover the Durga Puja celebration on Travel Beats in different ways. We have come up with an article on the age-old rituals of Durga Puja to keep some requests from the Indian community in USA so that they can share it with their American friends.     

Dhaak

With the image of dhaak, the face of Goddess Durga surfaces to the mind. A most identifiable icon of the Durga Puja festivity, dhaaks are beaten during the worship of the Goddess, dhunuchi naach, aarti in the mornings and evenings from the beginning to the end of the festival. The beating of dhaak defines the ambience, dominates the mood and fills the air on the festive days.

Dhunuchi Naach

Dhunuchi Naach is an attraction of the Durga Puja celebration on festive evenings. In the Bengali community, boys, girls, men and women perform this traditional dance holding earthen lamps full of burning coconut shell with both hands and facing the Goddess. The rhythmic moves of their dancing feet are accompanied by the beats of dhaaks. The excitement soars and crowd cheers with the fast beating of dhaaks during the performance. It is a most entertaining and crowd-pulling part of the Durga Puja event in Kolkata, the rest of Bengal and other states of India. Women wear dhakai, taant and jamdani saris with golden work in the typical Bengali dressing style, and men wear embroidered kurtas of different colors in combination with white dhotis for this occasion.

READ ALSO Folk Culture of Bengal

Pushpanjali

Source: Flickr.com

A ritualistic part of the Durga Puja celebration, Pushpanjali refers to the offering of flowers with devotion to the holy feet of the Goddess. Each day of the festival starts with this ritual in the morning when Bengalis wearing new traditional clothes utter holy mantras and offer the Pushpanjali. However, the Pushpanjali on Maha Ashtami has lots of significance. Almost everyone fasts till this ritual is performed. Once it is over, the devotees are given prasad.

Kumari Puja

Kumari Puja on Maha Ashtami, the 8th day of the festival, is one of the traditional ceremonies interwoven with the way Durga Puja is celebrated in Bengal. A five or six year old girl child is worshipped as a human incarnation of the Goddess. Worshipping of the girl child or kumari with lamps, incense sticks, flowers and other holy essentials is worth watching every year. She is offered sweets too. The people present on the puja spot offer their devotion to the tender feet of the child and receive her blessings. However, the Kumari Puja initiated by Swami Vivekananda at Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, is a grand spectacle.

READ ALSO Significance of Kumari Puja at Belur Math

Sandhi Puja

The most spectacular part of Durga Puja celebration, Sandhi Puja is performed at the moment when Maha Ashtami ends and Maha Navami begins. This ritualistic ceremony holds special significance because it is believed that the Goddess kills the buffalo demon at this time. Sandhi Puja marks triumph of the good and defeat of the evil. Worshipping of the Goddess in this part of the festivity requires a grand arrangement that entails 108 lotus flowers, 108 lamps, platefuls of sweets, a large pot full of rice grains, clothes, hibiscus garlands, wood apple leaves, vermillion, etc. The Sandhi Puja aarti is the most wonderful spectacle to behold with devotion.

Sindur Khela

The color of vermillion eclipses the glow of other colors on Dashami, the 10th day of Durga Puja, when married women of the Bengali community indulge in sindur khela. It is an age-old customary ritual for them to exchange good wishes and festive greetings by smearing each other’s face with vermillion. The married Bengali women of all age-groups including the newly wed and the old, deck themselves in white saris with deep red border, and gold ornaments for this occasion as you might have seen in the climax of Bollywood movie Kahani starring Vidya Balan. They offer flowers with vermilion to the obedience of Maa Durga before bidding adieu to the Goddess.

Immersion

Immersion of the idols of the Goddess and her family members – Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik – is the culminating ceremony of the Durga Puja festival that leaves Bengalis with tears in the eyes. Bengalis across the country tearfully bid adieu to the Divine Mother on Maha Dashami, the 10th or last day of the festival. The immersion is preceded by spectacular processions in which traditionally dressed men and women dance in rhythm with the beats of dhaak, all the way to the river bank. Hundreds of devotees join the procession and catch the last glimpse of the Goddess during immersion.

Travel Beats is an Indian Diaspora portal by Indian Eagle, a leading travel organization for overseas Indians having a proven record of booking cheapest air tickets to India. We at Travel Beats connect Indians abroad, including Indian Americans with their cultural heritage roots through our stories and features.   

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Kolkata will become a world-class city once India’s first underwater metro train starts plying under the River Hooghly. The two tunnels of the upcoming metro train under the Hooghly River connecting the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah are part of the INR 9000-crore East West Metro project, including a 10.8km underground route and a 5.8km elevated corridor. The construction of Kolkata’s underwater metro train tunnels started recently and will be finished by the end of July 2017.

The underwater metro train in Kolkata is one of the country’s travel wonders, including the fastest Delhi-Agra Gatimaan Express, the Delhi-Lucknow Double Decker, the Delhi-Assam wildlife adventure train, the Delhi-Varanasi Bullet corridor, the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet train, Delhi IGI Airport’s air train, and India’s first Vistadome coach train.

Kolkata’s underwater metro train will be running 13 meters below the riverbed of the Ganges and 30 meters below the surface of the earth. About 520 meters long, the two parallel tunnels will be located on either side of the Hooghly River between Kolkata and Howrah. The 16.6-km long East West Metro route will have 12 stations: six in the elevated corridor and six in the underground corridor.

About 250 people have been employed for digging the under-river metro train tunnels. The construction is in full swing 24 hours a day. The tunnels will be sealed with a thick concrete layer to avert disasters like collapsing of earth, soil erosion, and water seepage, which are major concerns about the underwater metro train in Kolkata.

Possible damage to three heritage buildings located in close proximity to the East West Metro route is another gnawing concern with the tunneling of the underwater metro train in Kolkata. These heritage buildings among the protected monuments of Kolkata, include the Currency Building, an Italian structure dating back to the 1830s during Lord William Bentinck was the Governor General of British India. The Currency Building was home to the Reserve Bank of India in the then Calcutta until 1937.

The other two heritage sites on the verge of damage are Beth-El and Maghen David Jewish synagogues. In addition, the Howrah District Library already got some cracks which resulted from the digging of Kolkata’s underwater metro train tunnels by a mammoth Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). The Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Limited is trying hard to address or mitigate these concerns which are in fact difficult to deal with in a densely populated metropolis like Kolkata.

One of the tunnels for the underwater metro train in Kolkata will be built by May end or in the first week of June 2017. The construction of the other tunnel will be over by July end this year. Once one tunnel is built, the other will be dug. Two tunnel boring machines can’t work at the same time given the nature of the soil under the riverbed of the Ganges.

The upcoming underwater metro train in Kolkata is one of the things the City of Joy has in common with London. A replica of London’s Big Ben has already become a landmark in Kolkata.

Travel Beats is a leading overseas Indian community portal by Indian Eagle Travel, a leading international air travel booking organization making confirmed reservation on cheapest flights to Kolkata. Travel Beats publishes the latest travel, tourism, visa, immigration and Indian community news.

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In some of our stories of Kolkata, we are eloquent about the street food culture, traditional Bengali cuisine and Durga puja festival of the city. There are many things to talk and write about beyond the cultural aspects of the 21st century Kolkata as the city has experienced highs and lows since its foundation in the year 1690. One of the major transformations that the capital of Bengal has undergone is that of its identity from Calcutta to Kolkata.

The post-independence picture of Calcutta may be a mystery and a matter of curiosity, at the same time, to many of the present generation. Travel Beats, an overseas Indian community portal, has woven a brief story of Calcutta in the 1960s.

The nightlife culture of Calcutta in the 1960s was an integral part of the sophisticated lifestyle of the elite and the rich. Park Street was the most happening place to spend out nights partying till wee hours. Cultured men and women from the upper reaches of society used to sweep down Park Street in their swanky cars and dance to the music of live bands at Blue Fox, Mocambo, Moulin Rouge and other restaurants of those times. Guests on a visit to Calcutta from Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Manila were treated to the musical beats, fairy lights, and winey flavors of Park Street in the dead of night, in the 1960s.

Calcutta in the 1960s was a city of political upheavals, mass agitation, labor strikes and student unions’ protests. The turbulent being of the city served as the base of the Left’s rise in West Bengal. Deindustrialization of the state began to take place in the 1960s leaving the next generations high and dry. The Naxalite movement, led by the fuming youth of Calcutta in the 1960s, triggered the political agitation. A massive flow of starved, penniless refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the onset of the Liberation War of 1971 added to Calcutta’s socio-political stagnation.

In the 1960s, Calcutta was a city of middle-class intellectuals. The professionals including doctors, professors, lawyers, filmmakers, engineers, managers and artists belonged to this class of the then Bengali society. The British had created this intellectual class to support and expand their trade when Calcutta was the capital of India. The 21st century Kolkata takes pride in the achievements of the middle-class intellectuals, including legendary filmmakers, actors and writers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Uttam Kumar, Utpal Dutta, Suchitra Sen, Soumitra Chatterjee, Bikas Roy and others.

The Hooghly riverfront of Calcutta was a thriving industrial belt till the mid of the 1960s. Howrah was the throbbing center of industrialization in the northeast before and after independence. Calcutta was the second best port city, next to Singapore, in Asia. The then industrial recognition of Calcutta as one of the global leaders was based on the production and export of jute and tea. The Ranigang-Asansol-Durgapur belt with coal mines and manufacturing plants was known as the Ruhr of India.

The public transport lifeline of Calcutta in the 1960s consisted of hand-pulled rickshaws, double-decker buses, and trams. The present Kolkata has not parted with handcarts and trams yet, though double-decker buses are no more seen plying the busy streets.

The picture of Calcutta in the 1960s is too big to be framed in an article of a few hundred words. Why not travel to India to explore the difference between Calcutta of the 1960s and the 21^st century Kolkata? Indian Eagle books the cheapest flights to Kolkata International Airport throughout the year. 

Disclaimer: The tidbits of information for this story of Calcutta in the 1960s are collected from different sources on the web. We do not guarantee the authenticity of the information.     

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Among the wandering monks of India, Swami Vivekananda is the first name that comes to the mind. The five years of his life on earth, from 1888 to 1893 was full of travels in search of truth, spirituality and a real India. He traveled as a Parivrajaka along the length and breadth of the country. He won the admiration of kings, felt for the suffering people, motivated the youth for a greater cause, studied many religious scriptures, visited many historic sites, gained knowledge, and visualized the future of India during his itinerary, which made a precious treasure of enlightenment for us. On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday (January 12), we at Travel Beats, an overseas Indian community portal by Indian Eagle, offer a sneak peek into his historic and spiritual travels.

Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in India, was the first destination on his itinerary. In Varanasi, he came across the saints like Trailanga Swami, the authors like Bhudev Mukhopadhyay, and the Vedic scholars like Babu Pramadadas Mitra. From there, he made his way to Rishikesh through Ayodhya, Lucknow, Agra and Vrindavan. He interacted with and took favor from whoever came his way without caring their castes and creeds because he believed in non-duality of the soul. Some of those who were touched by his noble soul became his disciples and got initiated into service to the nation. Among them was Sharat Chandra Gupta, a railway station master in Haridwar, who came to be known as Swami Sadananda. Swamiji fondly called Sharat “the child of my spirit”.

Then, Swamiji spent days at Vaidyanath and Allahabad during his itinerary between 1889 and 1890. From Allahabad, he moved to Ghazipur where he got in touch with Pavhari Bana, a great sage. Pavhari Baba was known for his absolute knowledge of Advaita Vedanta. On meeting the sage, he felt blessed and referred to him as a great soul of bhakti and yoga in a letter to Pramadababu. In the first half of 1890, he took a break for the travel and returned to Baranagar Math in Kolkata (then Calcutta). After a short stay there, he left for a trip to the Himalayas in quest of truth. Swami Akhandananda accompanied him on the trip. After a visit to Nainital, Almora, Dehradun and Srinagar, Swamiji went to the Himalayas. Delhi was his destination by the end of January in 1891.

He visited the historical sites in and around Delhi. Then, his travel to Rajputana in west India began. This phase of the itinerary was so eventful that it constituted a big chapter of his biography. The first stopover in Rajputana was Alwar where he received a cordial welcome from both the Hindus and the Muslims. They were influenced by this wandering monk’s spiritual values and teachings. Swamiji was invited by Mangal Singh, the King of Alwar, who did not believe in the practice of idol worship because of his western outlook. A meeting with Swamiji changed his attitude towards the idol worship by the Hindus.

Swamiji’s Rajasthan travel was full of learning too. He studied Panini’s Ashtadhyayi under the tutelage of a Sanskrit Scholar in Jaipur. He visited the Dargah Sharif in Ajmer. His meeting with Ajit Singh, the King of Khetri in Mount Abu on June 4, 1891, is another important event. Out his interest in spirituality, the King became a follower of Swamiji and supported him in many ways. Swamiji studied Mahabhasya during his stay at Khetri and then, he went to Gujarat.

Limbdi, Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Kutch, Porbander, Dwaraka, Baroda, Palitana and Girnar were among his destinations in Gujarat. The Gujarat travel was full of enlightenment for him. He studied the Jain scriptures there. He got the idea of preaching Vedanta in the Western World from Thakur Saheb Jaswant Singh who he came across in Limbdi. Haridas Viharidas Desai, the Diwan of Junagadh, welcomed him as a respected guest. Impressed by his personality, the Diwan used to discuss on different topics with Swamiji till late at night. Swamiji immersed himself in philosophical studies during his nine-month long stay at Porbander. At Kathiawar in Gujarat, he got to know about the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Then, he visited Mahabaleshwar and Pune. While traveling by train in Bombay in 1892, Swamiji happened to meet Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a Nationalist in the Freedom Movement of India. They spent a few days together in Pune. He moved to Panaji in Goa from Maharashtra, and studied the Christian theology at a convent in Goa.

In the second half of 1892, he journeyed to Bangalore, his first destination in South India. There, he met the Diwan of Mysore who described him as “a magnetic personality with a divine force”. Swamiji was introduced to Chamaraja Wodeyar, the then King of Mysore and welcomed cordially to the Palace. He was further introduced to the Diwan of Cochin. His travel continued till he reached the southernmost part of India, Kanyakumari, on foot through Trissur, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, and Nagercoil. The meditation on the future of India, at the Kanyakumari Rock, was the culmination of Swamiji’s spiritual journey at the end of 1892.

Having had the vision of an individual India, Swamiji traveled to Madurai, Rameswaram, Pondicherry and Madras (now Chennai) in the beginning of 1893. He met Ramnad Bhaskara Sethupathi, the then King of Madurai, who approached him with an urge to participate in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swamiji won the admiration of whoever came in touch with him during the itinerary across Tamil Nadu. Most of them became disciples and responded to his call for renunciation in service to the nation. One of his most ardent disciples in South India was Alasinga Perumal who collected funds for Swamiji’s voyage to Chicago by going from door to door. Swami Vivekananda embarked on the historic voyage to America on May 31, 1893.

Swamiji’s travel continued from America to the rest of the world till the demise of his mortal body on July 4, 1902. However, the journey of this greatest Indian traveler is as ceaseless as the eternal flow of time. It is still on the go through the spread of his message, teachings, values and vision

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Durga Puja, the grandest festival of Bengal in India, is a traditional ceremony dedicated to the worship of Devi Durga, the goddess of power (Shakti), in form of Divine Mother. Though Bengal has been the epicenter of this festivity since the 15th century, it has become a global celebration with the migration of Bengalis to other countries. How glittering and glorious Durga Puja is, will be convincing to you, if you ever travel to Kolkata in the month of October. To be precise, it is the ultimate cultural extravaganza and festive gala in Bengal, the history of which is associated with the Muslim rule and the British Raj in India.

Durga Puja celebration was an emblem of prosperity and power in the aristocratic class of Bengalis, to say landlords as shown in the National Award winning movies of Rituparno Ghosh, such as Utsav, Hirer Angti and Antarmahal. It is heard that some influential landlords invited the British officials to attend the celebration so that they could be in good books of the British East Indian Company. With the passing of time, Durga Puja became a mass celebration outside the embellished interiors of palatial houses in Bengal.

However, there are different legends about the origin of Durga Puja. According to the folklores of Bengal, the landlords of Malda and Dinajpur were the first to have initiated the celebration in the 15^th century. The Ramayana, one of the two great Indian epics, says that Lord Rama had first worshipped Devi Durga to be blessed with victory over Ravana. Let’s keep aside the controversies, myths, legends and folklores to focus on the men at work behind the canvas – the clay idol makers or potters at Kumortuli in Kolkata, on the bank of Hugli River.

You might have caught gripping glimpses of Durga Puja celebration in some Bollywood movies, to say Pradip Sarkar’s Parineeta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. But, Kumortuli where thousands of Durga idols are made for domestic celebrations and Bengali communities on foreign shores has remained out of the focus of directors’ camera lens. The 5-day long celebration follows preparations for 3 to 4 months. The making of Durga idols at Kumortuli is the major part of the preparation. Kumortuli, the hub of clay idol makers and potters by the riverside is one of the best tourist attractions in Kolkata City.

Also Check: How to Save Big on Flights to Kolkata

Kumortuli is older than the city itself. The foundation of the city dates back to the year 1690, whereas Kumortuli has been in existence long before that. The ancestors of today’s potters were said to have migrated from their native land Krishnanagar to Gobindapore, one of the three villages the then Calcutta was formed of, in quest of sustenance. They settled by the river of Ganga or Hooghly River and began to make clay pots, utensils and idols. Since then, they have been supplying idols to puja committees at home and abroad.

The idol making process is, at times, disturbed by adverse atmospheric conditions. The artisans at work brave all odds to get the idols ready by Mahalaya, the day of invoking Goddess Durga. However, it is a pleasure to watch the artisans make life-like idols out of clay. These days, the making of theme-based artistic idols with an aesthetic aura is a popular trend due to stiff competition among the puja committees. The concrete image of Devi Durga sitting on a lion and slaying the buffalo demon at her feet evokes awe, wonder and devotion.

The artisans of Kumortuli remain in the dark on the flipside of grand, spectacular Durga Puja festival though their innovative creations are cruised to overseas Bengali communities in the USA, Europe, Africa, Australia and other countries. Being an overseas Indian, you celebrate Durga Puja away from home every year, but the feel, the flavor and the fervor of the festivity are to be experienced only in Kolkata, in Bengal, in India.

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The Independence Day of India (August 15) is the day to recall sacrifices by the freedom fighters that made evergreen history for generations. The map of India is dotted with multiple sights and spots of freedom struggle as the freedom movement had spread like wild fire across the country. Some of our customers who are flying to India in the second week of August this year approached us with a request to recommend the best places to visit on Independence Day in India. Indian Eagle picks up the following:

Cellular Jail, the Andamans

The Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands tops the list of the places to visit on the Independence Day of India. It is a living witness to the brutal treatment of the freedom fighters behind the bars. The Cellular Jail reminds generations of the solitary confinement that the heroes of the National Freedom Movement were sentenced to suffer for years during the colonial rule. An important chapter in the history of British India, the Cellular Jail was declared a national memorial in 1969. On display are the sculptures silently retelling the stories of atrocity that the prison inmates were subjected to.

Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar

Jallianwala Bagh is a must visit in Punjab. Located near the Golden Temple, it is the site where General Dyer shed the blood of thousands who had assembled for a meeting in protest against the Rowlatt Act in 1919. The massacre of 1919 which Jallianwala Bagh has been bearing witness to in form of bullet marks on inside of the wall is one of the most condemnable British acts during the colonial times of India. Jallianwala Bagh is a must stop during Punjab travel at any time of the year.

Indian Coffee House, Kolkata

If you are in Kolkata this Independence Day, do visit Coffee House nearby Presidency University on College Street, have a cup of brewing coffee, and take a walk down the memory lane to the bygone decades when the College Street Coffee House used to be a hotbed of debates on politics, art, music, cinema and culture in the then Calcutta. A favorite haunt of the elite, the literati, and intellectuals of Bengal, including Satyajit Ray, Amartya Sen, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Samaresh Majumdar, Sunil Ganguly and likes, Coffee House was also frequented by the then political revolutionaries. In the post-independence era, Kolkatas College Street Coffee House witnessed to several mass agitations and movements in the changing socio-political landscape of Bengal. Integral to the cultural history of Bengal, Indian Coffee House in Kolkata is one of the best places to visit on the Independence Day of India.

Also Check: Proposed Museum on History of College Street and Coffee House

Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram

The Sabarmati Ashram was Mahatma Gandhijis workplace for social activism and his activities for National Freedom Movement. He spent 12 years of his life here. The ashram is the place where Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience Movement and Swadeshi Movement had gathered momentum at. Situated on the bank of the Sabarmati River, the ashram is one of the best places to visit in Ahmedabad.Gandhijis Dandi March to disobey the Salt Act implemented by the British began from the ashram in 1930. The Sabarmati Ashram introduces visitors to Gandhijis values, philosophy, vision and support for self-reliance.

India Gate, New Delhi

The India Gate, one of the most popular Delhi attractions, is not just a monumental architecture but also a war memorial. Also known as the All India War Memorial, the India Gate has been carrying the names of nearly 70, 000 soldiers who fought and died in the First World War, and the names of some 12, 516 Indian soldiers who embraced martyrdom on the North-west Frontier. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the India Gate and the Flame of the Immortal Soldier under the archway stand for the martyrs of India. It is a must see during Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

Santi Institute Library, Kolkata

A most significant among the age-old, red-brick buildings in Kolkatas Bowbazar is the Santi Institute. The 100-year-old building of the Santi Institute is not just an iconic library of 41000 books of various genres but also a lesser-known historical place. Founded as a haven of peaceful reading after the First World War, the library was started with just 27 books and 21 young members. Gradually, it grew into a hub of stimulating discussions and animated debates among the then liberals, revolutionaries and freedom fighters. A favorite of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Santi Institute Library in Bowbazar was also frequented by Bipin Behari Ganguli, Surendranath Banerjee, the educationist Triguna Sen, the historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, and the the famous lawyer Radhabinod Pal.

Agra Fort, Agra

The Agra Fort, an integral part of the Mughal history of India, is associated with the history of British India as well. One of the world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO, the Agra Fort was the site of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, it was the first seed of the National Freedom Movement. Located by the Yamuna River, the fort features a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic styles in construction as well as design.

Netaji Bhawan, Kolkata

Netaji Bhawan or Netaji Shubhash Chandra Boses residence in Kolkata City is among the places that remind of British India, freedom fighters and national movement. It is the place where he was put under house arrest and where he escaped from to Berlin in 1941. A part of Netajis life, struggle and mission for freedom of India, the house has got a museum and a library today.

Viceregal Lodge, Shimla

Viceregal Lodge, a splendid English Renaissance architecture of colonial times in India, is not just a tourist attraction of Shimla but also a historic place. Viceregal Lodge was the summer residence of Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of British India, and the place where discussions on the most fateful India-Pakistan partition were held. Also known as Rashtrapati Niwas, this colossal landmark in Shimla houses a museum exhibiting some stories of Indian freedom movement.

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Among the most interesting stories of India are stories of the few offbeat temples which are known for unusual offerings to the presiding deities. The unusual offerings to some of these Indian temples are age-old traditions, while devotees make offbeat offerings to some temples out of their unconventional beliefs. We at Travel Beats, an Indian Diaspora community portal by Indian Eagle Travel offer you a walk through some of these temples to leave you with a gaping mouth in wonder. 

Devotees Offer Chocolates to Munch Murugan in Kerala 

If you happen to visit the Chemmoth Sree Subramaniya Swami Temple in Kerala, make sure to offer Munch chocolates to the deity Munch Murugan. How the deity, the son of Lord Shiva, came to be known as Munch Murugan is one of the interesting stories of India. The deity developed a sweet tooth for chocolates since a Muslim boy offered a Munch to him. One day the boy rang the temple bell for fun and got scolded for doing so. He fell sick that night and kept chanting Murugan’s name unconsciously. The next morning, his parents took him to the temple. When the boy felt better, the priest asked him to offer something to the deity as it is a tradition. The boy took a Munch out of his pocket and put it on the altar. Since then Munch Murugan has been receiving loads of Munch chocolates from children who visit the temple to pray for good marks in examinations.

Devotees Get Books & DVDs as Prasad at Lord Shiva Temple in Kerala

Do you ever expect to get CDs, DVDs or textbooks as holy prasad in exchange of your offerings at some temple? If yes, travel to India and visit the Lord Shiva Temple at the National Heritage Center in Thrissur, Kerala. The temple authorities believe that knowledge is the best gift of God and that devotees should be blessed with it. That is why knowledge dissemination through distribution of books and writing materials is considered the holiest prasad to visitors at this temple in Kerala.

Lord Vishnu is Offered Different Types of Dosa in Madurai

Alagar Temple in Madurai is one of the unique places to visit in India for unusual offering to the deity. Originally named Kallazhagar Temple, it is a temple of Lord Vishnu. At this Madurai temple, the deity is offered different types of dosas (a South Indian delicacy) which are later distributed as prasad among devotees. Devotees on visit to the temple bring grains which are used to make crispy dosas. The first dosa is offered to Lord Vishnu and the rest is distributed to visitors after prayers.

Devotees Get Fruit Jam as Prasad at Lord Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu

What devotes are given at Lord Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu is among the interesting facts about Incredible India. Located in the Palani Hills, the temple is known for offering a unique prasad to devotees. The prasad is no traditional sweet but jam made of jaggery, sugar candy and five fruits. The holy jam is known as Panchamritham. The temple has got a plant where the jam is manufactured.

Liquor is Offered to Khabees Baba Temple in Uttar Pradesh

The Khabees Baba Temple at 80 km distance from Lucknow in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is one of the most offbeat places to visit in India. Surprisingly, there is neither any idol nor any priest at this temple, except a pair of two slipper-shaped structures on an elevated platform that seems to be an altar. Visitors offer liquor to the altar at the Khabees Baba Temple in Lucknow out of devotion to a mystic saint who is believed to have lived there 150 years back. Devotees receive a portion of the liquor offered here.

Clocks and Watches are Offered to Brahma Baba Temple in Uttar Pradesh  

Image Credit: Wishesh.com

If the offering of alcohol and chocolates to deities (mentioned above) does not surprise you, visit Brahma Baba’s Temple in Uttar Pradesh and see what devotees offer to please the deity there. Devotees of all religions – Hinduism, Islam and Christianity – offer clocks and watches as tokens of gratitude towards the deity for fulfilling their wishes. Among the most interesting stories of India, the story of Brahma Baba Temple dates back to the time when a man asked the deity to bless him with driving skills. When he began to drive, he offered a clock as a thanksgiving gift to the temple. Since then it has been a tradition at Brahma Baba Temple. Surprisingly, there is neither security nor any priest to take care of the temple.

Chinese Dishes are Offered to a Temple of Goddess Kali in Kolkata   

A visit to the Chinese Kali Temple in Chinatown is the most interesting things to do in Kolkata. The temple is named so since the Chinese residents of Chinatown worship Goddess Kali. They offer different Chinese dishes like noodles, dim sum and chopsuey, not traditional Indian sweets to the deity. The worshipping of Goddess Kali by the Chinese inhabitants of Chinatown in Kolkata is also an instance of religious tolerance in India.

Toy Planes are Offered to a Gurudwara in Punjab for Visa Approval  

Why Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara in Jalandhar is called Airplane Gurudwara or Hawai Jahaj Gurudwara is one of the interesting stories of India. Devotees offer toy airplanes as prasad to this offbeat temple in Punjab as they believe that this unconventional offering will result in visa approval for them and fulfill their dreams of going abroad. And that’s why many shops outside the temple sell toy aircrafts.

Devotees Get Prasad with Rat Saliva in Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan  

Karni Mata Temple in Bikaner, Rajasthan, is one of the most offbeat places to visit in India. It is a temple of about 20,000 black rats which are kabbas and considered holy. The prasad brought by devotees for the deity is also offered to the rats. Then devotees receive the prasad laced with rat saliva, which is believed to bring good luck to them.

Devotees Get Cloth Moist with Menstrual Fluid at Kamakhya Temple in Assam

Kamakhya Devi Temple in Assam is one of the most offbeat destinations in India. What is offered to devotees in return of their visit to the temple during the famous Ambubachi Festival in June is one of the most unconventional and interesting stories of India. The Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati remains closed for the first three days of the festival and opens its door on the fourth day when small pieces of cloth moist with the supposedly menstrual fluid of the goddess are distributed as prasad to thousands of devotees who gather at the temple complex on this occasion.

Bottles of Wine are Offered to Kal Bhairav Nath Temple in Madhya Pradesh

Kal Bhairav Nath Temple of Ujjain is one of the most popular Shiva shrines in India. The guardian deity of Ujjain City in Madhya Pradesh, Kal Bhairav Nath is offered bottles of wine every day. Evidently wine is the only holy prasad given to devotees at Kal Bhairav Nath Temple. Different brands of wine are available outside the temple throughout the year. The temple was built during the Maratha regime, according to some Maratha legends.

Devotees Get Jaggery Water from the Mouth of Lord Vishnu Idol in Andhra Pradesh

Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh is one of the few Indian temples which are known for unusual offerings to deities. An idol of Lord Vishnu in Narasimha avatar (sphinx) is worshipped at this temple on the top of Mangalagiri Hils. As per the age-old tradition of this temple, jaggery water is poured into the mouth of the idol. It is believed that when the deity feels full, half of the jaggery water comes back out of the mouth and it is distributed as holy prasad to devotees.

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Kolkata is known for innumerable things including hand-pulled rickshaw, which the British had introduced in the then Calcutta. Hand-pulled rickshaws which have been making their way through water-logged lanes and crowded marketplaces across the city have featured in many documentaries, short films and full-length features including Bimal Roy’s classic Do Bigha Zamin.

It’s the first time that Kolkata received a National Film award and made headlines for the story of a rickshawala, Satyen Das who documented his 3000-km road trip on a cycle rickshaw from Kolkata to Ladakh. Titled ‘Ladakh Chale Rickshawala,’ his documentary film won the Best Exploration/Adventure Film award at the 65^th National Film Awards.

Mostly, bikers take road trips to Ladakh, a precarious paradise in the Himalayan region of India. The rickshaw driver cum documentary filmmaker, Satyen Das not only paddled a cycle rickshaw all the way from Kolkata to Ladakh but also shot his perilous journey on a handycam. The story of the National Film Award winning documentary, Ladakh Chale Rickshawala is an absolute standout also because of his immense endurance and unfathomable love for adventure.

Kolkata to Ladakh was not his first cycle rickshaw journey. Previously, Satyen Das, along with his wife and daughter made road trips to Puri in Odisha and various places in North India, paddling the cycle rickshaw. It drove him with an irresistible urge to undertake the most ambitious journey in his cycle rickshaw to Khardung La Mountain Pass, the world’s highest motorable road in Ladakh.

Also Check: Hand-pulled Rickshaw from Calcutta to Kolkata

A resident of Naktala in South Kolkata, Satyen Das bared his mind to Indrani Chakraborty, a television producer residing in the same locality, who often rode his cycle rickshaw to reach her workplace. He showed pictures of his previous trips to her and shared his experiences with her. Touched by his zeal to paddle all the way to Ladakh through Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Srinagar, Indrani planned to shoot a documentary film on his cycle rickshaw journey.       

Indrani could not accompany him for some reasons, but taught him how to use a handycam for shooting. With logistical and monetary aid from some of his daily passengers including Indrani and a neighborhood club, Satyen Das alone set out on his ‘dream’ cycle rickshaw trip to Ladakh, which resulted in the Ladakh Chale Rickshawala documentary film despite difficulties and challenges on the way.

Also Check: Kolkata’s First-ever Hub of Traditional Sweets

A National Film Award winner for the Best Exploration/Adventure Film, Satyen Das not only explored and shot the places en route but also promoted cycle rickshaw as an environment-friendly mode of transport during his 68-day sojourn in 2014. He made his second trip to Ladakh as a mission to raise awareness about global warming in 2017 and also sprinkled as many as 5000 date seeds along the way.

The road taken to Ladakh in a cycle rickshaw was naturally troublesome for the inexperienced but determined Satyen Das who was equipped only with a handycam, maps, basic food and clothing. His muscles were fatigued due to inadequate oxygen at the altitude of 11,500 feet in Leh. He braved all odds and completed the first difficult phase of the 3000-km cycle rickshaw marathon without any medical emergencies.

Also Check: Kolkata to Get a Museum on its Socio-political History

The Ladakh Chale Rickshawala documentary filmmaker’s journey continued until Khardung-La Pass at the altitude of over 17,500 feet where the second most difficult phase of his trip began. The wavy road with rocky terrains on both sides compelled him to get off the rickshaw and pull it up from the front with all his might. “It was exhausting, but the natural beauty which is hardly seen in the plains healed my wounds and made me forget all troubles ahead,” said Satyen Das.

Indrani Chakraborty, along with two associates from her television production crew joined Satyen Das in the making of the Ladakh Chale Rickshawala documentary on Das’ epic journey in Leh. After receiving the Best Exploration/Adventure Film award at the recently held 65^th National Film Awards in New Delhi, he is back to his daily life and his rickshaw resumes ferrying locals in South Kolkata.

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