It's obvious that the British colonisers wanted Calcutta to be some kind of tropical London.
The historic centre of the city is not wanting when it comes to public spaces. There's the huge maidan, which could gobble up the Azad, Oval and Cross Maidans of Bombay and have a vast amount of space. Walking from busy Chowringee to the parallel roads that lead to the Mohammedan Sporting stadium and the Eden Gardens, you see the green spaces. There always seems to be a handful of homeless people in these spaces (Chances are that a local will say they're all Bangladeshis!!!)
Showering has a fabulous collection of colonial buildings fitting of an Imperial British capital city. There is a mix of large red buildings and some whitewashed giants, like the Indian National Museum. Much in Calcutta style though, the sidewalks are full of markets and street food vendors who are cooking some lip-smacking delicacies.
The British continued to have economic interests in Calcutta after they shifted the capital to Delhi, and many businessmen stayed on for a while in the city even after Indian independence. The names of Calcutta-based businesses like Britannia are a legacy of what was once a strong English and Scottish presence.
There are also some lovely churches here and of course, the piece de resistance, the Victoria Memorial, one of the most beautiful buildings in all of India. It's a great place to relax and read a book in the mornings or take an evening walk and enjoy the sunset before the building gets beautifully illuminated.
I love Calcutta as it is, but will continue to embrace every small change I see here. But it's wonderful to see the yellow ambassador taxis, the old buses, the rickety trams and the remnants of once great buildings.
With patches of London surrounded by unbelievable Indian chaos, this is one of the greatest cities on earth.
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