After leaving Rabindranath’s house, I walked to the Marble Palace. Someone gave us a tour and brief history, pointing out various sculptures in its lush and opulent interior. The Marble Palace is a unique 19th-century mansion that stands as one of Kolkata’s most distinctive heritage buildings. It was built in 1835 by wealthy Bengali merchant … Continue reading / view photos Marble Palace
Rabindranath Tagore
Unlike yesterday’s failed attempt, I spent this morning at Rabindranath Tagore’s family home. It was incredibly comprehensive, covering many aspects of his life. The house show photos and painting from different parts of his life. Rabindranath Tagore was multitalented. He was a poet, painter, educator, and set up a university. He is one of the … Continue reading / view photos Rabindranath Tagore
Noisy Kolkata!
On Mondays, museums and similar places are shut in India. Google Maps said the family home of Rabindranath Tagore, India’s winner of the Nobel Prize of Literature, was open. Even better the opening times had been “updated by phone call 5 weeks ago”. When I turned up the house was shut! It would be open … Continue reading / view photos Noisy Kolkata!
Colonial Kolkata
After finishing my lunch in the Victoria Memorial, I looked at the map of the self-guided walk. It continued through the Maidan, a popular green space for relaxing. I couldn’t see Fort William in the background because the tree foliage was dense. I caught sight of the Eden Gardens (“Kolkata’s legendary cricket battleground”) before seeing … Continue reading / view photos Colonial Kolkata
Victoria Memorial
Last night, I’d flicked through the recent edition of the Lonely Planet India guide in my apartment. I bookmarked some places in Google Maps. I also took a photo of a self-guided walk. I decided I would follow this walk today. This morning, I walked out of the apartment and through the shoe market. It … Continue reading / view photos Victoria Memorial
Calicut to Hyderabad to Kolkata
It was an early start to catch the morning flight. The journey was smooth from Calicut to Kolkata. There was a stopover in Hyderabad. When I went through the transfer security, I noticed a lounge. It was for people with membership of some club or who had certain bank cards. I had opened my Indian … Continue reading / view photos Calicut to Hyderabad to Kolkata
Sunset in Calicut
For my last day, I went to KIRTADS. This museum had a history of local tribes and was also a research centre. I picked the day when the curator was on holiday. He normally gives a guided tour explaining the exhibits. So I walked around alone, followed by the friendly person on duty, who switched … Continue reading / view photos Sunset in Calicut
Mosques, temple, market, and beach
In the morning, we took an auto for a whirlwind tour of some mosques and a Hindu temple. It helped that the auto driver was a Moslem and was able to get access to some of the mosques. We then went to SM Street, one of the markets/shopping areas in Calicut. Helene was looking for … Continue reading / view photos Mosques, temple, market, and beach
Walking around Calicut
It was time to return to Kozhikode (Calicut). Last night, I’d contacted the taxi driver who brought us to the homestay. After our breakfast, he drove us back to Calicut. We again encountered the nine (numbered) hairpin bends! After checking into our hotel, we explored Calicut for the first time. We walked along the beach … Continue reading / view photos Walking around Calicut
Arapetta Tea Factory
Our ultimate destination today was the Arapetta Tea Factory. Before setting out, we had another delicious and colourful breakfast! We found a path that ascended quite high from our homestay to give us panoramic views of the mountains. On the opposite side of the valley, we saw the location of the 2024 landslide. Triggered by … Continue reading / view photos Arapetta Tea Factory