P for Prinsep

Hi,

Hope you are doing fine... :) I too am trying my best.

In last few days, I was asked "Isn't Mr.P planning anything new?" I had to say a "No" coz that was the truth. But on the fine morning of the Indian Republic Day (Jan 26th), I got a call from my brother Bishan (Biki) and an afternoon outing got planned. Focus: Ganga.

If you have been to my previous posts (and remember them!), you might be knowing that I had a little early morning session at Ganga already. But I still went out with Biki for three very simple reasons: 1. He wanted me to, 2. I myself wanted to, 3. Mr.P had overheard our conversation on the phone!

Anyway, as soon as we reached the Babughat, my bro got busy with his own camera (believe me guys, he has a flair for snapping). Mr.P already has shown the place to you, so he allowed me to relax a bit. We didn't have any proper plan in place (boys!) but after a cup of flavoured yogurts near Howrah station, we decided to go to the Prinsep Ghat, a place Mr.P has never been to.

Here is what Mr.P got from there.

That arrangement of cables and that big "H" is the a part of the Second Hooghly Bridge, better known as Vidyasagar Setu. And that inscription with a visible JAMES PRINSEP is a structure which stands before the bridge and on the bank of the Ganga. With a view like this, the set of these two can be called as GRAND STAND. What do you say?

The sunset time was nearing. We went a little closer and reached that structure. The photograph of the complete structure was not good enough. But what was fair enough is this one:

Frankly speaking, I still haven't googled who James Princep was for Kolkata, but after standing here, something made me feel that there has to be glorious history behind that name. Only one, just one name comes to my mind whenever I see this picture: WHISPERING PILLARS. Actually a very dear friend of mine, Partha, had shown a very similar picture snapped by him (and I called his one also with the same name). Dude, this one is dedicated to you.!

(by the way... at this very place only a scene of the song Piu Bole from teh movie Parineeta was shot)

We decsended on the Ghat. There were other people taking the photographs of the setting sun, the boats, the bridge and what not. Mr.P also tried but here is what he could do best.

This is how the complete bridge looks like (well, almost complete!) with its reflection disturbed by the ripples and a few trademark boats in front of it. People hire these boats for a hour and a half flawless feast of what we Kolkatans call as the magical Ganga-r Haowa (the Ganges breeze). Biki and I didn't take the trip but believe us, it sure is a treat. Not Mr.P but I call this picture NOSTALGIC. I know its a pathetic name. Please (please) let me be the second one to know if you are the first one to come up with a better one.

While coming back, Mr.P could not leave out the his most frequently shot object. The Sun.

Mr.P, whenever is back from one of his outings, he is sure to be back with a few shots of teh setting sun (is not impossible) and I end up posting it here. I dont knwo if you would agree or not but the setting sun is one of the most beautiful things that we are gifted to see everyday (yes, even a person like me also agrees!). You can see there is no leaf left on that tree and so the picture can also be called SKELETAL. (yes... I do have a poor vocab).

After this one, neither Mr.P nor Biki found anything much interesting to shoot. We took a cab and with a fantastic ride on the bank of Ganges, and not to mention, enjoying the ever refreshing Ganga-r Haowa, reached a restaurant at Park Street.

Honestly, I, as someone who has seen Mr.P doing better, think that you also should let Mr.P know that he might be losing what he had started with. He would be really glad to get your thoughts and comments on these pictures and know his flaws.

Anyway, as usual, it was great sharing a few minutes with you.! :)

Till next time, Bye :)

Cheers.! :)

Kaakdeep: A break

Hi,

No... the name 'Kaakdeep' has nothing to do with my unspoken name ('deep', that is). The name 'Kaakdeep' should mean 'Crow Island' (Kaak=Crow, Dweep=Island... The 'dweep' is pronounced as 'deep' in Bengali). Its a little town located in southern Bengal about 100 km from Kolkata and is an important fish trading location. We went there as my Mamaji (maternal uncle) owns a farmhouse there. This time my complete 'double ex-ell' sized family invaded that place on last Christmas (2009), all on a break. But more than anything else, it was a complete A-to-Zedd fun filled trip.

But as you know, why am I here and why this blog is being written. Yes.. yes.. It was Mr.P again doing what he does best, ruining my 'time outs' with his own ideas. Actually Kaakdeep is nothing like any hidden paradise or some undiscovered historical/archaeological site... its just another place on the Diamond Harbour Road. So please do not expect any mind blowing snap in this post. The pictures here are like what Mr.P could take out from his two night stay there.

Here I go.

We started from Kolkata on Christmas day at about 10:30 am and after half of the journey, our caravan took a halt at a roadside hotel for a little refreshment. Mr.P got busy. The hotel was at the end of a bridge. This is what Mr.P got when he stood looking down the canal running across under the bridge.

The man was rowing and the lady, sitting here, was collecting something from those aquatic plants. I looked down, they spotted me too. I showed them my camera (meaning: Please don't mind sir, I just took a picture of yours). They smiled. I smiled back (this time meaning: BON VOYAGE).

After that snack (at 12 noon!), we continued. Thanks to the advancement of automobiles (the car's suspension system to be precise), I didn't realise that we were moving at 100km/hr when Mr.P took this picture.

My sun sign says that I am (read: should be) adventurous. I don't know how far true it actually is but I did realise that it is not entirely wrong. For some reason my thirty-two were all exposed (I have only 31 though). It felt like somebody has told our driver (Chhotu), in a high US accent,: ONYA MAAK, get set, go!

After we reached, it was a lazy (rest of the) afternoon. We had our lunch and after a few more hours, I went out with my bro, Jijaji (my elder sister's husband) and of course Mr.P to explore the surrounding a bit. After some samosas and tea at a market nearby, when we were to come back, Mr.P spotted this man between the rickshaw stand and the Kali temple.

And as soon as he did, he ran towards him and said "please sir, stay like that for some more seconds". As you can see, he didn't move a muscle (other than his eyes'). When I came back, my Jijaji said "He is luckier than us at this hour. We have to ride a rickshaw back in this chill and he is enjoying the HEATED CHILL".

We came back that evening and after a mind blowing chicken prepared by one of my uncles, it was next to impossible to avoid the call from that bed (with a cozy quill and plump pillow but minus the city noise). But next morning, all the thanks to Mr.P, I woke up at 6 am!! There is a little pond in the east side of the premises. Mr.P went there but here is only what he could grab worth posting.

The camera could not capture the thin irregular layer of fog on the water at that hour. There was absolutely no ripple in it and the trees were making the sun rays distinctly noticeable. It was like a MIRROR OF THE DAWN.

Mamaji has an open space where he breeds a variety of birds. At such a place where there were pigeons, Mr.P got this.

These birds were looking absolutely stunning in that morning sun. All the time we were there, we cousins, not very surprisingly, kept referring these birds as MASAKKALI. I heard Mamaji saying once, while feeding them, "makes your heart feel light". Mr.P wanted another particular shot of these magnificent birds, but could not get it then.

I went to my dad. He was also looking at a different cage with a few different birds. He told me to click the camera in a certain way from a certain distance. But when I (and Mr.P) kept failing in getting the shot he wanted, dad himself took the charge and here is what he got.

After all the people saw this shot, they didn't find it surprising that I have been running this photoblog. And after Mr.P had seen this picture, he knew that he has a very very long way to go. But when I came to know that it is a Love Bird, I was bound to name this picture as ALONE.

The picture below is the best of about fifteen similar pictures of the same flower. Mr.P was shooting it but it was I who was being laughed at (its obvious how your sisters and Mausis will behave when a rose gets so much of attention from you).

The shots were getting blurred for some reason. But whatever, the thing is, when it comes to a rose, it has to be special. But with a mind like Mr.P's, Jacks and Roses look best to him in posters only. So this picture can be left with only one name: NOT FOR YOU.

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon when I realised that I should finally take a bath (for the sake of other people). When I went out to ask for my towel, Mr.P spotted something that he wanted when he was clicking MASAKKALI. No second thought, he ran it, fetched my camera, came out and Click.

I don't think, I need to see anything else. These two birds, face-to-face, say a lot anyway. I could here only a few things that they were saying between themselves... it sounded something like "YU EN AAI". (poor in english I believe).

After (a bath and) lunch, I was roaming in the garden. Mamaji took me with him and showed a few flowers. Mr.P shot all of them... but he could only make two of them worth posting.

Here is the first one.

Its called BLEEDING HEART. If you see carefully, a group of scarlet petals emerge out from the white ones. Its the most perfect name this flower can get and so does its picture.

The second one is more glamorous than the first one.

If I remember correctly, its called the Spider Web (or something like that). Looking at its colour, if we go a bit deeper in its name, I don't find it wrong to name this picture PINK WEB.

That evening also, me, Mr.P, bro and Jijaji went to the market (for jalebis this time). We, as the evening before, took a rickshaw to get back home. The rickshaws there are not the usual two seaters. They are have an array of flat wooden planks bolted together to make a platform for about six people. This assembly is placed on three wheels with the help of a bolted metallic arrangment and is powered by manual paddling. I was seated at the rear of that rickshaw facing the direction opposite to which we were moving when Mr.P got this shot.

Although my eyes were almost blinded by these lights, but something in me could still not ingore the darkness though which we were moving. It was not the lights which was winning the war, it was a little DISCOUNT FROM DARKNESS which was appearing like a celebration.

That night we all celebrated the birthday party of one of my cousin sisters three days in advance (afterall such a complete get together is rare). Dinner had three types of fish (yes...I too was shocked when i first came to know about it). That night I called up my friends to tell them about my stay at Kaakdeep. We were to leave the next afternoon.

For once, I didnt let Mr.P run over me. I slept for long the next morning and Mr.P also took a break. Swimming and fishing in that pond went for the rest of the morning. After lunch, we said goodbye to Subrata, the caretaker of that farmhouse. But while in that local train back to Kolkata, Mr.P proved he is not done yet.

The time was about 3:30 pm or something when the outside turned golden. I had seen this happening in the beaches but now I knew that there exist some LOCAL COLOURS also. The camera charge was getting exhausted. Mr.P finally let me sink back in that 'ghost story' book, I had bought three minutes ago for the rest of the journey.

I hope you also enjoyed the Kaakdeep break, at least a little. If you get time (and have no problem spending it in the countryside), Mamaji will be glad to get his farmhouse visited by you.

About this post, please let me know how you liked or hated it through your comments.

Till next time,

Cheers.! :)