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!