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KOLKATA'S PARK STREET REVELS IN CHRISTMAS
IANS - India
December 25, 2014 Thursday
Kolkata
Kolkata, Dec. 25 -- India's iconic British-era Park Street here
Thursday hosted thousands of revellers from across the world as they
soaked in the Yuletide spirit with generous helpings of cakes, carols
and heritage.
Festooned with lights, streamers and decked up with everything and
anything related to Christmas - light displays of Santa Claus on
sleigh, the ceremonial giant Christmas tree, Park Street truly showed
its organic side Dec 25.
>From being the hub of the Kolkata Christmas Carnival celebrations to
having a music video dedicated to it, the historic promenade reflects
the changing times.
"Kolkata has always been a cosmopolitan city and controversies like
these have never affected its spirit. Something like this happened
last year too.
"However, Christmas in Kolkata always sees diverse communities and
people of all age groups participate - be it the annual Christmas
Festival sponsored by the West Bengal government or be it the family
festivities. Controversies will pass," Rev. Abir Adhikari, secretary,
Calcutta Diocese of the Church of North India, told .
A silent witness to history since the 1700s, the famous thoroughfare
Thursday got its own music video, titled, "Park Street - A Living
Ballad".
"The music video captures the golden era of the street. The song
dedicated to Park Street is called 'Keep Dreaming on', composed by
Grammy Award-nominated jazz musician Louiz Banks," Supriyo Nandy,
secretary, Society for Park Street Rejuvenation Kolkata (SPARK), told .
The eight-minute-long video is a nostalgic trip down memory lane
through the legendary diners, confectioners, nightclubs, burial grounds
(the well-known Park Street cemetery), auction houses, churches,
business centres, heritage structures - that contributed to its
unique identity.
The street had rather murky origins in the 1700s as an unpaved,
nondescript connector between Fort William (the seat of the British
military) and three cemeteries. It transitioned to one of the most
elite boulevards in India by the turn of the 20th century with the
influx of the Jews, Armenians, Parsis and Europeans.
Taking its name after a deer park owned by Sir Elijah Impey, the first
chief justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in
Bengal (then British India), Park Street's metamorphosis mirrored
the edifices that came up-some of which were firsts for India.
While Mocambo is said to be independent India's first nightclub,
Magnolia is the country's maiden ice cream parlour. Hall and Anderson
is believed to be the first departmental store.
Dotted with quaint tearooms (Flurys), stately edifices erected by
wealthy Jewish and Armenian merchants (Park Mansions and Stephen
Court), some of the finest restaurants and nightclubs in the country,
Park Street was the place to be seen and spotted during the 19th and
20th century.
The creme-de-la-creme of the city held sway at Park Street till
the stretch lost a bit of its sheen with the migration of the Jews,
Armenians and Europeans.
Park Street now sits at the crossroads of globalisation what with
shiny new-age cafes, clubs, pubs, fast food centres, gift shops and
bookstores attracting an increasing number of youngsters.
And come Christmas, the illuminated street (re-christened Mother
Teresa Sarani) is engulfed in aromas of plum cakes, Dundee cakes and
chicken patties as citizens draped in woollens brave the chill to
queue up for their favourite bites.
Performances by choirs, Armenians, Army band and Kolkata Police band
are staples at the Allen Park at one end of Park Street. Children and
adults, sporting red Santa Claus caps and other Christmas paraphernalia
gather around the tree.
At the other end, food stalls buzzing with customers, border the
neighbourhood post office, creating a carnival-like atmosphere.
From: Baghdasarian
IANS - India
December 25, 2014 Thursday
Kolkata
Kolkata, Dec. 25 -- India's iconic British-era Park Street here
Thursday hosted thousands of revellers from across the world as they
soaked in the Yuletide spirit with generous helpings of cakes, carols
and heritage.
Festooned with lights, streamers and decked up with everything and
anything related to Christmas - light displays of Santa Claus on
sleigh, the ceremonial giant Christmas tree, Park Street truly showed
its organic side Dec 25.
>From being the hub of the Kolkata Christmas Carnival celebrations to
having a music video dedicated to it, the historic promenade reflects
the changing times.
"Kolkata has always been a cosmopolitan city and controversies like
these have never affected its spirit. Something like this happened
last year too.
"However, Christmas in Kolkata always sees diverse communities and
people of all age groups participate - be it the annual Christmas
Festival sponsored by the West Bengal government or be it the family
festivities. Controversies will pass," Rev. Abir Adhikari, secretary,
Calcutta Diocese of the Church of North India, told .
A silent witness to history since the 1700s, the famous thoroughfare
Thursday got its own music video, titled, "Park Street - A Living
Ballad".
"The music video captures the golden era of the street. The song
dedicated to Park Street is called 'Keep Dreaming on', composed by
Grammy Award-nominated jazz musician Louiz Banks," Supriyo Nandy,
secretary, Society for Park Street Rejuvenation Kolkata (SPARK), told .
The eight-minute-long video is a nostalgic trip down memory lane
through the legendary diners, confectioners, nightclubs, burial grounds
(the well-known Park Street cemetery), auction houses, churches,
business centres, heritage structures - that contributed to its
unique identity.
The street had rather murky origins in the 1700s as an unpaved,
nondescript connector between Fort William (the seat of the British
military) and three cemeteries. It transitioned to one of the most
elite boulevards in India by the turn of the 20th century with the
influx of the Jews, Armenians, Parsis and Europeans.
Taking its name after a deer park owned by Sir Elijah Impey, the first
chief justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in
Bengal (then British India), Park Street's metamorphosis mirrored
the edifices that came up-some of which were firsts for India.
While Mocambo is said to be independent India's first nightclub,
Magnolia is the country's maiden ice cream parlour. Hall and Anderson
is believed to be the first departmental store.
Dotted with quaint tearooms (Flurys), stately edifices erected by
wealthy Jewish and Armenian merchants (Park Mansions and Stephen
Court), some of the finest restaurants and nightclubs in the country,
Park Street was the place to be seen and spotted during the 19th and
20th century.
The creme-de-la-creme of the city held sway at Park Street till
the stretch lost a bit of its sheen with the migration of the Jews,
Armenians and Europeans.
Park Street now sits at the crossroads of globalisation what with
shiny new-age cafes, clubs, pubs, fast food centres, gift shops and
bookstores attracting an increasing number of youngsters.
And come Christmas, the illuminated street (re-christened Mother
Teresa Sarani) is engulfed in aromas of plum cakes, Dundee cakes and
chicken patties as citizens draped in woollens brave the chill to
queue up for their favourite bites.
Performances by choirs, Armenians, Army band and Kolkata Police band
are staples at the Allen Park at one end of Park Street. Children and
adults, sporting red Santa Claus caps and other Christmas paraphernalia
gather around the tree.
At the other end, food stalls buzzing with customers, border the
neighbourhood post office, creating a carnival-like atmosphere.
From: Baghdasarian