Page 288 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

286  EASTERN INDIA

Shopping & Entertainment CDs and audio cassettes. On
in Kolkata Chitpur Road towards Nakhoda
Mosque (see p277) are music
shops selling sitars, sarods, veenas,
Kolkata is a delightful place to shop, even though it lacks flutes and violins.
the fashionable boutiques of Delhi or Mumbai. There are Free School Street is about the
several old-style bazaars and street hawkers, and a number only place in India where record
of glitzy shopping malls. Many shops, such as those in New albums of 1950s Elvis Presley
Market, stock a wide variety of goods; others cater to special and Jerry Lee Lewis or 1960s
Beatles and Rolling Stones are
niches. In certain places one needs to drive hard bargains – easily available.
the shopkeepers both expect and enjoy this process.
Kolkata was once famous for its auction houses, but sadly Sweets
most of these have now shut down. This is also a culturally
vibrant city, with regular performances of theatre, music West Bengal’s sweets are famous.
and film shows. Exhibitions by well-known contemporary The variety is bewildering, but the
two most popular are sandesh
artists are also held throughout the year. and rosogulla (see p268). The latter
is on sale in every sweetshop, but
those in KC Das & Sons, the family
Shops and Markets Handicrafts and Gifts which invented this delicacy, are
Kolkata’s New Market (see p280), Handicrafts special to West the best. Sandesh, made of cottage
on Lindsay Street, is the city’s Bengal, such as the terracotta cheese and sugar (molasses or
most famous shopping centre. Bankura horse (see p295), are gur in the winter months) are of
Officially the Sir Stuart Hogg New on sale at Manjusha Emporium. two kinds, those that are soft and
Municipal Market, established The Crafts Council of West those that have a harder outer
in 1874, this is still a shopper’s Bengal is another fascinating crust. Both are widely available,
paradise, where one can find outlet that sells traditional saris but the best are found in Nakur
everything from Chinese sausages as well as artifacts, while Sasha Nandy & Girish Chandra Dey,
and fortune cookies to Tibetan has a wide range of curios and Makhan Lal Das & Sons and
curios and gold jewellery. Sudder bric-a-brac. Tea of the finest Balaram Mullick.
Street, behind the Indian Museum, quality is available at Dolly’s
is another popular shopping Tea Shop in the Dakshinapan
centre. Each locality has its own shopping complex. This complex Entertainment Guides,
Tickets and Venues
bazaar; the best known of these also has numerous other state
are Gariahat, Bhowanipore (or handicraft emporia. The Sunday Telegraph magazine
Jadubabu’s Bazaar), Bowbazaar and other English language
and Maniktola. Wandering through Books and Music dailies list the day’s entertain-
bazaars offers a glimpse of street ment on their engagements
life, but be prepared for touts This city of intellectuals and Nobel page. Other useful sources of
and beggars. laureates, such as Rabindranath information are Cal Calling and
Shops usually open from 10am Tagore and Amartya Sen, is Kolkata: This Fortnight, which is
to 7pm and remain closed on heaven for those willing to search distributed by the West Bengal
Sundays and public holidays. New for second-hand bargains in the Tourist office. Information on
Market and some markets also shops that line the pavements tickets as well as reviews of
close after 2pm on Saturday, so do of College Street (see p276) and plays and concerts also appear
check the timings in advance. Free School Street. Many of with the announcements.
these shops have a good selection Kolkata’s cultural centre is just
of rare and out-of-print books. off the Maidan. The Rabindra
Saris and Textiles
Dasgupta & Co has a large choice, Sadan Complex, named after
The best shops for saris unique though there is no place to Rabindranath Tagore, includes
to West Bengal are Ananda, browse. The Seagull Bookstore, the Academy of Fine Arts. Next
Meera Basu and Biswa Bangla. on the other hand, encourages door is Nandan, where retrospec-
Ananda also has an excellent browsing and is the best place tives of films by Satyajit Ray
selection of dhotis and kurtas. for serious literature and and other renowned directors,
The upmarket boutique Ritu’s academic books. Starmark, too, are regularly held. Other venues
has superb garments designed has a large stock that ranges around the city include INOX,
by Ritu Kumar, one of India’s top from thrillers to encyclopedias. Gorky Sadan and the well-
designers. Exquisite hand- The centrally located Oxford known British Council.
embroidered table linen and Bookstore is also well-stocked Exhibitions by well-known as
children’s clothes are avail able at and has a good café. well as up-and-coming artists
Good Companions. Carpets Music aficionados are advised are held at the city’s many art
and dhurries are available at to try Starmark, which has a good galleries, especially the Birla
Calcutta Carpets. selection of Indian and Western Academy of Art and Culture,

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