Programme Code: BTS

Course Code: PTS 4

Enrolment No.: 177189746
Study Centre Code: 28151
Regional Centre: Kolkata

A SYNOPSIS ON

HERITAGE CULTURE OF KOLKATA: AN

ANALYTICAL STUDY

Signature of Candidate: Abhishek Kundlia

Name: ABHISHEK KUNDLIA

Institutional Address: Salt lake electronics complex, X-1, 8/3, EP block, Sector V

Bidhannagar, Kolkata-70009, West Bengal

Year: 2017-2020
 CERTIFICATE

Certified that the Project Report entitled (Topic of the Project) HERITAGE
CULTURE OF KOLKATA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

submitted by (Name of the Candidate) Abhishek Kundlia is his own work and has
been done under my supervision.

It is recommended that this Project be placed before the examiner for evaluation.

1|Page
 INTRODUCTION
Kolkata has also been the pioneer city in Indian renaissance. It has long been known for its

literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, not only Kolkata, but

West Bengal was the birthplace of modern Indian literary, artistic and scholastic thought.

Bengalees tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming

new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy".

Paras in Kolkata signify a neighbourhood with a strong sense of community, and are usually

sharply defined on the basis of loyalties (like which households contribute economically to

which public or "barowari" puja). Paras culture typically segregate Kolkata communities on the

basis of origin (West Bengal origin "ghotis" versus East Bengal origin "bangals" – there are

paras which have names like "prothom bangal para" (first bangal para)), occupation and socio-

economic status (paras have names like "kumorpara" (potter para)), and sometimes even politics

and religion.

Typically, every para has its own community club, with a club room ("club ghar"), and often a

playing field. People of a para habitually indulge in adda or leisurely chat in "rock"s or

"rowacks" (porches) and teashops in the evenings after work. North Kolkata paras typically have

more street life at late nights with respect to South Kolkata paras. Sports (cricket, football,

badminton) and indoor games (carrom) tournaments are regularly organised on an inter-para

basis.

The para culture is fast waning, for good or bad, with the rise of apartment complexes, and the

rise of the cosmopolitan nature of Kolkata.

2|Page
An adda involves an informal discussion usually involving friends talking over a bhaar (cup) of

tea on current issues. An adda may be viewed as a form of intellectual exchange among members

of the same socio-economic strata. It is most popular among the youths belonging to the so-

called "middle-class intelligentsia".

3|Page
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The major objectives of the present study are as follows:

 To study about history and culture of Kolkata.

 To study about cinema, literature, Dramas and theatres of Kolkata.

 To study about Music and Dance of Kolkata.

 To study about Pujas, Festivals, Occasions, marriages of Kolkata.

 To study about Cuisine, Architecture and art of Kolkata.

4|Page
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A comprehensive case study will be conducted on the subject to achieve success of study.

SOURCES OF DATA

The study will be utilizing both primary and secondary sources of data.

PRIMARY DATA

Data will be collected specifically for the research need at hand. This includes:-

 Primary data collected by me;

 Interview with people know by me and friends and peoples;

 The subjects photography collected by me.

SECONDARY DATA

Already published data formed the launch pad for the study. This includes: -

i) Information from Books

ii) Information from Newspapers

iii) Information from Magazines

iv) Any other data like collected by Internet.

v) Personal visit to West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation office,

information center, library books.

5|Page
 TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER TITLES

NO.

I INTRODUCTION

II HISTORY AND CULTURE OF KOLKATA

III CINEMA, LITERATURE, DRAMAS AND

THEATRES OF KOLKATA

IV MUSIC AND DANCE OF KOLKATA

V PUJAS, FESTIVALS, OCCASIONS,

MARRIAGES OF KOLKATA

VI CUISINE, ARCHITECTURE AND ART OF

KOLKATA

VII CONCLUSIONS

VIII REFERENCES

6|Page
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
Kolkata has also been the pioneer city in Indian renaissance. It has long been known for its

literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, not only Kolkata, but

West Bengal was the birthplace of modern Indian literary, artistic and scholastic thought.

Bengalees tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming

new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy".

Paras in Kolkata signify a neighbourhood with a strong sense of community, and are usually

sharply defined on the basis of loyalties (like which households contribute economically to

which public or "barowari" puja). Paras culture typically segregate Kolkata communities on the

basis of origin (West Bengal origin "ghotis" versus East Bengal origin "bangals" – there are

paras which have names like "prothom bangal para" (first bangal para)), occupation and socio-

economic status (paras have names like "kumorpara" (potter para)), and sometimes even politics

and religion.

Typically, every para has its own community club, with a club room ("club ghar"), and often a

playing field. People of a para habitually indulge in adda or leisurely chat in "rock"s or

"rowacks" (porches) and teashops in the evenings after work. North Kolkata paras typically have

more street life at late nights with respect to South Kolkata paras. Sports (cricket, football,

badminton) and indoor games (carrom) tournaments are regularly organised on an inter-para

basis.

The para culture is fast waning, for good or bad, with the rise of apartment complexes, and the

rise of the cosmopolitan nature of Kolkata.

7|Page
An adda involves an informal discussion usually involving friends talking over a bhaar (cup) of

tea on current issues. An adda may be viewed as a form of intellectual exchange among members

of the same socio-economic strata. It is most popular among the youths belonging to the so-

called "middle-class intelligentsia".

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major objectives of the present study are as follows:

 To study about history and culture of Kolkata.

 To study about cinema, literature, Dramas and theatres of Kolkata.

 To study about Music and Dance of Kolkata.

 To study about Pujas, Festivals, Occasions, marriages of Kolkata.

 To study about Cuisine, Architecture and art of Kolkata.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A comprehensive case study was conducted on the subject to achieve success of study.

SOURCES OF DATA

The study was utilizing both primary and secondary sources of data.

PRIMARY DATA

Data was collected specifically for the research need at hand. This includes:-

 Primary data collected by me;

 Interview with people know by me and friends and peoples;

 The subjects photography collected by me.

8|Page
SECONDARY DATA

Already published data formed the launch pad for the study. This includes: -

vi) Information from Books

vii) Information from Newspapers

viii) Information from Magazines

ix) Any other data like collected by Internet.

x) Personal visit to West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation office,

information center, library books.

9|Page
 CHAPTER 2

HISTORY AND CULTURE OF KOLKATA

History of Kolkata

Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, is the capital city of West Bengal, a state located in the

eastern part of India. It is one of the most well-known cities of India. Owing to its strategic

location, the city has witnessed several important political as well as social upsurges in the past

and this why its history holds a significant place in the chronological description of the entire

scenario of the Indian subcontinent and rest of the world. Kolkata has also experienced some of

very well-known monarchial as well as bureaucratic rules, which have highly influenced its

culture.

Though, according to archeologists, Kolkata has been inhabited for over two thousand years, its

documented history begins only from the arrival of the British East India Company, in 1690.

However, some of the ancient evidence says that this city was an established trading post much

before the Slave Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, the Portuguese, the French or the

British set up a major township here. As per the evidence, the city owes its origin to the Maurya

and Gupta period and so, the popularly assumed fact that the Englishman Job Charnock is the

founder of the city is not right. The travelogues of Chinese scholars and Persian merchants,

dating from centuries BCE, support this claim.

Till date, other than its mention in the ancient epic Mahabharata and some vague description in

foreign texts, there is not much valid information about the ancient phase of Kolkata. The

medieval phase has some evidence to prove its Maurya and Gupta link. The rent roll of Akbar's

reign, in 16th century, also acknowledges a city called Kolikata. However, one can get the

10 | P a g e
continuous description related to the city only after 1690, when Job Charnock came here. In

1702, the British constructed Fort William in the city, to station their troops and use it as a

regional base. Following this, a major tiff took place between King Siraj-Ud-Daula and British,

with Robert Clive making Fort William regional base of the East India Co.

The grip of British on Calcutta became very strong after its declaration as the capital city of

British India, in 1772. By, 1850, the city had gone into a rapid industrialization phase. Richard

Wellesley, the Governor General of Kolkata worked tirelessly on the architecture of the city and

developed it as the "City of Palaces". This was the phase of high British influence on the culture

of Kolkata. This is when, the confluence of British and Indian culture gave rise to a new Babu

class, the anglophile urban educated elites of upper caste Hindu communities.

11 | P a g e
With the rendezvous of education and westernization, there began a phase of 'Renaissance' in

Bengal, the period of the development of Bengal intellect. It resulted in many social reform

movements. With the growing intellect, grew the understanding of the meaning of freedom and

the city became the center of Indian Independence struggle. After the upsurge of Sepoy mutiny

near Kolkata, the partition of Bengal in 1905 resulted in extensive public protest and boycott of

British goods. All these tensions led to the transfer of the capital of British India to Delhi. Even

after the transfer, Kolkata remained a major hub for trade and independence struggle.

Calcutta suffered a major set-back at time of independence, when East Bengal was handed over

to Pakistan. The dramatic rise in immigration rate and excessive political discontentment led to

extreme riots in the city. Even after independence, the city couldn't gain a rapid momentum of

growth, as Naxalite movements and Marxist-Maoist movements led to severe power shortage,

violence, strikes, and architectural damage and economic stagnation of the city. After 1977, the

city became the base of Indian communism. The proper growth of the city only became after

1991, when India opened up its economy and introduced the LPG reforms. Today, Kolkata is

one of the key cities of India.

Culture of Kolkata

Kolkata has also been the pioneer city in Indian renaissance. It has long been known for its

literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, not only Kolkata, but

West Bengal was the birthplace of modern Indian literary, artistic and scholastic thought.

Bengalees tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming

new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy".

Paras in Kolkata signify a neighbourhood with a strong sense of community, and are usually

sharply defined on the basis of loyalties (like which households contribute economically to

12 | P a g e
which public or "barowari" puja). Paras culture typically segregate Kolkata communities on the

basis of origin (West Bengal origin "ghotis" versus East Bengal origin "bangals" – there are

paras which have names like "prothom bangal para" (first bangal para)), occupation and socio-

economic status (paras have names like "kumorpara" (potter para)), and sometimes even politics

and religion.

Typically, every para has its own community club, with a club room ("club ghar"), and often a

playing field. People of a para habitually indulge in adda or leisurely chat in "rock"s or

"rowacks" (porches) and teashops in the evenings after work. North Kolkata paras typically have

more street life at late nights with respect to South Kolkata paras.

Sports (cricket, football, badminton) and indoor games (carrom) tournaments are regularly

organised on an inter-para basis.

The para culture is fast waning, for good or bad, with the rise of apartment complexes, and the

rise of the cosmopolitan nature of Kolkata.

An adda involves an informal discussion usually involving friends talking over a bhaar (cup) of

tea on current issues. An adda may be viewed as a form of intellectual exchange among members

13 | P a g e
of the same socio-economic strata. It is most popular among the youths belonging to the so-

called "middle-class intelligentsia".

14 | P a g e
 CHAPTER 3

CINEMA, LITERATURE, DRAMAS AND

THEATRES OF KOLKATA
Cinema

While Mumbai is the capital of commercial cinemas in India, Kolkata is the house of art-films.

Stalwarts like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen are the pride of Kolkata. The biggest

event of Indian cinema was the release of Pather Panchali in 1955 made by Satyajit Ray based on

a novel of Bibhutibhusan Banerjee. This film connected Indian film to the rest of the world. The

movie was acclaimed throughout the world specially in the Western world as a symbol of

undying human spirit. Presently, Aparna Sen, Budhdhadeb Dasgupta, Gautam Ghose, Rituparno

Ghosh are bearing the mantle of the great tradition. Kolkata Film Festival, held annually across

several cinema theatres in the city serves to the taste of Kolkata people for cinema from all over

the world. Nandan is a popular cinema complex in the premiers of Rabindra Sadan, maintained

by the state government. This theatre complex holds regular shows of national and international

cinema.

Satyajit Ray

In 1897, films were shown for the first time in Calcutta. Couple of years later, Hiralal Sen from

north Calcutta started making films at the Classic Theatres. In 1901, Hiralal Sen set up Royal

Bioscope, produced scenes and dance sequences from popular Bengali plays. The first Bengali

movie was "Billwamangal" in 1919 which happened to be a silent movie. The first Bengali

talkie, Dena Paona was released in 1931, directed by Premankur Atarthi and produced by New

15 | P a g e
Theatres. The first popular hero in Bengali film was probably Pramathesh Barua, who was a

director himself too.

The commercial Bengali cinema industry, known as "Tollywood", is based in Tollygunge

locality of the city. Several film studios are located here. Though the popularity of the

commercial Bengali cinemas has dwindled in the urban area, they continue to be popular in the

rural West Bengal. The golden age of commercial Bengali cinema is said to be 1950–1970 and

involved actors such as Uttam Kumar, Soumitra Chatterjee, Utpal Dutta, Suchitra Sen, Chobi

Biswas, Sabitri Chottopadhya, Pahari Sanyal, Bikash Roy. Suchitra Sen received best actress

award in Moscow Film Festival for her role in Saat Paake Badha co-starring Soumitra

Chatterjee.

Literature

16 | P a g e
Bengali prose became modern courtesy of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The doyens of nineteenth

century Bengali literature like Rabindranath Tagore, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Kazi Nazrul

Islam were from Kolkata. As the then cultural capital of India, Kolkata-based literature affected

and shaped the thought and culture of many Indians. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was an

author whose speciality was exploring complex human psychology, especially that of female

mind. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the earliest Bengali novelists and is popularly

known as the author of India's first national song, "Bande Mātarom" (pronounced in Hindi

"Vande Mātāram"). Tarashankar Bandopadhyay was another famous novelist whose works

feature a realistic picture of the many-coloured fabric of life in rural Bengal. The Kolkata

littérateurs still borrow a lot from Tagore. In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, a new breed of Bengali

writers and poets came into being in Kolkata exemplified by Jibanananda Das, Sukanta

Bhattacharya, Bishnu Dey, Premendra Mitra, Buddhadeb Guha etc. They wanted to break free

from the traditional mysticism and surrealism of Tagore style and present various concepts such

as modernism, post-modernism, cubism through their writings. Satyajit Ray was also a writer,

especially for children. Other literary figures include Sunil Gangopadhyay, Shirshendu

Mukhopadhyay, Manik Bandopadhyay, Samaresh Majumdar, Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay,

Shankha Ghosh, Amitav Ghosh, Nirad Chaudhuri, Shakti Chattopadhyay, Mahasweta Devi, Joy

Goswami, Mani Shankar Mukherjee, etc.

17 | P a g e
The most important counter-cultural activity in post-Independence West Bengal has been the

Hungryalist Movement, known also as Hungry Generation spearheaded by the two outsider

brothers Samir Roychoudhury and Malay Roy Choudhury, who are today cultural cult-figures

among Bengali Intellectual diaspora.

Kolkata's proud presentation of the new forms of Prakalpana fiction and Sarbangin poetry,

contrived by Vattacharja Chandan and projected by Prakalpana Movement, appears to be the

only ongoing Indian avant garde literary movement that has been buzzing globally for over four

decades.

The Calcutta Book Fair is an annual fair showcasing books published by the regional, national

and international publishers. Started in 1976, the book fair projects every year a particular

country as the theme of the year. There is a separate area dedicated for the little magazines.

18 | P a g e
Dramas and theatres

The tradition of Jatra is still observed in West Bengal. Jatras are folk-theatres with epic four-

hour-long plays featuring loud music, harsh lighting and dramatic props played on giant outdoor

stages. Group theatre activists By "KHOLAHAWA" junior Artist Sudipta Saha & director sumit

kumar Dey.

The city has a long tradition of commercial theatres and group theatres. As opposed to

commercial theatres, group theatres usually do not have any profit making agenda. Group theatre

activists use the proscenium stage to portray some social message. The commercial theatres of

the city, however, has been declining in popularity since the 1980s, and only a handful of

commercial theatre productions are made, as of 2009.

Notable group theatres include the Little Theatre Group, Gandharba, Calcutta Theatre, Nandikar,

Bahurupee etc. and movements like the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Famous

drama and theatrics personalities include Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay, Utpal Dutta, Rudraprasad

Sengupta and Shambhu Mitra.

19 | P a g e
 CHAPTER 4

MUSIC AND DANCE OF KOLKATA

Music and dance

The Mohiniyattam is being performed to commemorate of 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. It

was an Indo-Bangladesh joint celebration in 2011.

Rabindra Sangeet, Rabindra Nritya Natya (songs and song-dance sequences composed by

Tagore) and Nazrul Geeti (songs by Kazi Nazrul Islam) are integral part of Kolkata as well as

Bengali life. Songs by other poets like Dwijendralal Roy, Atulprasad are also famous. Kolkata is

also a noted place for the cultivation of Indian classical music and dances. Bengali Musicians

like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Ali Akbar Khan, Ananda Shankar were from Kolkata.

The era after the independence saw the development of Adhunik (modern) songs. The songs of

Bengali commercial movies are also extremely popular.

Musicians and singers include Kishore Kumar, RD Burman, Anup Ghoshal, Hemanta

Mukherjee, Manna Dey, Sandhya Mukherjee, Shyamal Mitra, Ruma Guha Thakurta. From the

early 1990s, there has been an emergence and popularisation of new genres of music, including

fusions of Baul and Jazz by several Bangla bands, as well as the emergence of what has been

called Jeebonmukhi Gaan (a modern genre based on realism) by artists like Kabir Suman, Anjan

Dutt, Nachiketa and bands like Bhoomi, Chandrabindoo, Cactus, Lakkhichhara, Fossils, Single

Units and Insomnia. Kolkata also has a strong musical 'counterculture' in the form of original

English Rock music, which has talented bands like Cassini's Division, Skinny Alley, Insomnia,

The Supersonics and Crystal Grass.Kolkata also has a strong stage performer voice artist

Prasanta Gangopadhyay

20 | P a g e
The culture of West Bengal is renowned, worldwide, for its richness and variety. The cuisines,

music, costumes, language and wonderful dances of the state are important constituents of its

rich and varied culture. The folk dance forms of West Bengal are known for their beauty and

fervor. The dance encyclopedia of this rich culture includes a wide variety within itself. Each

region of the state has something different to exhibit. Altogether, it forms a wonderful

combination of varied dance forms.

Brita Dance

The land of West Bengal is famous for its festive culture and adorable art. Music and beats run in

the veins of Bengali people. There are several kinds of folk music and dances prevalent in

various parts of the state. Amongst the chosen few, the Brita Dance, also known as Vrita Dance,

is considered to be very special.

Gambhira Dance

The folk dances of West Bengal hold a special place in Bengali culture. They complement the

beautiful culture of the state, by their colorfulness and festivity. Initially, the folk dances were

either agricultural or devotional. Gradually, the agricultural dances gave place to dances more

inclined towards devotion and religion. One of the famous devotional dances of Bengal is

Gambhira.

21 | P a g e
Chhau Dance

Chhau Dance is one of the most renowned tribal martial dances of India. The dance is known as

Seraikella Chau in Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj Chau in Orissa and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal.

Since the dance is supposed to have originated in the Purulia district of Bengal, it is known as

such in the state. Purulia Chhau dance differs quite a lot from its counterparts.

22 | P a g e
Santhal Dance

Santhal is one of the most abundantly found tribes in India. A major chunk of this tribe can be

found in West Bengal and Jharkhand. Santhal tribe has a rich cultural lineage and immense

solidarity. Its members are basically the devotees of 'Thakurji', the deity they believe created this

world. They move to the beats of music, to celebrate the glory of nature, raise a message and

offer prayers.

Tusu Dance

West Bengal is a land of rich culture and lots of festivity. Almost every region in the state has a

specific folk dance and music attached to it. These folk traditions are basically related to some

specific season of festival. The Tusu Dance of Birbhum district is one of them. It is basically

performed in the month of Pausa, during the Gregorian months of December and January.

23 | P a g e
Lathi Dance

Dance is a unique art of expression. Be it celebration, remorse, anger, love or pain, dance moves

can clearly define every expression. Talking about the Lathi dance of West Bengal, performed on

Muharram, it confines within itself the feeling of remorse and anger, associated with this Muslim

festival. During the first ten days of Muharram, the Lathi players display their art at several

places.

24 | P a g e
 CHAPTER 5

PUJAS, FESTIVALS, OCCASIONS, MARRIAGES

OF KOLKATA
Kolkata (or Calcutta) holds many festivals throughout the year. Major festivals include Durga

Puja, Kali Puja, Holi, Diwali, Saraswati Puja, Jagaddhatri Puja, Rath Yatra, Lakshmi Puja, Poush

Parbon, Poila Boishakh etc. Durga Puja and Kali Puja, which are the two largest festivals of

West Bengal, features colourful pandals, decorative statues of Hindu goddess Durga and Kali,

lighting decorations and fireworks. Kolkata Book Fair is held at the end of January every year. It

is the biggest cultural festival of the city. Other festivals include Janmashtami, Ganesh

Chathurthi, Maha Shivratri, Kalpataru Day, Vishwakarma Puja, Kartik Puja, Bhai Phonta,

Akshay Tritiya, Rakhi Bandhan, Annapurna Puja, Mahavir Jayanti, Eid, Muharram, Christmas,

Buddha Purnima, Maghotsav, Dover Lane Music Festival, Nandikar's National Theatre Festival,

Rabindra Jayanti, Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally, International History and Heritage

Exhibition, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival and Kolkata International Film Festival etc. As

one of the largest cities of India and its Cultural Capital, Independence Day, Republic Day and

Gandhi Jayanti are widely observed national holidays in Kolkata. Today, the festivals of Kolkata

broadly reflect the ethnic and religious diversity of India as well as of Bengal.

25 | P a g e
Bengali New Year

The Bengali New Year or "Poila Baisakh" (the first day of the month of Baisakh) is celebrated

around 15 April on the basis of the lunar calendar of Bangabda. Visitors to homes are greeted

with sweets, and trade establishments are decorated with auspicious garlands of marigold and

'aam' leaves. Shop-owners and businessmen offer puja at Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and

Kalighat Kali Temple in the morning with new ledgers(Halkhata). Businessmen also offer free

sweets as a goodwill gesture on this day. It is celebrated by cultural programmes throughout

Kolkata.

Religious festivals

Durga Puja

The Durga Puja festival, held in accordance to the lunar calendar of 'Bangabda' in September–

October, is the most vibrant time in Kolkata. Durga Puja is the most important, most popular and

largest festival of Kolkata. More than 4500 pandals are set up in Kolkata and its suburbs, apart

from large number of old family pujas. Kolkata is famous for its vibrant nightlife and

glamourous cultural activities during Durga Puja which continue till Kojagori Lakshmi Puja.

Durga Puja has become Kolkata's biggest public spectacle, art event and consumerist carnival.

Streets, alleys, parks, gardens and most of the neighbourhoods glitter with lighting decorations.

Shops, restaurants and eateries stay open all night. Songs and mantras are chanted through

loudspeakers. Pandal-visiting with friends, family members and relatives along with other

festivities continue late into night. This Hindu religious festival commemorates the mythology of

Goddess Durga and her trusty lion steed overpowering and killing the demon Mahishasura

(Buffalo-demon). The first ceremony takes place on Mahalaya, the day the Goddess was

conceived, and ends on Bijaya Dashami (the victorious tenth day), the day the Goddess finally

26 | P a g e
kills the demon in battle. Puja is performed only on the sixth to the tenth day. Kolkata celebrates

Durga Puja with elaborate pandal—temporary decorative scaffolding serving the purpose of a

temple—constructions on virtually every street. Crowds of people throng the streets of Kolkata

all night; the number is purported to be a few million on the climactic eighth and ninth nights,

possibly the second largest annual human conglomerate after the Hajj. On this festival, there is a

practice of giving gifts—usually new clothes in the latest fashion in pre-puja get-togethers, and

sweets at post-puja get-togethers (Bijaya Sammelani). The festival is commemorated by the

publishing of Annuals (Sharadiya or Puja Annual) by most Kolkata magazines and presses.

Today's Puja goes far beyond religion and ritual worship. In fact, visiting the pandals recent

years, one can only say that Durga Puja today is the largest outdoor art festival on earth. In the

1990s, a preponderance of architectural models came up on the pandal exteriors, but today the art

motif extends to elaborate interiors, executed by trained artists, with consistent stylistic elements,

carefully executed and bearing the name of the artist.

At the end of the six days long festival, the idol is taken in a procession of the deity to her home

with her husband in the Himalayas. On Vijaya Dashami, the idols are carried out in large

processions from all corners of the city to various ghats of the Ganga river. The processions end

up with Dhunuchi-naach, dance, maddening revelries and Sindoor-khela after which the idols are

immersed into the river amidst frolicking cheers. After this, in a tradition called Vijaya Dashami,

families visit each other and sweetmeats are offered to visitors (Dashami is literally tenth day

and Vijay is victory).

27 | P a g e
Kali Puja & Diwali

Kali Puja is primarily a Bengali Hindu festival, held in accordance to the lunar calendar around

the first week of November. The Goddess Kali is worshipped at night on one night in thousands

of pandals, temples and homes. Animals, especially goats are ritually sacrificed in some places

during the puja. Kali Puja is light-up night for Kolkata, corresponding to the North Indian

festival of Diwali (pronounced Dipabali in Bengali), where people light candles in memory of

the souls of departed ancestors and decorate their homes with lights and rangoli. Most homes

celebrate the evening with a wondrous display of candles along roof tops, verandas and window

sills; during the afternoon, thousands of beautifully decorated hot-air balloons fill the sky. This is

also a night of spectacular fireworks, with local youth burning sparklers and crackers throughout

the night. Luminous darting streaks and deafening bangs and booms enlivens the atmosphere.

However, Kolkata had to pass legislature a few years back to ban fireworks which break the 65

decibel sound limit, as ambient noise levels were going up to 90 decibels or more in parts of the

city.

Saraswati Puja

Saraswati Puja—the puja of the Goddess of Learning, Saraswati—is celebrated with domestic

pujas, and familial gatherings in Kolkata. The typical fare (bhog) which accompanies the Puja

depends dramatically on whether the family is initially from West Bengal (or ghoti) or from East

Bengal—now Bangladesh—(or bangal). Ghotis have vegetarian fare, while bangals partake

paired Hilsa fishes. Idols for these and other Pujas are made in the famous potters' district of

Kumartuli. In Bengal, during Saraswati Puja, students celebrate the Homecoming of the Goddess

of Learning. Books are often worshipped in lieu of the clay image of the Goddess. The puja is

28 | P a g e
especially celebrated in schools and other educational institutes. And gives an opportunity of

free-mixing among school children and students.

Holi (Dolyatra)

Dol, corresponding to the North Indian festival of Holi, is celebrated on account of the god Lord

Krishna, and is supposedly coincident with the advent of spring. Holi is locally known here as

Dolyatra or Basanta Utsab. The celebrations start in the city with the burning of Holika bonfire

on the night before Holi. The festival of colour involve throwing and sprinkling powdered colour

(aabir), and water colour (jal rang) on others. Unsuspecting passers by are often drenched by

coloured water balloons, and celebrations often get rowdy with the men partaking the

intoxicating drink of shiddhi (bhang), often laced with the stronger charas. Nowadays, Holi party

usually means frolicking dance and various delicacies like sweets, biryani, beverages etc.

Rath Yatra

The symbolic movement of the chariot of Jagannath is celebrated with much fanfare in Kolkata

due to the huge chariot brought out by ISKCON. The destination of the cult figures are the

Maidan. Thousands of people spill into the roads to witness the pulling of the chariot. The

"idols" are brought back after a week in the chariot in the festival of Ulto Ratha. Images of

Jagannath are set upon the chariots and pulled through the streets by the children as well as by

the adults in many neighbourhoods and areas. The week is synonymous with numerous fairs

(Rather mela) held all over Kolkata parks, known for their distinctive food and carousels. Myth

has it that it always rains on the day of Ratha Yatra in Kolkata. Rath Yatra is an ancient culture

in Bengal in spite of having its origin at Puri, Odisha.

29 | P a g e
Vishwakarma Puja

Vishwakarma Puja is a unique day in Kolkata when all factories, shops, engineering institutes

organise puja of Vishwakarma, the Hindu god of mechanics and crafts. It usually includes kite-

flying as a celebration.

Janmashtami

Janmashtami in Kolkata is mostly confined to personal and family worship of Lord Krishna.

Special puja is held at famous Madanmohan Temple of Baghbazar in North Kolkata and Birla

Temple in South Kolkata where devotees celebrate Janmashtami by praying, fasting and

listening to devotional songs. Images of infant Lord Krishna are placed in swings and cradles at

temples and homes and sweets are offered to the visitors. It is a public holiday in West Bengal.

Jagaddhatri Puja

Unlike Durga and Kali Puja, Jagaddhatri Puja sees much less celebration in the city. However, at

Chandannagar in Hooghly district, it is a five-day long puja, with pompous lighting decorations

and pandals. Jagaddhatri Puja is important because it brings an end to the month-long festive

season that starts with Durga Puja.

Eid

The two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha commemorating the passing of the month of fasting,

Ramadan and the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son for Allah, are the

biggest festivals for Muslims in West Bengal. As Kolkata is considered to be the gastronomic

capital of Eastern India, the feasts are often lavish street affairs open to all, and restaurants

specializing in Islamic cuisine like Shiraz, Arsalan, Nizam and Aminia offer special menus for

the day. Eid celebrations in Kolkata are particularly visible in Muslim-dominated areas and

localities like Rajabazaar, Colootolla, Park Circus, Chandni Chowk, Chitpur, Metiabruz,

30 | P a g e
Watgunje etc. The areas begin to have a festive look weeks before Eid and streets bustle with

devotees and shoppers in the evening. As the month of Ramadan approaches, the Muslim shops

of those areas fill with beautifully gilded and bound copies of Koran, dazzling waistcoats and

kurtas, prayer caps, ittar, surma, gleaming hookah pipes and heaps of sweet vermicelli, nuts,

dates and pomegranates. The largest gathering for Eid prayers in Kolkata takes place at Red

Road. After the prayer is over, people visit homes of relatives, friends and neighbours; exchange

gifts and greetings; eat special dishes and engage in joyful activities throughout the day.

Christmas

Christmas was a big festival in Kolkata during the British Raj, but has slowly declined in

importance since. The Anglo-Indian community and Bengali Christians still celebrate Christmas

in a big way, with a huge service at St. Paul's Cathedral and with the Park Street restaurant

district and New Market decked out on the 24th and 25th. The Bengali Hindu community of the

city also takes part in the celebrations. Park Street, New Market and Bow Barrack are the

centrestages of Christmas in Kolkata. The multicultural nature of Kolkata becomes apparent as

the most sought after confectionaries during this time were from the British confectioners Flury's

and Jewish confectioners Nahoum's. Like elsewhere in India and rest of the world, Christmas

mood continues in Kolkata till the new year ushers in.

Cultural festivals

Kolkata Christmas Festival (KCF) started in 2011 as a celebration of Christmas. It is held on

Park Street, the traditional centre of Christmas celebrations in Kolkata, from mid-December to

early January. The fortnight-long festival is organised by the Bengal Tourism Department.

People from all over the city and its suburbs, irrespective of religion, attend the festival.

31 | P a g e
Events at the festival include city bands performing and school students participating in a

Christmas parade. There are also dozens of food stalls set up along Park Street selling cakes and

other Christmas foods.

Dover Lane Music Festival

The Dover Lane Music Festival is a Hindustani classical music, with performances from

established musicians from several countries as well as new musicians. It has been held for the

past years[year needed] in the January conglomerate holiday (23 – 26 January) period and

comprises three all-night recitals. Initially held open air at Dover Lane in Ballygunge area of

South Kolkata, due to the large crowds, it is now held at the open-air theatre Nazrul Mancha on

the Southern Avenue (Ballygunge area). It is held in conjunction with the Dover Lane Music

Conference.

Calcutta Book Fair

The 'Kolkata International Book Fair or Kolkata Boi Mela is the world's largest non-trade annual

book fair as well as the largest book fair in Asia. Held on the Milan Mela ground near Science

City on E.M.Bypass, this fair has over 600 stalls, selling over Rs.23,000,000 worth of books and

attracting more than 2.5 million visitors annually. It was started in 1970 by the Publishers' and

Booksellers' Association. It has a Monmarte with new poets and artists, an annual theme country

with authors like Günter Grass and Richard Dawkins visiting the fair as chief guests and it offers

a typical fairground experience with a literary theme with picknickers, singer-songwriters,

artistes and candyfloss vendors. It starts on the last Wednesday of January, and continues for

twelve days, including two weekends.

Kolkata International Cinema Festival

32 | P a g e
The Kolkata International Cinema Festival is screened annually from 10–17 November. The

largest of its kind in India, it was started in 1995 and is affiliated with the International

Federation of Film Producers' Association (FIAPF) in Paris. Kolkata's strong ties to film-making

(through such icons as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and, more recently[when?], Rituparno Ghosh)

has boosted the festival and it screens a number of international, critically acclaimed new films

every year.

National Theatre Festival

Nandikar's National Theatre Festival was initiated in 1984 to commemorate Nandikar's silver

jubilee, and is now an annual event in Kolkata. The festival is organized by the Nandikar theatre

group.

33 | P a g e
 CHAPTER 6

CUISINE, ARCHITECTURE AND ART OF

KOLKATA
Cuisine

Key elements of Kolkata's cuisine include rice and macher jhol (fish curry), with Rasgulla as

dessert. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes include various eelish(hilsa) preparations (a

favourite among Bengalis) like eelish shorshe bata, eelish bhap and eelish-er paturi . Street foods

like rolls (mutton roll, egg roll, chicken roll, and sometimes in the Park Circus region – beef roll)

and phuchka are very popular. Phuchka (called golgappa in North India, and panipuri in West

India) is a deep-fried whole-wheat hollow crispy ball which is filled with spicy potato filling and

spicy, herbed tamarind water when serving. Common accompaniments to Phuchka are things

dishes like Churmur, Ghugni. A Bengali meal is incomplete without sweets. Popular sweets

include Roshogolla, mishti doi (sweet curd), langcha, Kheerkadam, sandesh, rajbhog,

Kamalabhog, etc.

One common feature of Kolkata cuisine today originates from Tibetan regions – momo and

thuppa. The Elgin Road offshoots have a lot of outlets specialising in the delicious steamed

dumplings (pork, chicken, vegetarian) called momos – typically served with a clear stalk soup

and often served with spicy chutneys. Thuppa is a common accompaniment – a clear soup with

noodles, vegetables and other herbs. Due to the high popularity, momos are now available all

over the city, and are even served as street food at some places.

34 | P a g e
Architecture and art

An exhibition of painting and sculpture is going on at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata.

Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architectural motifs.

Several well-maintained major buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage

structures"; however, others are in various stages of decay. Established in 1814 as the nation's

oldest museum, the Indian Museum houses large collections that showcase Indian natural history

and Indian art. Marble Palace is a classic example of a European mansion that was built in the

city. The Victoria Memorial, a place of interest in Kolkata, has a museum documenting the city's

history.

Kalighat painting originated in the 19th century Kolkata, in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple

of Kalighat. Initially sold as items of souvenir taken by the visitors to the Kali temple, the

paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian painting. From the

depiction of Hindu gods, goddesses, and other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings

35 | P a g e
developed to reflect a variety of themes including quotidian life. The Academy of Fine Arts and

other art galleries hold regular art exhibitions. The Government College of Art and Craft,

founded in 1864, has been the cradle as well as workplace of eminent artists including

Abanindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, and Nandalal Bose. The art college was the birthplace of

Bengal school of art that arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the

prevalent academic art styles.

Sports

The people of Kolkata are famous for being sports lovers. Cricket and football can easily be

called the life blood of the city. The home town of Eden Gardens (headquarters of CAB), the city

36 | P a g e
can boast of an impartial crowd of cricket lovers who cheer for good cricket even when their side

is losing. Over a football match between archrivals Mohun bagan and East Bengal, the city can

get divided. Traditionally, prices of fish soar and drop based on the performances of these two

football teams. If Mohun Bagan wins, fans eat prawn to celebrate, whereas hilsa (ilish) is eaten

to celebrate an East Bengal victory. Sourav Ganguly, former captain of the Indian Cricket team

is from Kolkata.

Exhibitions

Kolkata is a city of exhibitions and fairs. The International History & Heritage Exhibition

organised by Sabarna Sangrahashala every year in the month of February is an important event

where the rich cultural heritage of the land is reflected. Apart from the history and heritage of

India, the exhibition through displays of rarest artifacts and documents portrays the history,

traditions and culture of other nations too. The exhibition attracts visitors from all over the

world.

Attire

The males usually wear western garments like pants and shirts, rather than the traditional dhoti

and kurtas. Females are usually seen in the traditional Sarees and Salwar-Kameezs. Females are

also gradually taking up more and more Western-wear, with jeans and skirts predominating in

the college campuses, as well as in the streets. English is becoming more and more popular as a

conversational language for the teenagers.

37 | P a g e
 CHAPTER 7

CONCLUSIONS
It is fun to explore the culture of Kolkata India. Over here, the days begin with a cup of tea and

thereafter people leave from their houses to enjoy the morning breeze. They carry out their

fitness workout consisting of walking, jogging, stretching etc. Bengal offers a mind-blowing

variety of sweets and yummy mouthwatering dishes. Read on to know more about Calcutta

culture:

Kolkata is truly a city of talent and passion, where people are lively and have an enthusiasm to

live life to the fullest. If you want to get well versed with the Kolkatta culture, the best way is to

look out for a friend over there and join adda i.e. the local parlance where chat sessions are held.

Discussions take place on a wide variety of subjects ranging from politics, sports, religion, news,

books, art, films, music, food etc. The discussions are healthy and never end with arguments or

an ugly note.

Bengalis are very fond of music. Infact, if you go about visiting houses in the neighborhood,

you'll find that there is an aspiring singer in almost every home. Bengalis love to indulge in

yummy food. Infact, every meal ends up with some delicious dessert. For people who love eating

junk food, Calcutta is just an apt place.

Festivities are an integral part of the city. Calcutta hosts a variety of fairs, film fests, music

conferences and folk fairs. It houses the Marwaris, Parsis, Anglo Indians, Jews, Armenians and

the joyous people of China town. Kolkata has a plethora of tourist attraction places

encompassing museums, galleries, heritage buildings, amusement parks, temples, churches and

synagogues.

38 | P a g e
 REFERENCES
Sinha P (1990). "Kolkata and the Currents of History". In Chaudhuri S. (ed.). Kolkata – The

Living City. Volume 1: The Past. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Cited by: Heierstad G (2003). "Nandikar: Staging Globalisation in Kolkata and Abroad"

(PDF Format). University of Oslo, Norway. p. 102.

Mandal, Caesar (14 August 2010). "Gardeners to guard museum?". Times of India. New

Delhi.

Chaitanya, Krishna (1994). A history of Indian painting: the modern period. New Delhi:

Abhinav Publications. pp. 112–118. ISBN 9788170173106.

Mukherjee Pandey, Jhimli (4 September 2011). "Heritage buildings need restoration, not

mere repairs". Times of India. New Delhi. Retrieved 24 January 2012.

www.bing.com

www.google.com

http://www.bharatonline.com/west-bengal/travel/kolkata/history.html

http://www.bharatonline.com/west-bengal/dance/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Kolkata

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivals_in_Kolkata

39 | P a g e