tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989691854521880709.post5857300530618855472..comments2016-07-03T13:36:35.971-07:00Comments on thisandthat: thisandthathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553827310690803475noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989691854521880709.post-27125442513266327212014-08-24T04:58:54.680-07:002014-08-24T04:58:54.680-07:00Somnath, very glad to hear from you in details and...Somnath, very glad to hear from you in details and especially know about your experience on Mohun Bagan. My father was a member and I remember the membership card and the greetings/invite mailers that used to come by post and were proud receipts! I agree that many people are completely oblivious and largely not interested in our roots and surroundings. Also concur on your feelings about the most disgusting act of changing street names, especially those with profound historical importance. Thank you and I enjoyed reading your notes and in knowing and echoing your impressions...thisandthathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12553827310690803475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989691854521880709.post-59216130041176160562014-08-24T04:53:01.416-07:002014-08-24T04:53:01.416-07:00Chirabrata, your comment is so very interesting, i...Chirabrata, your comment is so very interesting, insightful and lovely to read. Your own personal connection and knowledge on Calcutta are commendable and there is always an element or delightful surprise in your reciprocation - like you said about the Cotton's Ice Cream Soda. I thought when people refer to this product, they generally talk about Bijoligrill or at best Dutches...! I was wrong...you added the extra punch :-)thisandthathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12553827310690803475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989691854521880709.post-40655542587841824262014-08-22T22:48:56.487-07:002014-08-22T22:48:56.487-07:00Few year's ago, in Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, ...Few year's ago, in Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, on 29th July, club's annual day, I was a part of a grand opening ceremony of Club's new website. As a group, few of us, club members and supporters designed and built the site and it was scheduled to be inaugurated by Mr.Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the then Governor of West Bengal. Suddenly, one of the very ranking official said (not to the audience, but to another fellow official), on this day, in 1911, the club was established. I was shocked, and corrected, that we won the IFA shield on 29th July, and club's foundation day was on 15th August. He accepted and asked which year the club established then? OMG, it is there in club's logo , which is displayed everywhere!! I said -1889.<br /><br />Our awareness of own history is one of poorest in the world. I am sure, this official, who is a dedicated and honest football lover, did heard the year of Mohun Bagan's establishment many a times. But he never gave the importance to remember it. Same goes to everywhere , every part of our society. How many of us, knows that Great Eastern hotel was "The" most famous hotel in the east, and it was like a dream to stay there even for the high ranking European officials visiting Asia. <br /><br />Excellent narrative, I can actually see and even smell the streets, and can hear the sounds of that area. The way you have established the connection with the past, depicting the Cook & Kelvey and few other things is something that I always look for but very rarely have seen. <br /><br />The way our historical places are changing names, and we are trying to glorify only the present authority, nobody else has correctly pointed out. For example, Chawringhee (Chourangee) has been re-named Jawaharlal Neheru Road. What the hell !!! How Jawaharlal is connected with Chourangee??? Chourangee was a perfect name. Same as Park St. This is something that can mutate the city's character. Watreloo St cannot be Siraz Ud Daula Sarani. No connection between them. It is forcefully imposed. <br /><br />At last, few words on your writing style. First and foremost, elegance, the long lost Victorian gentleman ship and sharp humor, which is not very prominent, but hidden between every line and every word.<br /><br />I am fortunate to read such an article Anirban. Let us walk through Calcutta more. The city Calcutta was<br />সোমনাথhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16653915054167487020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989691854521880709.post-40268140912549360302014-08-22T01:38:02.270-07:002014-08-22T01:38:02.270-07:00Anirban I was fully engrossed to your thoughts whi...Anirban I was fully engrossed to your thoughts while going through your blog. The part of the city you strolled down is very close to my heart. This is the place I grew up and I have lots of memories to share. The brands like Cottons Ice-cream soda is a very popular brand among the erudite lawyer community of Kiron Shankar Roy Road (erstwhile Hastings Street). I still miss the smell of the freshly baked cakes and breads from the Bakery of Great Eastern Hotel ( today's Lalit) <br />It is really very shocking that the pavement of erstwhile Great Eastern is still not open for public....... I am waiting for the day when this part of the city would be renamed as Piccadilly Circus ...... Chirabratahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03245485113145032291noreply@blogger.com