Kolkata’s iconic Double-Decker buses launched today! Brings Nostalgia back!

The Tourism Department of West Bengal is introducing sightseeing services in two attractive double decker buses covering the Heritage & Cultural Trails of Kolkata through a theme “Unknown Kolkata” followed by a ride on the Ganges in the WBTDCL house boat in the first phase.

It was nearly a century ago in 1926, that the British introduced Kolkata’s iconic Double Decker buses in line with the Red London buses. The first double-decker bus plied between Shyambazar and Kalighat. Along with the trams, the red double-decker buses became a much-loved symbol of Kolkata. It gained popularity and gradually a fleet of crimson double decker busses were introduced which crisscrossed the arterial thoroughfares of the city. 

Double decker bus

However, in the 1990s, the Left Front government phased out these buses because the cost of maintenance of the aging fleet was very high compared to the revenue the vehicles generated. But now, three decades later, the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, is here to reintroduce the iconic double-decker bus on the roads of Kolkata before the Pujas and Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, flagged off the service today. The buses will cover the Heritage and Cultural Trails of Kolkata, followed by a ride on the Ganges to give tourists a wonderful experience of the city. The new swanky white and blue buses will replace the crimson of yesteryears, but Kolkatans will surely get a chance to revisit the past. 

A new journey

The government wanted to reintroduce double-decker buses as a novel addition to city’s transport fleet. The new re-designed ‘hop-on hop-off’ tourist buses have been designed in-house by the State Transport Department. There are no approved double-decker models, since no Indian automobile manufacturer makes them. These buses were manufactured at Bebbco, Jamshedpur, a company that specializes in manufacturing standard buses, goods vehicles and delivery vans. The buses are environment-friendly, diesel-run and are BS IV compliant and fuel efficient. The design has got the final approval from the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) and the final road worthiness certificate has been obtained and now the vehicles are ready to hit the roads. 

Also read : Kolkata’s iconic double decker bus all set to stage a comeback

The new open-top models will be used as sight-seeing buses for tourists. The Double Decker Trail will cover the iconic landmarks of Victoria Memorial, Fort William, St Johns Church, GPO, Old Currency Building, Dalhousie Square (Binoy Badal Dinesh Bag), Great Eastern Hotel, Curzon Park, Town Hall, Treasury Building, Princep Ghat and Lal Dighi among others.

From the 13th to 22nd October the Lok Prasar Shilpi folk music artistes like Bauls,  singers of Jhumur, Bhatiali, Kabigaan and Tarja from the districts of Paschim  Medinipur, Howrah, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman, Jhargram, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Purba Medinipur will perform before the tourists on the bus to entertain them.

The interior

These New Double-Decker Buses to be operated by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation as a tourist attraction is a positive step in boosting the Tourism Industry in Bengal. 

Commercial Operations will commence from 23.10.2020 following all Covid safety protocols. The bookings can be made from the WBTDCL website www.wbtdcl.com from 23.10.2020.

Read more: https://www.getbengal.com/details/kolkatas-iconic-double-decker-buses-launched-today-brings-nostalgia-back

Was it the British who named Kolkata’s favourite Mughlai paratha?

Calcutta is a gastronomer’s paradise. And one thing that we cannot get over are those deep-fried egg paratha loaded with minced mutton or chicken meat unique in both look and flavour. Yes, we are talking of Mughlai Parathas. The rectangular paratha made with white flour or maida which is folded like an envelope. The thin-layered, deep-fried paratha consists of a rich filling of eggs, keema (minced meat) and lots of spices. The crispy paratha is cut in little squares and served with potato curry and cucumber and onion salad on the side.

But when and how did this interesting dish originate? Interesting stories galore about Mughlai Paratha. It is believed that the Mughlai paratha originated during Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s reign (1569-1627) and it was a creation of his cook Adil Hafiz Usman. The monarch was tired of having the same old paratha and meat served to him during meals daily, so he ordered his cook to innovate a new dish in 10 days’ time. On the 9th day, Usman came with zabir fala or anda roti which later was known as Mughlai paratha. Jahangir was so delighted that he gifted 1001 gold coins and a jagir in West Bengal to his cook. Imagine 1001 gold coins for a simple paratha in the 16th-century!

Usman, who originally hailed from Burdwan, not only refrained from sharing his recipe with the khansamas in Old Delhi and Lucknow, but also asked his son to keep the recipe a secret from the other chefs in the royal kitchen. The family secret was fostered for several generations, until their later descendants started selling the delicacy across Bengal during the British Raj.

Mouthwatering Chicken Mughlai Paratha

However, we all know the Turk-Afghan influence in Bengal goes back to 1201 AD when military general, Bakhtiyar Khalji invaded this region and the Khalji dynasty ruled Bengal from 1204 to 1227. The Khalji dynasty reigned Delhi between 1290 and 1320, three hundred years before Jahangir. The Turks introduced Indians to Gözleme, a delicious traditional Turkish savoury. It is a flatbread recipe stuffed with spiced and minced lamb or beef filling. It is somewhat similar to Mughlai paratha and can be called the precursor of Mughlai Parantha itself.

Another dish quite similar to Mughlai paratha is found in Maharashtra. The ‘Baida Roti’ (baida means egg) is a flaky wrap filled with meat, eggs and spices. It is shallow-fried and served as a mid-day snack or a lunch meal. The Baida Rotis are also known as ‘Burma Rotis.’ It is another form of Mughlai Paratha. In Burma (present day Myanmar), a version of these rotis known as ‘Palatas’ are very popular. The entry point of Burma rotis in India can be traced back to the British period when both Burma and Sri Lanka were under the British administration. It is believed that in those times people who migrated from Burma brought the recipe to the Indian shores. The Mughlai paratha has a lot of similarities with the Arabic or Lebanese breads, where you find a square-shaped and deep-fried bread or wrap stuffed with meat.

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Also read : More than 70-year-old Sabir’s restaurant and Kolkata Rezala!

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A very interesting point has been raised by noted academic and food historian Dr. Pushpesh Pant. He says spices like pepper, galangal, saffron and pounded almonds were very much present in central Asian and Delhi Sultanate food practices and it was the Britishers who were behind the term Mughlai. They ousted the Mughals and promoted the myth to appear like the true successors of Mughals and today in the West, ‘Mughlai’ has become synonymous with all Indian food. Also, after the fall of Delhi in 1857, talented bawarchis took refuge in small states and served the local zamindars or ‘Rajas.’ They contributed significantly to evolve existing dishes into exotic dishes and the addition of ‘Mughal’ or ‘Mughlai’ made it more authentic and appealing. Besides, it added glamour of the Mughal Durbar and class to the dish.

 

The iconic Anadi Cabin and its Mughlai Paratha

The classic snack is also a popular street food in Dhaka. Before the British invasion, East Bengal (now Bangladesh) saw a greater Muslim influence in their food. The extensive use of keema in their dishes is one characteristic feature of the regional cuisine of East Bengal. Many propagate  the theory that the Mughlai parathas travelled to Kolkata via Dhaka after Independence but that is negated because Anadi Cabin in central Kolkata (Espanade) was set up in 1925, long before Independence by Balaram Jena in memory of his deceased son, Anadi. At present, the establishment is run by the third generation of the family. The décor has remained unchanged as has the quality of the food. People still throng to this eatery to savor Anadi’s piping hot Mughlai paratha with dry, diced spicy potato curry, a few slivers of onion and cucumber and some mustard sauce or tomato sauce. Even in this 21st century when foodies are spoilt for choices, Calcutta’s love affair with Mughlai paratha continues unfazed.

Read more: https://www.getbengal.com/details/was-it-the-british-who-named-kolkatas-favourite-mughlai-paratha

On World Autism Day, here is story of a Kolkata café run only by autistic children

Sip N Bite is a café with a difference. Tucked away within the handicraft boutique ‘Motherland,’ near Charu Chandra College in South Kolkata, this cafeteria is run by a young group of specially-abled youths. Some suffer from down syndrome, some from autism. Their lives have been full of struggle, but their soaring spirits have never been dampened. Be it baking scrumptious cakes, serving people or managing accounts, these specially-abled adults take an active part in the nitty gritty of this quaint cafeteria.

The sixteen adults were all trainees at Transcendent Knowledge Society previously, which is a skill development centre for specially-abled youths, offering a wide range of training but there was very less opportunity for them to earn their living. The mothers of these specially-abled children, in collaboration with South Kolkata Parashman, have come forward to launch this innovative breakfast joint to provide them with a ray of hope in life, keep them engaged in a kind of work that they love doing and help them evolve as individuals. Occasionally, Sip N Bite also puts up kiosks and stalls at corporate premises.

 

The youths work like full time professionals with utmost sincerity and make it a point that the guests leave the café with a smile on their faces. Before starting up the café, they were trained according to their passion and taught communication skills, to interact with customers. Professional chefs were invited to train them but twenty of them rejected the offer right-away putting forward some kind of excuse. Finally, the 21st and 22nd chefs agreed to mentor them for months before the launch of the café in 2018. The baking skills of Sip N Bite employees have been widely appreciated. The franchise intends to launch their mobile bakery soon.

 

The youths in shifts. Their mothers act as their constant support and often help them with their daily chores. But if you pay a visit to this café, you will realize that the disabilities of the workers are never highlighted. Rather it is more of a platform where their unique skills of cooking delectable breakfast platters and baking lip-smacking cakes are showcased. Sip N Bite has received a noteworthy response from the guests who keep coming back to interact with the bright group of young people who run the cafeteria despite all their struggles.