As part of perhaps the most impromptu travel schedule ever (thanks to my enterprising cousin-Santosh;) I'm just back from a memorable outing to the temple town of Puri, the heritage site of Konark and Kolkata.
One visit to Kolkata and you will know why that sobriquet -'City of Joy'. It all began with me arriving at perhaps one of the most humongous railway station i ever saw.- Howrah. (it has 29 platforms!) With all its rich history and cultural heritage that I had studied about, i didn't know what to expect. At the end of my 2 day sojourn, however- I observe that i'm deeply touched.
What is really palpable as you walk across the streets is the 'old'- a cumulative sense of antiquity that adds up with everything that you see- the pristine buildings, moving (or should i say 'Crawling') Trams and the most intriguing of them all - The people.
What Kolkata uniquely showcases like no other, is a classic juxtaposition of lifestyles. Victoria memorial will show you lot of people 'in love' ;) Howrah will surprise you with its frugality. Park street will boggle you with its opulence; and yet, they all are so closely interwoven in heritage of this multifaceted city-Kolkata. People say bad governance has impeded kolkata's growth. But the perennial optimist that i am, i tend to ask - would excessive growth lacklustre this subtle yet dainty charm of kolkata
While Santosh was trying to finalise our stay in 'Hotel Majestic' at the new park lane in Howrah, i noted people planning sharply to get a slot for their daily (or maybe weekly!) bath in an adjacent water water tank of about 5m X 5 m. I learnt later that this is what served the hydel needs for 3 complete lanes in Howrah!
People are settled, happy and comfortable in a meagre setting- with all their daily chores compartmentalized in a cloistered existence. It evokes in the onlooker- a sense of wonder : what is it that makes people stand in such a veritable fist of defiance to all their innumerable difficulties and not give up on life? why hasn't their enthusiasm for life plummeted even after years of such frugal living?.
To these seemingly simple questions- the people of Kolkata have to give- some deep answers. They have consciously taught themselves the skill of survival. They see not a distant horizon for their existence, unlike the city crowd. For them its about 'today' and its about 'now'. they have wired themselves to find a way out 'today'. Their life then, is but a congregation of such 'todays'.Life itself so to speak, has decreed upon them a narrow vision. While such limiting environments could be detrimental to individual growth, at the cost of being over focused on survival, its amazing how much of an influence a surrounding environment can have on the moral fabric of a society. On the flip side, the classic affluent urbaner when exposed to such lifestyle has the opportunity to learn the value of life, a sense of gratitude for what he has and savor the joy of 'living in the moment'. This is perhaps where the roots of the title 'city of joy' really lie.
Such a setting was remnant of Dr. Viktor Frankl's famous question in his all time classic -'Man's search for meaning' . The extreme circumstances in his concentration camp forced the question -"Is man but a plaything of circumstance"?. Frankl is of the opinion that a meaningful life is one in which we continuously grow in inner strength. Such a process can only be initiated by deep and meaningful suffering. Their life then is as meaningful as ours- but in a different way, unique to individual perceptions.
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