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The global fashion magazine December 25, 2010

india

Crossroads As withmany major Indiancities, Kolkataboasts examples ofoutstandingarchitecture,including somebuildings in theIndo–British style.

Oh, Kolkata! We never knew youThere is more to Kolkata than its British colonial history and Mother Teresa’s rich legacy would

suggest, say Elyse Glickman and Leyla Messian THOUGH THE OBEROI RESORTS and fabulousretreats my colleague Stanley Moss covered forLucire offer elegance and luxury fit for a raj—or atleast Aishwarya Rai—our recent trip to Rajasthanand Delhi on Stanley’s heels was driven by whatconnects us: a shared passion for luxurious textiles,great vegetarian food, bazaars and dramatic gold

Kolkata is a foodie’s paradise, fromIndian–Jewish fusion pastries sold atNahoum’s Bakery in Newmarket to thepopular Swiss-owned Flury’s, toHalderam, a stand-alone food court

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and silver jewellery (though not necessarily in thesame order for each of us). After our satisfyingexploration of the Golden Triangle, we made ourway to Kolkata via Indigo, India’s quirky, fun andefficient budget airline, for a sort of vacation fromour vacation.

While one of us (Leyla) is a veteran traveller toIndia, making regular stops to Kolkata andregarding it as a second home, the other of us(Elyse) was new to an Indian holiday but not Indianculture, thanks to regular visits to “little India”neighborhoods in Chicago (West Rogers Park) andLos Angeles (Artesia).

Though travellers often associate India withearthy, jewel tones found in the great historic sites,palaces and temples of India’s Golden Triangle,Calcutta, or Kolkata as it is now officially known, isawash in green. While much of the city’s foliage is adirect result of British colonialism personified insprawling parks and gardens, most of it is a productof East Bengal’s natural tropical terrain.

In fact, when you leave the airport, the wide,palm tree lined boulevards and pastel-hued modernbuildings evoke Miami. As you drive deeper into thecity and closer to downtown through residentialsections, New Orleans’ or Sydney’s residential areascome to mind, with the lacy verandas, terraces andquaint cafés lining the streets. Every spare space isfilled with lush equatorial plant life.

However, there is also plenty to remind you thatyou are indeed in India, from Hindu temples tobustling bazaars and markets to stores andboutiques of all stripes showcasing vibrant localfashion, textiles and jewellery. Even the popularChinese restaurants smell and taste wonderfullydifferent from our favourite neighbourhood noodleshops in LA . And with all the culture, cuisine andstyle this city has to offer anybody seeking acompelling urban destination, it is indeed surprisingthat Kolkata is not as popular a tourist destinationas one would think.

Forstarters,Kolkata is afoodie’s para-dise, fromIndian–Jewish fusionpastries soldat localinstitutionNahoum’sBakery inNewmarketto thepopularSwiss-owned

hangout dessert emporium Flury’s to Halderam, astand-alone food court that is a temple to India’sgreat street foods, sweets and snacks. On the higherend of the dining spectrum, the wonderful Oh!Calcutta and Sigree restaurants (www.speciality.co.in)are distinguished with regional menus withspecialized dishes (for West Bengal and India’s farnorth, respectively) that will surprise Indian foodfans and non-fans alike through subtle flavours andlow-fat cooking preparations.

As one of India’s great draws is its status as oneof the world’s most tolerant countries, a popularbus tour covering a variety of Hindu, Jain and othertemples is recommended by locals often sold out.However, if

that is a temple to India’s great streetfoods, sweets and snacks

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you arefortunateenough toget tickets, beprepared fora full day ofarchitecturalfeats andfascinating history.

The elegant Victoria Memorial will also keepculture vultures busy for at least a morning, with itsfascinating art and history exhibits reflecting itsdeep cultural connections with the British Empireand other European cultures bringing theirinfluences into India via the busy trade routes ofthe 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Theexpansive gardens surrounding the impressive 1905structure provide a relaxing and freshcounterbalance.

The Indian Museum, one of the oldest museumsin Asia founded in 1914, makes for an unusualacademic experience, with a 4,000-year-old mummy,fossils, coins, stones, Gandhara art, meteors andbotanica mounted in library-like settings, withdisplays and artifacts exhaustively labeled. TheAcademy of Fine Arts (2, Cathedral Road, Kolkata),meanwhile boasts an impressive collection ofminiature paintings, Indian textiles and sculptures aswell as contemporary Indian art exhibits. When itcomes to people-watching and modern Indianculture, Dolly Soanes and her kids say they spendtime at Fleury’s (a cute café opened by Swiss expats)and the Oxford Bookshop, with its own upstairscafé with a view.

Though open markets are as busy in Kolkata asthey are elsewhere in India, Kolkata is also home toseveral spotless enclosed malls like South City andthe Forum, blending known European andAmerican brands with chic Indian fashion chains.Ritu Kumar and Biba are our personal favourites.Department store Westside, meanwhile, is anexcellent one-stop shopping spot for clothes, homedécor and cosmetics.

There is also a large branch of FabIndia that willappeal to anybody who swears by stores like US

chains Anthropologies and Urban Outfitters, with arange of nifty housewares, costume jewellery andcomfy cotton Indian and Indo-European style travelclothing. Swabhumi Heritage Plaza, which featureslocal craft vendors and an amphitheatre is also a funvisit and a great place to snap up high-quality,low-cost souvenirs for friends back home.

‘You really need to come back in December,’ ourhost Shelley Metha advised, ‘as there is so muchmore happening in Kolkata with the holiday seasonand winter festivals.’ The temptation to return isfirmly embedded on our mental to-do list, but it’scombined with a belief that Kolkata is alsofiguratively one of the hottest cities on Earth. It’sonly a matter of time before the rest of the worldcatches on. •

For general information on Kolkata and West Bengal,visit www.incredibleindia.org, www.kolkatahub.com andwww.tourismindia.com. To book a customized trip,which can cover Jewish highlights, visitwww.makemytrip.com, recommended by Dolly Soanesand Shelley Metha. New York-based TCI (1 917353-0797) also offers custom India travel, includingJewish heritage itineraries.

Elyse Glickman is US west coast editor of Lucire.Leyla Messian is a senior correspondent for Lucire.

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