Kolkata, I Kan't...But I Will!

I've been backpacking around India for 4 months now. Surely I've seen it all. Surely the culture shock has settled. Surely India is finally done with her surprises. But don't try India. She'll try you back...with Kolkata...in the middle of July.

Welcome to one of the most overpopulated cities in one of the most overpopulated countries in the world. It’s crowded. And it’s hot.

Have I mentioned it's the middle of July? Also, have I mentioned that I'm in India?! I was warned about the infamous Indian summer. Do you want to talk about extreme? Just whip out the Google, type in "extreme" and I am convinced the first search result will read "India in the summer, specifically Kolkata".

Situated on a low, swampy riverbank the humidity here is wickedly unforgiving, with the air so thick you can practically cut it with a knife. With average temperatures reaching over 100 degrees, that's not where it gets good. It's the 90% humidity that will leave you giving up on life. You find yourself waking up at 2am with a whole new understanding of the term "hot summer nights", and it is far, oh God is it so beyond far from sexy. Miami summers ain’t got nothing on this. Nothing. No AC. No shorts allowed. I will leave it at that.

The mosquitoes are ruthlessly out for revenge, coming at you full speed for a taste of that foreign blood. Within 30 seconds of stepping a foot outside your clothes are drenched in your own personal sweat storm and your poor ankles have been sacrificed for a mosquito dinner party. In between the torrential monsoon downpours and the clammy aftermath all you can really do is helplessly lay in bed, arms and legs spread apart, fan working tirelessly, as you think to yourself "This is it. This is where my little story ends..."

And do you want to hear the best part? I'm in an Ashram...trying to meditate. God really does have a sense of humor.

Clearly this is not a sponsored ad for the Kolkata Tourism Board. Perhaps you're even wondering "Really Janelle? What are you STILL doing in India? In the summer?!" When I find myself asking that same question, within milliseconds I find myself answering, "Because I can't get enough of this!" Because India is truly a land, no THE land of paradoxes. Because no other place in the world will penetrate the very depths of your soul with such vibrant yet soothing energy. Because around every corner of mind-boggling chaos is heart-opening tranquility. And Kolkata is no exception. Actually, it's the rule.

So, after a day or so of moping around I decided to wipe off the frown (and the sweat) and dive into the crazy, cool happening culture of Kolkata.

Kolkata is England meets India. Formally Calcutta, it was India's capital under the British Raj from 1773-1911. Wander around and you’ll quickly find an influence of grand colonial English architecture with the unwashed smudge of India's peaceful fight for independence. Stamps of the British era are left behind with monuments such as The Victoria Memorial and St. Paul's Cathedral, transporting you to a goth-inspired Europe. The suburbs are made up of buildings that have way surpassed the notion of old. If you squint hard enough and tilt your head at just the right angle, the neighborhoods of Kolkata could ALMOST pass for the back passages of London. That is, with the exception of coconut palms shading the sidewalks, colorful saris hanging to dry on the balconies and auto rickshaws zigzagging their way through. The capital of West Bengal has a little English flare with a lot of Indian flavor.

Kolkata is home to some of India's greatest saints. Walk down the same streets these illumined masters strolled and immerse yourself in their eternal, enigmatic vibrations. Awaken your inner Om as you meditate on the banks of Mother Ganga. It won’t be long before you feel the magnetism of this mystical city instantaneously pulling your soul to a higher level of consciousness. Hello clarity.

Kolkata is India's best sweets lovingly prepared and wrapped for takeaway goodness. Again, being the land of paradoxes, you will find the spiciest of spicy dishes accompanied with sweets that take the word sweet to another level. Kolkata is famous for its sweets and the streets are lined with an array of sweet shops selling syrupy, sugary delicacies flavored with almonds and pistachios, spiced with cardamon, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper and decorated with gold and silver leaf. Sink your teeth into these juicy babies and enjoy yourself a little foodgasm.

Although at first when I arrived to Kolkata all I saw were decrepit grimy buildings, mosquito infested pools of water and yet another polluted skyline, I know leave Kolkata seeing a metropolitan city rich in cultural heritage, a spiritual haven with a heavenly history, and a city full of life, joy and tasty treats!

And that's the thing I've come to quickly learn about India. You can't come here and look at Her with the eyes of a mortal. You won't see what She so desperately is trying to show you. If you want to see India for what She truly is, Gods’ great land of duality, you must come and look at Her with the eyes of your soul. It is then that you will see Her reflecting the same glory right back at your inner India. 

So yea, that’s why I’m still here, in the dead of summer, with a head full of unmanageable frizz and a soul full of uncontainable bliss.