• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Food and Travel Secrets

Hints Hacks and Highlights

  • Home
  • Entertainment Book
    • Buy the Canberra Entertainment Book
    • Best Restaurants for Canberra Entertainment Book Dining
    • A Sneak Peak into My Top Picks in the Canberra Entertainment Book
    • My Canberra Enertainment Book Facebook Page
    • How to Save $ with the Entertainment Book
    • The Delhi Girls Project
  • Travel
    • India
      • A First-timers Top South India Itinerary
      • Kerala
        • Fort Kochi
          • 5 tips to find the best hotel in Fort Kochi India
            • Is Brunton’s Boatyard Hotel the best spot to stay in Fort Kochi?
            • Eighth Bastion Hotel, Kochi – a top spot to stay
          • Fort Kochi – great spots to eat!
        • Enjoy Great Local Experiences in Kerala
        • Celebrating Eid in Kozhikode, Kerala –  Malabar Muslim Cuisine 
        • Monsoon Magnificence at Wayanad Wild, Kerala
        • Where else would you get full board and fun like this for just $60?
      • Karnataka
        • Why you would be mad to miss Udupi!
      • Calcutta (Kolkata)
        • Fascinating Up Close and Personal Tours of Calcutta’s Lesser Known Personalities
        • So Grand at the Oberoi Kolkata!
        • New Foods, New Friends Through Traveling Spoon
        • Kolkata – A sneak peak!
      • Tamil Nadu
        • Relax into India the Easy Way at Palais de Mahe
        • Go Deeper in Pondicherry at Maison Perumal
        • A Rich and Relaxing Tamil Temple Experience at Mantra Koodam
      • West India
    • Sri Lanka – Highlights and Hints
  • Eat
    • The Ultimate Guide to Canberra Dining
      • Canberra Restaurants
        • Good Food Guide’s 2018 Top Canberra Restaurants
        • 10 Reasons Why I love the Gourmet Traveller 2018 Restaurant Guide
        • Vincent’s Secret is the $30 Express lunch!
        • What’s special about Binnys Kathitto Canberra?
        • New to Canberra! The Gan-jeez Surprises and Delights
        • Amazing Daana Canberra 40 Food Onam Sadhya!
        • Muse at East Hotel is Offering Something Very Special for Christmas Parties
      • Canberra Wineries
        • Spoil your visitors at Canberra Wineries
    • Sydney Restaurant and Cafe Guide
      • Bills Bondi – Don’t miss the Pav!
      • No 1 Bent Street by Mike – Top Lunch Hacks
    • Melbourne
      • Gingerboy – the best dessert in Melbourne?
  • Cook
    • Cooking the trips
      • 100 Recipes from CGH Earth’s Chefs Across South India
      • Kerala Fish Curry (Meen Mollee)
      • Syrian Christian Style Kerala Chicken and Vegetable Stew
      • Can you cook Kerala Appams at home?
      • South Indian Egg Curry
      • Brunton Boatyard’s Meen Mappas (Fish Curry with Fennel and Corriander)
      • Four Fabulous Dal’s from Jasmine Villa’s Fort Kochi Cookery Class!
      • Tamil Nadu Village Fish Curry
      • Dal Makhani (Butter Dahl)
      • Vegetable Korma
      • Raita
    • Brand New! South Indian Home Cooking Classes in Canberra!
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Disclosure Policy
  • Contact Me
  • Food Lovers Dietitian
You are here: Home / Travel / India / Calcutta (Kolkata) / Fascinating Up Close and Personal Tours of Calcutta’s Lesser Known Personalities

Fascinating Up Close and Personal Tours of Calcutta’s Lesser Known Personalities

June 30, 2018 by Food and Travel Secrets 8 Comments

Fascinating Up Close and Personal Tours of Calcutta’s Lesser Known Personalities
Spread the love

Getting Below the Surface of Calcutta’s Rich Layers

(To open the embedded Facebook posts fully for the recipes and details, just click on the date/time under the heading Food and Travel Secrets.)

Everyone will tell you to visit the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta (Kolkata) and that is indeed a good thing to do. The building and grounds are impressive and it’s even more fun to enjoy it with out of town tourists on holiday.

But to really understand Calcutta you need to see it through the eyes of Manjit who has a passion to share the true and lesser known Calcutta. Manjit runs Calcutta Photo Tours and specialises in small group walking tours where he also helps you capture Calcutta beautifully with your camera and take a little piece home with you.

Multi-Cultural Heritage is Best Explored with Calcutta Photo Tours

Manjit’s most popular tour, Cultural Kaleidoscope, starts at a spot that a personal favourite a community reading room initiative. This art deco building is still a community hub and one spot favoured for the Bengali evening “adda” a common evening routine that is essentially a get together for a chat. 

Reading is a big theme in this tour and it’s fascinating too see newspapers pop up through the tour as they get delivered and read in an uncommonly diverse range of languages including a Cantonese one pager. 

Other themes in the tour that stood out for me were transport, shops and snacks. 

But essentially the tour is about the different communities that came to Calcutta to trade or for a new life, who have helped make it what it is today. 

My version of Majit’s wonderful narrative begins with the the Portuguese, Dutch and French who first came to trade. The Portuguese left behind Bandel cheese, a little like a smoked goats cheese, that I can still be bought in Calcutta today and I found served on the Oberoi Grand Hotel breakfast buffet. 

Then the English East India Company took over in the early 1700’s and established White Town around BBD Bagh and Black Town (for everyone else) in the surrounding area.

In between is where “Greytown” sprung up, populated by immigrants who came to make the most of the economic opportunities. 

First we explored Bow Army Barracks where the Anglo-Indian community can be found. I hear they throw a fabulous week long Christmas party that draws all religions and features a rock show a huge Housie game and Santa giving away gifts to 500 children. In between buildings sits a Buddhist Temple.

The Anglo-Indian community has need of bread bakers and undertakers!

Along the way we pass some gorgeous street scenes and fresh goat’s milk is delivered to your door! 

Then we get to the Muslim community where we found eateries feed immigrant workers staying close by, and shops selling the ingredients for Biriyani. Once this area also had the tanners and butchers who supplied leather and beef to English settlers and colonists.

Our chai stop is a special custom made cup of “builders tea” deftly prepared to order from separate pots of milk tea and water. 

Speaking of snacks, Manjit also treats us to his lifelong favourite snack of best ever, sand roasted peanuts and a lovely sample of curd (Mishti Doi) and Chhana desserts made from a cottage cheese, split using whey and then reduced to various stages and sweetened for Sandesh, Rasogulla, Kadam (soft rosagulla in the middle and a firmer more reduced Chhana preparation on the outside) so good!

But back to the tour and more  delightful transportation, shops and street scenes. 

The next community are the Chinese and this is where we found pork sausages been made using goat’s intestine for the sausage skins, a Chinese Temple and community room with that Cantonese daily one pager, and a morning market.

We also dropped by the Parsi Zoroastrian Fire Temple and met the staff having breakfast and visited the beautifully kept but now little used, Jewish Synagogue.

What a great tour, relaxed and delightful. What an amazing way to really get to know Calcutta!

Calcutta Photo Tours High Energy, Big Things Market Tour

Then for something completely different, Manjit offers an fantastic Mesmirizing Market Tour. This is where you really get into the fast paced and heavy action. 

It all happens early at the Fish Market, where porters carry heavy loads of fish and heated discussions can happen over prices.

But people still have plenty of time for photos…..

……and the backdrops are magnificent. 

A chai stop is essential…

…and the short walk to the 24 hour vegetable market is a treat in itself!

As Manjit says, the dramatic lighting creates an awesome photo.

And to witness the really heavy lifting porters is something truly special,

Just four men carry incredible loads inside the market from the trucks.

I loved it all, even the torrential monsoon rain!

Manjit can pick you up or you make your own way. Costs are found on the website and Manjit is easy to contact via email of Facebook messenger.

If you don’t see Calcutta through a Calcutta Photo Tour, you miss the best bits!

(To open the embedded Facebook posts fully for the recipes and details, just click on the date/time under Food and Travel Secrets.)

Filed Under: Calcutta (Kolkata), India, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: Calcutta, India travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. marika simpson says

    June 30, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    Your photos capture wonderfully all the different activities that go on in these vibrant, colourful markets.
    Endless variety of fresh food on sale for housewives to choose from and prepare for their families – I resolve to buy far more from our markets and less packaged food from supermarkets !

    Reply
    • Judith Abercromby says

      June 30, 2018 at 11:23 pm

      Hi Marki . Hope you’re well ! We’re just st on our way back from 3 months in Paris. Kolkata looks very exotic by comparison – and I very much enjoy this blog . Judith

      Reply
      • Judith Abercromby says

        June 30, 2018 at 11:24 pm

        I meant Marika … not Marki ! DOH!

        Reply
        • Food and Travel Secrets says

          July 3, 2018 at 11:51 am

          It’s just that tricky keyboard Judith!

          Reply
      • Food and Travel Secrets says

        July 3, 2018 at 11:52 am

        Thank you so much Judith! That’s lovely of you to say

        Reply
    • Food and Travel Secrets says

      July 3, 2018 at 11:53 am

      I’m pleased the photos captured some of the colour and action.Truly an amazing place.

      Reply
  2. Gaz says

    July 2, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    What a great post, Michele. I really enjoyed the photographs and the narrative.

    Reply
    • Food and Travel Secrets says

      July 3, 2018 at 11:51 am

      Thanks Gary, it’s been a joy to write!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Get new Secrets! Straight to your Inbox!

* indicates required

Instagram

Instagram has returned invalid data.

Follow Food and Travel Secrets!



Booking.com

Before Footer

Instagram

Follow on Instagram

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Hyderabad – the pearl of India
  • Table! – Canberra’s newest restaurant, beats the COVID blues!
  • Shimla – Exceeds Expectations!!
  • Bharatgarh Fort – Stay at Punjab’s Only Living Fort
  • Punjabiyat Farm – a classy farm stay, with plunge pool!
  • Amritsar – A Golden Opportunity
  • Urban Providore – A Canberra Secret!
  • Ruchi – A Canberra favourite for Indian Cuisine
  • Surprising Calcutta (Kolkata)!
  • Sri Lanka – Highlights and Hints
  • Grazing Down the Lachlan 2018
  • Happy Dining at the Hungry Buddha

Copyright © 2025 · Wellness Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in