Rain cannot dampen the spirit of Puja shoppers 2022

Thousands of Puja shoppers braved the rains and swarmed malls and markets. Even people from nearby districts travelled to Kolkata to pick up the best on offer and make bargains. The shops in the Esplanade area were overflowing with shoppers. People traveled for hours by bus to arrive at their destination in the Lindsay Street and New Market area. Carts that sold ice creams and cold beverages did brisk business. Shoppers had to avoid the sea of umbrellas. In Gariahat area there were stalls that sold trinkets were busy as were the sari stores. The parking lot of South City Mall was packed and many cars had to park in other locations. Brisk business in malls and markets ahead of Durga Puja. Business was brisk and sellers were happy at the jump in sales.

Many of the shoppers made a beeline for the food courts, where available, to taste the exotic dishes. There was a wide variety of Indian and foreign dishes on offer. The general manager of one of the malls revealed that ethnic wear, denim and jewelry were the top picks. Many shoppers look for bargains in the end of season sale. Incidentally, food was part of the agenda of many shoppers. Eateries were busy throughout the day.

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Kolkata gears up for Durga Puja rush with special buses for shoppers

The government of West Bengal wants people to forget the woes of Covid and its restrictions that had strangled businesses for 2 years. This year the focus is on enjoying the goodies that any festival can offer. In order to satisf ay the transportation needs of the common man the West Bengal government has introduced a special bus. The intention is to satisfy the desire for shopping spree that the festivities demand. This will help the shoppers to move about and give a push to the shopping. The special bus will operate in the commercial district of the city as announced by West Bengal's minister of transport. He said the buses would be available from September 4 through September 25. This will include weekends and public holidays. These would cover the commercial districts of Gariahat, Shyambazar, and Esplanade. Moreover, between 12 PM and 9 PM, there will be special air conditioned buses throughout the commercial areas of Kolkata. Other routes to be covered would be from places like Esplanade and Howrah to other destinations in all directions. Durga Puja 2022: Kolkata launches special shopping buses for Durga Puja season till September 25.

An official of the West Bengal Transport Department explained that the action of introducing special buses for Durga Puja shoppers was taken after the outbreak of pandemic had put a brake on the festivities in the city. The Covid since 2020 prohibited people from enthusiastically celebrating Durga Pujo. However, this year there are indications that things are much better. In view of the changed scenario, the transport department is taking action to support this. These special shopping buses will be parked in areas where people can utilize the service as a hop-on-hop-off in retail areas. There will not be any additional fees for individuals who use the service.

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Growing up days – war movies of the 60s

Since classes were staggered and there was no fixed routine for the last class, I invariably had spare time on my hands and would walk from my college to the happening place in the movie hall area near the Esplanade.

The period of 1960s was the golden era of movies and I was lucky to have been born at a time when Hollywood movies ruled the roost. The varieties were mindboggling and it was difficult to make choices. There were war movies, and cowboy movies, movies of the Wild West as well as the James Bond movies and clones of James Bond and there were, also, serious movies.
For me, watching a movie was just another method to widen my knowledge and share experiences of others.

Like the war movies – these were about the World War II and how dedicated men fought bravely to bring down the enemy. Movies like the Guns of Navarone, the Great Escape, 633 Squadron, and the Man who came in from the cold. Each was marvelous and a masterpiece. (to be continued…)

School days – morning shows of Laurel-Hardy movies

Another activity that was kept reserved for Sundays was the special morning cinema shows in the halls – these halls in Shyambazar used to have Bengali movies in the regular 3pm, 6pm and 9pm slots as regular schedules but would have English movies on Sunday mornings.
The attractions were the Laurel and Hardy series, Abbot and Costello, Charlie Chaplin and other such comedies and one of the favorite halls was Talkie Show House.

The morning shows would usually begin from 10am or 10.30 am and, since English movies usually finished within an hour or so, we brothers under the watchful eyes of my father, would return home in time for lunch.
The dose of slapstick comedy would keep us invigorated and would be a talking point during lunch hour among my class friends.
Our visits to the main cinema halls located in the Esplanade area were restricted and I remember a few movies that were wonderful ones – ‘The Greatest show on Earth’, ‘the Ten Commandants’ and ‘20000 Leagues under the Sea’. We enjoyed the movies no end.

Then there were other movies that showed Nature in all her glory and beauty from flowers, gradually blooming in the desert, to animals roaming freely in the wild. These have today been taken over by TV channels like National Geographic. Such exposure to western cultures and the world around us went a long way in shaping my outlook on life. (to be continued …)
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