Chandernagore!

Wonderful little town – originally a French colony. Now in two parts – the first surrounds a banyan tree where the French initially landed, and the second is the main town. The town got Independence only in 1950 (1952?). Old pravesh dwars at the entry, with the inscription “Liberte Egalite Fraternite” the French Republic motto, of course. The town is filled with old buildings, a dream for me. Took lots of photos.

We were intitally greeted at the Municipal hospital (one of three hospitals in the town) by Dr. Sipradi and were taken around the premises. Her husband and herself were in the UK for many years. Then we were greeted by Aastha, a local women’s organization who gave us the most refreshing nimboo pani. The health camp was in a Girls’ School so we went there first, and Shirin gave a little speech of the rousing and inspiring variety. Then we went back to the IMA Hall, and thence to see the accommodation for the ladies. This was in an amazing bungalow by the river. Then rushed back to the IMA Hall for a felicitation programme where we received beautiful laminated certificates. Then they had organized a screeing of the film we were carrying with us – Aakhri Dastak. That went very well, but the silly laptop went into stand by mode every 10 minutes. So prophylactically had to move the mouse. Was very cold last night and was quite late by the time we got back to IMA Hall for our dinner. Then went back to the house by the river for sleep.

No time for sight-seeing! Big shame.

15th January 2006

Sightseeing Finally!
Got out of the house at 10.30 am after arranging a taxi to take us around. Charges – Rs. 525 for Dakshineshwar temple, Belur Math, Botanical Gardens and back via the old Howrah Bridge.
So four of us, including Nirupama left. First went to Botanical Gardens to see the Banyan Tree, the Banyan Tree! (see photo)
Then left around 11.30 am to Dakshineshwar (Dokhineshwar). Reached around 1 pm but found that the temple itself was closed, although we were told that it would be open. So whiled away our time drinking coconut water and eating coconut malai and perus and Lay’s wafers and biscuits. Bought a book – Society and Socialism by Swami Vivekananda but still have to start it. Waited in line along with lots of Gujju bens and bhais who had just come from the Makar Sankrant mela in Gangasagar.
Dakshineswar is the Kali temple where Ramakrishna Paramahansa was the pujari and had his darshan of Maa Kali. The temples are just amazing. Combinations of yellow and red. The doors opened at 3 pm. Seeing the idol was a feat – dhakka-dhakki. Seemed very badly arranged.
Left around 3.30 pm. Decided to skip Belur Math. Returned via the old Howrah Bridge (see photos).
Went to Victoria Memorial – amazing! (see photos) Caught the sunset. Walked the way back home. Went for dinner to Haldiram’s at 8 pm – usual chhole bhature.
Turned in by 10 pm.
This was a really long day, but too tired. These were the salient features.

14th January 2006

Another cold Cal morning.
Yesterday Mr. Swarup Mitra, Chief Internal Auditor of Tata Tea met us serendipitously. He is also the Chairman of the Vocational Service Committee of the Rotary Club of Calcutta. He took us along to meet Dr. S K Sharma the Rotary Pres and a radiologist – and a very influential one at that. He may help us out with the awareness event in Calcutta, lets see. Then we had a meeting with the Calcutta branch of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan lasting till 10 pm. There was some confusion regarding the District Magistrate of Gangasagar, Rashmi Sen. One of the NYKS fellows made the brilliant statement – “Yes, he is a lady!” in all earnestness. We controlled our guffaws with the greatest difficulty.
Another unbelievable thing about Cal is that all the restaurants and shops close at 10 pm!! It was so difficult to find a place to eat… but we asked a Paaji family and they guided us to a restaurant called La-Zeez. Food was good and the waiter was a snobbish anglo. Had some Chinese and got some dal makhani and roti packed for Dr. Nirupama Bhave whose leg is fractured. We left a 3 rupee tip for the snob and his expression was unforgettable! But we are Yatris after all! And yatris don’t tip.
Forgot to tell you about the metro station Robindro Shadan – it has these amazing murals of Rabindranath’s poetry – in his handwriting – “The lake lies low by the hill, a tearful entreaty of love at the feet of the inflexible.”
Lets see what today has in store.

Evening log:
Hectic hectic hectic… Mater, brother and I first went to meet Dr. Ashis at Central Medical College. Then we went to look for a place to buy BP instruments and weighing scales for the Pregnancy Kits. Got an estimate – just above the 1 lakh that Tata Chemicals has donated. Anyway the stuff was out of stock so will have to wait for Monday. Then went to the BOGS office with Ashis to print out some letters: invitation to Minister of Health etc. They kindly gave us rosogollas and sandesh and cham cham. Monideepa Mukherjee of WBSAPCS (West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society) a Govt. organization called us to meet her and her superior at their office in Salt Lake City. Went by taxi – 133 Rs. Met Moni but Suresh Kumar her boss was in a meeting. So waited for an hour and a half till 4.30 pm. Getting back was tough – ripped off by a taxi driver on our way to Dum Dum Metro station (which we were told was the nearest station). So we literally (sorry, figuratively) jumped out when we had had enough. Asked our way to the station and started walking when a bus stopped in front of us so after a few words shouted to and fro to make sure he was stopping at Dum Dum we jumped in (yes a lot of jumping). Finally got to Dum Dum and a punched urchin later we were in the train back.
6 pm and were ravenous from having skipped lunch (except for the sweets). So stopped off at Haldiram to have dinner – chhole bhature and a masala dosa for me, pav bhaji and samosa chaat for anna and masala dosa for amma. Followed up by rasmalai, jalebi and malpua. Took chhole bhature back for nirupama our fractured-leg-lady.
Took a lovely hot water shower and now writing this. Will probably turn in early, but you never know.

13th January 2006

Yesterday’s scheduled departure from Mumbai of 5.30 am saw us arrive at the airport at 4.30 am after a sleep of only 4 hours. The Deccan Air flight was delayed – by 8 hours. The major problem for most of us was of course that of a ‘movement’.
Anyway, we boarded the aircraft first at 7 am, and then were offloaded at 8 am. Left incommunicado with flight authorities till we bom-maroed. We somehow managed to take off at 1.30 pm, and arrived at Dum Dum Airport at 4 pm. The 57-seater bus courtesy Tata Motors was at the airport to receive us. It took us 45 mins to get to our plush rooms at 1/1 Bishop LeFroy Road. We have one suite downstairs and an apartment upstairs. The one upstairs is Number 9, and faces flat Number 8 where Satyajit Ray lived, and where his wife and son now live. There is a story floating around that Ray’s ghost peeps in and out of the flat, but I can’t remember if I was the one who made it up. (see pictures of our rooms.)
The flat is amazing – really old wooden furniture – beds, dining table, cupboards, et al. A gramophone record collection of Bach’s symphonies in a cupboard. I am at home!!
Today was a fine cool morning. Mater and I went to Central Medical College, where Dr. Ashis Mukherjee our WB coordinator teaches. Mode of travel – Yellow Ambassador taxi! Met him and went with him to the Bengal Ob/Gy Society to meet the other Bong docs. The office is in a building which faces the “School of Tropical Medicine” – this building has the names of the founders(?) on its façade; I espied Ronald Ross’. (Nearby is the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, the building looking totally unapt.)
On the way back, we adventurously decided to take the Metro – from Central to our stop Rabindra Sadan. The latter is pronounced ‘Robindro Shodon’ with ‘d’ as in ‘that’. Wonderfully Bongoli.
What struck me about Cal is that it IS filthy. Even the posh areas, and even the BOGS office was coated generously with grime and soot. The people themselves appear to have stood for an hour in front of the exhaust pipe of a PMT bus.
Anyway, all is well at present. Spoke to Tarun (my friend from BJ presently holidaying in Cal) and will probably meet him tomorrow.
No time for sightseeing today.Still 5 days for the Yatra to officially begin.

SuPraBha Ganga Yatra

Please Check Out www.suprabhagangayatra.com

A Project under the auspices of the Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of India (FOGSI), with partners Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).

Aimed at improving the Reproductive Health of Rural Women.

Spanning Five Years and Five States.

Walkathon of 2,400 km - the length of the river Ganga all the way from Gangasagar to Gaumukh.

Walking at 20-30 km/day will take 108 days to complete (allowing for contingencies).

Starting 18th January 2006.