Kolkata

Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh.

For a tourist, the city may present a certain old-world charm. But for people like me who have family there and have to go there, it is the most depressing city I have ever been to. Anyways, here’re some photos I took over the years.

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No trip to Kolkata is complete without a visit to the Victoria Memorial, which is surprisingly well maintained.

Another place worth visiting is the Indian Museum, which has a real mummy from Egypt (probably looted by the british).

In the evenings, make sure to go to Princep Ghat and watch the sun set over the Hooghly.

Kolkata’s old houses with those shuttered windows are especially charming, especially during the rains.

Scenes like this are common on the footpath.

One of my favourite things to do back in the days was to visit Someplace Else at The Park and watch The Hip Pocket live.

A city crumbling

However, the sad truth is that the city’s infrastructure is crumbling. Which city will allow roads like this just outside the airport?