The Legends Club

Somewhere, some place up above the clouds, a few strangers were meeting over a good cuppa. Strangers because all of them looked so different. One old bearded man was wearing a long robe with what looked more like a fez; there was one person who looked an Englishman was wearing a tailcoat and looked prim and proper; the third was someone from the far east with an attire fit for those lands, the fourth was a man in sherwani and the fifth was surely a sardar with his lungi and turban tied in typical rustic fashion. As the initial conversations started, no more than a few words were exchanged but in no time, the table became the epicentre of the dining hall with loud chatter and laughter bursting out, something you would see when old friends come together. On closer look, it seemed that their common love of their life was and still continues to be a city by the banks of the river Hooghly in the eastern part of a country on planet earth. Like some mortals down on the planet earth, the people up there who are part of the Legends Club are also entitled to some perks. One day in a year, they are allowed to travel down to any place of their choice by their very own space craft. With no tickets, visa or forex to worry about, all of them look forward to the day. By the way, if you thought up there in heaven everyone is an equal then I am sorry to break your heart for they do have a Legends Club for the crème de la crème who get some special privileges. All the five people on the table were part of this exclusive club even though they lived in different times and belonged to different worlds. However, they had one link and that is where they intended to spend the next twenty-four hours… yes, Calcutta, their city- the City of Joy.

James: Thank you gentlemen for agreeing to come to my place first. I am so delighted.

Ballu: Bhai James Ji, tussi ho kaun, je to batao? I know the others but not you.

Robi: Good question, Ballu. Not many people will know James. Let me tell you something about him. Have you heard about Emperor Ashoka?

Ballu: Haan ji. He was a bada emperor whose empire spread almost across the country and he took to Buddhism after the Battle of Kalinga.

Robi: Yes, indeed. The world would not have known about Emperor Ashoka but for James Prinsep. Ashoka left behind a lot of information about his reign through inscriptions carved on stones, pillars and monuments. But these inscriptions were mostly in the Brahmi script, an ancient writing system which became obsolete by the 5th century BC. It was our dear friend James who deciphered the script. He was also instrumental in decoding another language called Kharosthi. It was a language that was used in NW India, Pakistan, East Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia. James Prinsep was responsible for introduction of uniform coinage and construction of circular canal connecting the river Hooghly and the Sundarbans. The citizens of Calcutta collected the money to erect this monument in his memory!

Ballu: Wah ji wah James Bhai. Tussi great ho ji. No wonder there is a beautiful ghat on the Hooghly River built in 1841. It will be a pleasure to visit the Prinsep Ghat Monument and enjoy a boat ride on the river singing…. O maajhi re….

Ballu: Bhai now all of you please come to my place for breakfast.

Robi: Yes, we will go there but first let us also see one of the biggest flower markets in the world not far from here. It is the Raja Mallik Ghat Flower Market which is over 130 years old. People travel all over the city and suburbs to sell flowers here. It is located just below the southeast end of the Howrah bridge; the market runs along the riverside. There is no flower that you cannot get here and all so fresh and fragrant. From here the flowers are packed in special boxes and transported to other parts of India.

Ballu: Ab toh chalo ji to my place, Balwant Singh Eating House. But let me tell you a few things in advance. Tussi sab maas-macchi khane wale ho. My place is strictly vegetarian. Secondly, please do not ask for fancy things like bone china crockery, shining glasses and fine steel fork and knives and sleek tables and chairs. All you will get are wooden tables and chairs, simple steel plates which have little compartments made for dal, dahi, sabji and roti. Finally, don’t be fussy about hygiene. The boys serving here are not in the finest and cleanest attires and the kitchen may appear dirty and smoky. But one thing I can assure you that you won’t die… because you’re dead already! Ha ha…

The other four friends started laughing loud at this last comment and were almost down to tears.

Ballu: I can say, there is no better place than my place for the taste of real masala kulcha, bhature, parantha and you must have the giant size jalebis. The doodh cola is a specialty which is a mix of milk and cola and is available only here. The recipe is a secret and was passed on by me to my son and he did the same for his son. My place started off over a hundred years ago at Bhowanipore and is a favourite for both morning walkers and night strollers. It is open round the clock.

Kim: Ballu, you’re eating house is just too good. The only problem is that you end up with a lot of ghee stuff and the tummy feels too full. A short sleep on the charpoy would be welcome but since we just have one day, let us make the most of it. Let us take a walk around the Maidan. I think that is the most beautiful part of this historic city.

All the others agreed and they started their long march all around the maidan, seeing all the statues standing there, the football club houses, the green grass spread all around from one end of Victoria Memorial to BBD Bagh. Having walked for a couple of hours and enjoying the tea in a bhaad (earthen cup), the foursome felt tired.

Kim: I think, it is time for all of you to come with me to Tangra Chinatown where you can rest a while at my place and enjoy the finest and authentic Chinese food.

Sounds great… let’s go, said Robi. No more walking. Just wear your magical slippers and shout out loud the location of the place where you wish to reach and the GPS (God Positioning System) will take you in a swoosh. It is accurate to the last millimeter.

Kim: Welcome to my home, Kim Ling. Don’t bother with the bad roads and some dirt and squalor here and there in the bylanes of Tangra where my Chinese community has been treating Calcutta folks with the best Chinese food. While the old names of dishes are still printed on the menu, things have changed over time to suit the taste of the locals who are not too happy having anything bland. So now we offer the popular 'Calcutta-Tangra Style Chinese' food that will not only satiate your hunger but also your soul. You must try our chilli fish and chilli prawns as starters and some Canton style noodles with Manchurian chicken for the main course.

James: That was some meal, Kim. Can we just pack some from here and take it up there to show our chefs how good food is made.

Kim: Honestly James, I am not too impressed with the way food is being made now. Most old Chinese people have moved on and at many places here at Tangra, the cooks and the owners are other than the originals. If you really want to have some real good stuff, I will recommend a lady at Southern Avenue who prepares take-away food and caters to limited number of orders on weekends. Her USP is one specialty per week. Just see the picture below of the Pan-Asian meal one she once sent across. It was a big spread, tasted marvelous and was importantly seasoned with love. I will pass on her contact to you.

Robi: Now it is time for you to enjoy my home in the city, Jorasanko Thakur Bari built in 1784. This was initially built by Nilmoni Thakur and then expanded to a palatial residential complex by Prince Dwarkanath Tagore. Both my father and I were born here and the place is now a museum where many artefacts and pictures have been preserved. The museum has a wide-ranging collection- photographs, newspaper clippings, books , personal items, letters and paintings. There are galleries devoted to the leading figures of Bengali Renaissance, like Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Maharshi Debendranath, Rabindranath, Abanindranath Thakur, and Gaganendranath. Embarrassingly there are also galleries devoted to me, showing my life, works and ideas. There are also a few foreign galleries covering my visits to Japan, China, Iran, Hungary, Siam and the USA.

James: You lived in a palace, my dear friend Robi babu, and you never told your friends about your Knighthood and its renunciation and the Nobel Prize for Literature which I understand has since been stolen from Santiniketan. You had a wonderful vision of creating a Global Indian University at Santiniketan. We will pay a visit to your dream project on another trip, dear friend. Meanwhile, is there anything that you can’t do…poetry, plays, stories, music, dance, painting, education and all of these you’ve achieved to the highest standards. If at all there will be a selection for the President of the Legends Club, I can’t think of anyone better.

Robi: No election or selection for me. Now we have to go where the most silent man in our group asks us to . He is our very own, Ahmed Hussain who is a direct descendant of the cooks of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow and started the Royal Indian Hotel. Nestled near Nakhodha Masjid in Chitpur, the Royal Indian Hotel has been a landmark for Mughlai food in Kolkata since 1905.

Hussain: When I set up a modest eatery, we used to serve only three dishes — Mutton Chaap, Mutton Qalia and Khushka, a variation of yellow pulao. Gradually, we added more dishes and it was my son Mehboob Ali in 1940 who added the biryani wich has since become a signature dish. Let us walk through the streets of Chitpore from Jorasanko and build up some appetite because this is the real food fit for royalty!

Hussain: Now make yourself at home here and allow me to order some of the best dishes… rumali roti with mutton chaap and kebab, special biryani and for the sweet dish there will be firni and shahi tukda. We do not add potato and egg in our biryani here as you will find in other Calcutta restaurants.

Robi: Ahmed, I have had Mughlai food at many places in Calcutta and in other parts of the country and the world but none can beat the Royal Biryani and chaap. And the shahi tukda is simply insane. It is a huge, thick piece of fried bread soaked in rabri and saffron and sprinkled with dry fruits. After such food we had in just one day, living up there will be quite a challenge. I am sure we will have Ballu, Kim and you guide our world-renowned chefs with the meals going forward.

It was dark by then and the five legends walked to a lonely lane, held each other’s hands, took one last look at their beloved city and then in a sudden whirlwind motion, they were gone. The twenty-four hours were well spent and they promised to each other that on their next vacation, they will once again return to this land that had given them name, fame and love unlimited… the City of Love, indeed.

SS