Happy Durga Puja!

HAPPY DURGA PUJA TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!

[this photograph was taken last year...I'll try my best to capture some photographs this year but not sure about it... :(]

Kolkata Tram:Behala Tram Depot

[An old Tram standing at Behala Tram Depot]

Trams are one of so many old friends of Kolkata. In 1873 (24th Feb 1873)Kolkata got her first horse drown tram.

After lots of modification in 1902, (27th March1902), the first electric tramcar ran from Esplanade to Kidderpore.

[Tram on its way]

Since then Tram has become a part of daily life of kolkata wallas'.
Behala Tram depot is operating since 1986. Tram used to be very popular mode of tranport for commuting to and from several parts of Behala , but recently the trend has seen a reversal. The only tram service in Behala now connects Behala to Thakurpukur and Joka.

[The cabin of the driver]

[Interior of a typical old second class coach]

I took the above photos in an evening july 2009, when I was just passing the depot. The tram shown in picture is the oldest version available in Kolkata.

Recently we have witnessed new sexy version of trams with sate of art design and better availability. Now it has become a MUST RIDE in Kolkata! :)

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Some Key Facts!

1. Kolata Tram is the oldest oprating electric driven tarm in ASIA!
2. On 22nd December, 1880, The Calcutta Tramway Co. Ltd was formed and registered in London!
3. In 1908 Behala got connected in Tram network!
4. In 1951, The Government of West Bengal signed an agreement with the Calcutta Tramways Company and the Calcutta Tramways Act, 1951 was enacted. The Govt. took control over all rights with regard to Tramways and reserved the right to purchase the system on 1st Jan, 1972 or any time thereafter giving two years notice.
5. In 1986 Behala got her own tram depot!

for more information:

http://www.calcuttatramways.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcutta_Tramways_Company

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Power cut!

Peahen & Peacock: Chasing a couple!!!

It was an afternoon of a sun day and as usual I was killing time with my online friends and couple of glodflakes. Pre-monsoon breeze was trying to sooth the sunburn of Delhi NCR region. Suddenly, I heard the sound of peacock! It was loud and sharp...being sure that it is coming from very near, I came out of my room and found a couple in the roof of the next building! There was one male with a female walking here and there slowly on the roof.

Soon, I came with my camera and found the female one is still there in the roof. She was roaming absentmindedly as I was trying to capture her.




I was totally lost with the beauty she had! Feathers of her blue neck was sparkling in sunlight...She gave me enough time to press the shutter for few times before she went inside a neem tree.

Then I started looking for the male one. Strange! Where is he? In general a peacock don't let their mate go far alone during monsoon...Then where is he? I walked down in the street looking for him...

Finally I found him sitting on a roof of another house nearby!But it was out of the range of my camera.


After waiting some time with the hope that he would be kind to come closer to me, I realized that he has no such intention. So, I tried to get in the roof of another house to had a closer view...It was very funny when I found the house owner perplexed with our Hide & Seek game.

But, luck was not in mood to be pleased with me...when I managed to reach the roof top I found him sitting near the same neem tree which is just next to my room and where I found the female one.

Without spending an extra second I reached to our balcony. Alas! there was none apart from the neem tree!
It was a nice chasing but I failed to get them together!

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Landscape of Badartala!

Landscape of my birth place, Badartala! It is peaceful place in the bank of Hugli River and just 45 mins away from Kolkata.
click on the photo to have a better view....

CAT's eye....

No! This post is not about the stone named Cat's Eye! Rather this one is about a real pair of cats' eye. In one evening, while returning from regular job hunt, I found her sitting near a window. As I was passing she gave a look at me with a great annoyance!
Oh My God! What a pair of burning eyes!

Alas! My camera was not focused properly and hurriedly I took the shot to grab her burning eye. By the time I re-focused and tried my 2nd shot she was off the stage....

Sheer a Bad luck!!!

Fire trick!

Fire tricks of Delhi chanawalas' are very simple and natural....I found one chanawalla near Karol Bagh, Delhi. Here the Chanawala is trying to wax up the heat of the clay pot to serve warm fried chana to his customers...

As I have told you, the trick is very simple...

The chanawala has managed a small clay pot with some burning charcoal in it. The clay pot has a handle made of iron wire. If you notice carefully, the clay pot has some small holes at upper part of it for ventilation.

After placing some burning charcoal in the pot, chanawala puts small wood pieces to ensure continuous heat. Now, next step is very simple...using the wire handle place the fire pot inside the pile of fried chana.

Warm fried chana is very populer among commuters especially when they are returning home after a day long business in Delhi.

Next time you come across a chanawala, think before ignoring his warm chana with black salt!

[Chana=Chickpea. Chana is also known as chhola or chola in India. Chana is a part of reguler Indian diet and well apprised for its high protein and fiber content! ]