Desh Bandhu Park, Bagh Bazaar, K.C. Das breakfast at Basu Bati
7 hashers met in front of The Statesman House at 7:30 am to visit Desh Bandhu Park and the Basu Bati in North Calcutta. Young civil lawyers Abhishek and Rupak, were equally gallant and escorted us along the by lanes of North Calcutta where we saw some beautiful architecture and many Romeo and Juliet type balconies! Ritika was so impressed with a house with bison horns above the entrance door that she peeked in and saw a piano inside. Rupak and Kristina ran around the Desh Bandhu Park while we walked around and stopped to gaze at the Bayam Samity and the numerous cricket pitches where matches were in full swing. There was a huge cannon ball tree heavy with fruit. On the way back we stopped at Bagh Bazaar and bought tulsi trees, varietas platy and various other fish.
Abhishek had already organised the breakfast from KC Das and we had a box with radhaballabi (matarshutir kachuri), chholardaal, amriti (large jalebi), rasamalancha (kheer wrapped in malpoa pancake), and shingaras. The daal was in a haanri and the tea in bhanrs. A truly authentic North Calcutta bengali breakfast sitting on the steps of the beautiful thakurdalan of the Basu bati. Sonalidi who is used to friends dropping in after their maach and gaach buying sprees at Bagh Bazaar was happy to host us and Abhishek, although he partied till 4 am was happy to show us around his neighbourhood and his art collection. If you want to buy any of the young painters he’s promoting, click on the link http://in.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/basuart/album?.dir=/13aescd&.src=ph&.tok=phkNt2FBkJg8Ym.L
click on Back to Basu Art to see the other artists in Abhishek Basu's album.
Before we left, Ritika sang the Rekha song from Parineeta at my request. Madhuri was totally bowled over. We think Ritika should perform there in a gala to raise funds for art, heritage and her Trust Trinayani.
The next hash will be at the Horticultural Gardens (and Bhowanipur Cemetery) followed by Taj breakfast. Meet at 7:30 in front of Belvedere entrance to Horticultural gardens.
There won’t be a hash on Christmas Eve and New Year’s eve.
The first hash of 2007 will be the Vintage Car Rally on 7th January where Kristina and Siddiqui are Marshalls. When we meet next Sunday we can finalise taking the children of the art school (who made the boats and painted rickshaws) to the Vintage Car Rally and give them a picnic there so they can see the Vintage cars. The children are part of the River Festival on at Millennium Park on the 16th-17th December.
Here’s Lee’s message for the hashers.
Dearest Neela,
Hello from Madagascar. Thank you for sending me this message. I looked at the Blog and felt so nostalgic for Calcutta. I also felt very far away and it made me a little sad, but happy to read all the great things going on there. George and I send lots of love to all our old friends and hashers -- be well and take advantage of everything the beautiful eastern part of India offers!
love, Lee
P.S. George runs the hash here every other week!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Botanic Gardens & Taj, Shankarpur and Shantiniketan and Alcha
While some regulars and newcomers went to the Botanics and the Taj for breakfast, others were away on a weekend out of town. Siddiqui and Kristina and her kids enjoyed their beach outing to Shankarpur. A bus that leaves at 6:30am costs Rs.90 and takes 4 hours to reach. Hotels like the Ashoka charge Rs.375 for a double room. You can slide down the sand dunes to reach the beach. There's swimming or rather wading as the Indians are used to on the empty and clean beach. Siddiqui says one can buy lots of large shells at Rs.15 while the smaller ones are Rs.2-3. You can see millions of red crabs on the lonely stretches of the beach. They had lovely prawns (Rs.20 each) in malai curry and basic Indian fare of daal, jhurjhure alubhaja and phulkas. Another trip had better be planned soon, as my mouth is watering already.
Jennifer came down from Hyderabad and with Padminie's pal Benoit a documentary maker and an ex DJ with Radio Nova and Dusty Tape blogger, we took the Shantiniketan Express on Saturday to Shantiniketan for theSaturday haat and Nandan Mela student's campus art show where along with the art installations like the Korean giant fish there was an international food fest organized by the students where we ate fried flowers and bhanrer chai. We ate breakfast and dinner at Alcha and met with old friends who are potters, artists and musicians there and Nayana's mom with whom we had cocktails and mua. It's always a treat to go back to the peace and quiet of Shantiniketan. Abhishek who will host us on Sunday at his residence Basu Bati was in Shantiniketan with his family who pointed out to me where pati shaptas– pancakes were available at the haat. Chiru had given Benoit and Jen a tour of the Santal village dropping them to the haat before heading back to Cal. for a wedding reception. Benoit sang lots of our favourite French songs and we penned Alcha postcards to old hashers like Andy, Francois and Padminie. Bappa Ganguly, Nayana's cousin who goes to Shantiniketan every Saturday, took the Ganadevta trainback with us. On the 3 hour train journey back we ate things like jhaal muri, chiki, shon papri which were explained to Benoit as muesli, rice crispies and cotton candy!
Looking forward to seeing a large group at Statesman House on 10th Dec at 7:30 am to go to Basu Bati and walk around North Calcutta. Monica Positano tells me there is an Italian DJ performing at Fusion, Golden Park on Saturday night and we have to go and meet him. The Revolutionary Saturday Hash is on, on so look out for email from the krh3. krh3.blogspot.com Please confirm whether you are joining us on Sunday by calling to wishme on my birthday tomorrow!
Cheers,
Neela
9830014934
While some regulars and newcomers went to the Botanics and the Taj for breakfast, others were away on a weekend out of town. Siddiqui and Kristina and her kids enjoyed their beach outing to Shankarpur. A bus that leaves at 6:30am costs Rs.90 and takes 4 hours to reach. Hotels like the Ashoka charge Rs.375 for a double room. You can slide down the sand dunes to reach the beach. There's swimming or rather wading as the Indians are used to on the empty and clean beach. Siddiqui says one can buy lots of large shells at Rs.15 while the smaller ones are Rs.2-3. You can see millions of red crabs on the lonely stretches of the beach. They had lovely prawns (Rs.20 each) in malai curry and basic Indian fare of daal, jhurjhure alubhaja and phulkas. Another trip had better be planned soon, as my mouth is watering already.
Jennifer came down from Hyderabad and with Padminie's pal Benoit a documentary maker and an ex DJ with Radio Nova and Dusty Tape blogger, we took the Shantiniketan Express on Saturday to Shantiniketan for theSaturday haat and Nandan Mela student's campus art show where along with the art installations like the Korean giant fish there was an international food fest organized by the students where we ate fried flowers and bhanrer chai. We ate breakfast and dinner at Alcha and met with old friends who are potters, artists and musicians there and Nayana's mom with whom we had cocktails and mua. It's always a treat to go back to the peace and quiet of Shantiniketan. Abhishek who will host us on Sunday at his residence Basu Bati was in Shantiniketan with his family who pointed out to me where pati shaptas– pancakes were available at the haat. Chiru had given Benoit and Jen a tour of the Santal village dropping them to the haat before heading back to Cal. for a wedding reception. Benoit sang lots of our favourite French songs and we penned Alcha postcards to old hashers like Andy, Francois and Padminie. Bappa Ganguly, Nayana's cousin who goes to Shantiniketan every Saturday, took the Ganadevta trainback with us. On the 3 hour train journey back we ate things like jhaal muri, chiki, shon papri which were explained to Benoit as muesli, rice crispies and cotton candy!
Looking forward to seeing a large group at Statesman House on 10th Dec at 7:30 am to go to Basu Bati and walk around North Calcutta. Monica Positano tells me there is an Italian DJ performing at Fusion, Golden Park on Saturday night and we have to go and meet him. The Revolutionary Saturday Hash is on, on so look out for email from the krh3. krh3.blogspot.com Please confirm whether you are joining us on Sunday by calling to wishme on my birthday tomorrow!
Cheers,
Neela
9830014934
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