KOLKATA - The cultural capital

INTERNATIONAL KOLKATA BOOK FAIR 

When I think of Kolkata, I remember my grandfather, Indian Statistical Institute, Dakshineshwar Temple, Durga Puja and Bhakti moment of Indian spirituality on the back ground score of Rabindra Sangeet in the noise of road side tea stall where you can 3/6 cup and football game's reviews from across the globe. The beauty of the languidly moving vehicles - zigzagging through numerous city jams, but also zipping across the under ground the first metro rail and an IT hub that’s humming to take over the world, from the outskirts of the city. That’s Kolkata for you in nut shell but for me it’s more than all that. And visiting the city on 30th and 31st January, 2016 for the International Kolkata Book Fair on the invitation of my first book "Songs of the Mist" publishers Notion Press, is an amazing opportunity to recharge my soul...

 

Dakshineswar Temple

 There are many memories from past of the city. My grandfather ran away from the back waters of eastern UP to study Ayurveda in Kolkata, my younger brother, who was a doctor, ran away from the MNC trap of Infosys, to come here to study at ISI - the one of the world’s foremost statistical institute that has broken all cryptography puzzles - almost all and I ran away from doing mundane things in Chennai to come and stay in the vicinity of Dakshineswar temple to re-connect with my soul. 

 

Sitting across the holy River at Dakshineswar Ghat

Sitting across the Holy River Ganges, next to the beautiful Temple, sipping hot cup of tea is bliss. Across India, this is the place for finding oneself and one’s passion, a place that reinvents your life at a totally different level.

 

On the banks of holy river, next to Dakshineswar Temple

 
I remember visiting the heartland of Bhakti Yoga moment, sitting in the temple in Mayapur, where Krishna instilled the love to the most fervent proponent of Bhakti moment and get the same spark of love and compassion. 

Bhakti Procession at Mayapur

The most vibrant example of the continued fervor is the ISKCON world headquarters, which is beacon of love for Krishna, across the world.

Krishna @ Mayapur, ISKCON 2004

The many decades of visit to the place, soaking up in the cultural environment, breathing the rasa and rang of Durga Puja fervor..., 

Durga Puja - A dance Drama

... which got reflected in my second book of the series The Monk Key, where Ashutosh, after running away from his IIT - BHU course towards Himalaya, in the first book of the series “Songs of the Mist” returns not to Varanasi, but to ISI Institute and Dakshineshwar temple, which gave him solace and the answers to the eternal question of one’s own reason for existence and ‘who am I’.

My book "Songs of the Mist" at Notion Press Stall at International

Kolkata Book Fair

The city transforms not only the living being, but the imaginary characters of mind, living across pages of fiction and fulfill their dreams. That is my friend is Kolkata - ignites the fires of your dreams and burns you with it’s passion to purify your golden soul.

Dakshineswar @ Kolkata

I am looking forward to meet my readers and peers at Notion Press Stall, at Kolkata International Book Fair, where I will be interacting with the readers on 30^th Jan and 31^st as an Author 'Shashi' of the book "Songs of the Mist", please do join me. 

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Shashi

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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Dakshineswar Temple