Delegates of Shabd — a literary meet — took a stroll around Kolkata to learn about the architectural and cultural heritage of the city. Around eight people, all in comfortable walking shoes, gathered in front of Stephen House, BBD Bag, Kolkata, early in the morning. After having chai from a roadside stall, the group walked around the area and marvelled at the architectural splendour. Culturist Sundeep Bhutoria, who conceptualised Shabd, said, “Kolkata is the cultural capital of India. I wanted the members of lit fests from across India to get a feel of the city and so planned this walk.” After the long walk, the group took a tram ride from the Esplanade depot. Srinivas Murthy from Hyderabad Literature Festival engaged in an intense conversation with the tram driver, Zainuddin Khan. “Welcome aboard. Tighten your seat belts and don’t keep your hand outside the window. In case you find the ride bumpy, blame it on me because today I will be testing Zainuddin’s driving skills,” Srinivas announced before the journey and the group had a good laugh. The touristy morning began at 8.30 am, with Ritwick Ghosh conducting the guided tour. “Besides British rulers, many other communities lived in this city, including the Armenians. Arathoon Stephen, one of the rich Armenian hoteliers who lived in the city, built many properties. Stephen House is one of them,” informed Ritwick while sharing the history behind the building. From Writers’ Building and Lal Dighi to GPO and Raj Bhavan — the group covered Dalhousie and Esplanade areas. “What fascinates me is the way this city functions. I like the way each city dweller takes pride in calling it the cultural capital of the country,” said Mita Kapur of Mountain Echoes lit fest. The tram journey ended in front of Calcutta University on College Street. “With the university campus and hundreds of bookshops, College Street is the literary hotspot of Kolkata,” said Ritwick. “But the real culture centre is our Coffee House down the road. We will not be able to visit it due to a lack of time, but don’t miss it the next time you are around,” he added. “I’m an architect by profession and so, enjoyed the tour immensely. I wish we had some more time in hand to explore other parts of the city,” said Srinivas.
