One of the most unforgettable Christmases I’ve ever spent was in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. To my surprise, Kolkatans seemed more enthusiastic about the holiday than most people I’ve seen in the United States. While wandering the city for the day, I noticed countless young people wearing Santa hats to celebrate, especially in Millennium Park near the Hooghly River. Although I missed spending time with my family on this day, I enjoyed touring one of my favorite cities, Kolkata, and eating its plethora of multifarious and delicious cuisine.

In actuality, it is not surprising at all that Kolkata would have so many traditions surrounding the Christmas holiday due to the city’s heavily British history and its place in the global economy today. Kolkata (then Calcutta) was the initial seat of the British empire from around 1793 until 1911 (first controlled by the British East India Company and then the British Raj), when New Delhi was chosen as the new capital due to the perceived geographical shortcomings of Calcutta and the surrounding region and the growing fervor of the Bengali Nationalist Movement. This phenomenon explains why there are so many traces of British culture and Anglophilia in Kolkata even today, including Victorian architecture and a love for afternoon tea, European pastries and British literature. These vestiges of British culture give the city a distinctive look and atmosphere that, combined with the local, Bengali culture, makes the city an extremely interesting place to explore.

Read the dialogue below carefully between three friends touring Kolkata on Christmas Day:

ऋचा: तो, आज हम क्या क्या करेंगे ?

Richa: To, aaj hum kyaa kyaa karenge?

So, what (all) will we do today?

 

हेमंत: मैंने सोचा क्योंकि तुमने पहले कोलकाता कभी नहीं देखा है, हम तुम्हें शहर के टूर पर ले जायें !

Hemant: Maine sochaa kyonki tumne pehle Kolkata kabhi nahin dekha hai, hum tumhe sheher ke tour par le jaayen!

I thought (that), since/because you haven’t seen Kolkata before, we would take you on a tour of the city!

 

श्रेया: हाँ, बहुत मज़ा आयेगा! पहले, हम एक बहुत मशहूर बेकरी (bakery) जायेंगे, जिसका नाम Nahoums and Sons है । वहाँ पे (पर) बहुत अच्छे केक (cake) मिल सकते हैं । बिना कुछ केक खरीदे और खाये, क्रिसमस तो मना नहीं सकते, ना?

Shreya: Haan, bahut mazaa aayega! Pehele, hum ek bahut mashhuur Bakery jaayenge, jiskaa naam Nahoums and Sons hai. Vahaan pe bahut acche cake mil sakte hain. Binaa kuch cake kharide aur khaaye, Christmas to manaa nahin sakte, na?

Yes, it’ll be a lot of fun! First, we’ll go to a very famous Bakery, whose name is Nahoums and Sons. You can get very good cake(s) there. You can’t celebrate Christmas without buying and eating cake, right? 

ऋचा: अच्छा? किस तरह के केक मिल सकते हैं वहाँ पे (पर)?

Richa: Acchaa? Kis tarah ke cake mil sakte hain vahaan pe?

Really? What kinds of cake can you get there?

 

हेमंत: अरे, अनेक तरह के केक हैं, उतने ही कि मैं गिन नहीं सकता । लेकिन तुम्हें अपने मनपसंद केक ज़रूर मिलेंगे वहाँ, जैसे चॉकलेट और लेमन ।

Hemant: Are, anek tarah ke cake hain, utne hi ki main gin nahin sakta. Lekin tumhe apne manpasand cake zaroor milenge vahaan, jaise chocolate aur lemon.

Oh my, there are many types of cake, so many that I can’t count. But you’ll definitely find your favorite cakes there, like chocolate and lemon.

 

ऋचा: क्या बात है ! मेरे मुँह में अभी पानी आ चुका है ! और उसके बाद कहाँ जायेंगे?

Richa: Kyaa baat hai! Mere munh me abhi paani aa chukaa hai ! Aur uske baad kahaan jaayenge?

Wow! My mouth is watering already! Where will we go after that?

 

श्रेया: उसके बाद शायद हम Victoria Memorial जाने की कोशिश करेंगे, लेकिन मुझे लगता है कि शायद हम जा नहीं पायेंगे क्योंकि क्रिसमस के दिन पर हमेशा बहुत भीड़ होती है ।

Shreya: Uske baad shaayad hum Victoria Memorial jaane ki koshish karenge, lekin mujhe lagtaa hai ki shaayad hum jaa nahin paayenge kyonki Christmas ke din par hamesha bahut bhir hoti hai.

After that, maybe we’ll try to go to the Victoria Memorial, but I think that perhaps we won’t be able to (go) because, on Christmas Day, there’s always a big crowd.

 

हेमंत: हाँ, बहुत ज़्यादा भीड़ हो, तो हम कुमारटुली, जो चितपुर रोड के पास है, जायेंगे जहाँ पे कुम्हार अक्टूबर के दुर्गा पूजा के लिए मूर्तियाँ बनाने में लगे हुए हैं। वहाँ जाके (जाकर), हम कुछ क्रिसमस के खरीदारी करेंगे New Market (न्यू मार्केट) में ।

Hemant: Haan, bahut zyaada bhir ho, to hum Kumaartuli, jo Chitpur Road ke paas hai, jaayenge jahaan pe kumhaar October ke Durga Puja ke liye moortiyaan banaane me lage hue hain. Vahaan jaake, hum kuch Christmas ke kharidaari karenge New Market me.

Yes, if there’s too big of a crowd, we’ll go to Kumartuli, which is near Chitpur Road, where potters are busy making idols for October’s Durga Puja. After going there, we’ll do some Christmas shopping in New Market (a bazaar).

ऋचा: अच्छी बात है, हम South City Mall (साउथ सिटी मॉल) भी जा सकते हैं? वहाँ पे बहुत अच्छे शॉप्स हैं और मैं अपने रिश्तेदारों और दोस्तों के लिए कुछ तोहफ़े खरीदना चाहती हूँ ।

Richa: Acchi baat hai, hum South City Mall bhi jaa sakte hain? Vahaan pe bahut acche shops hain aur main apne rishtedaaron aur doston ke liye kuch tohfe kharidnaa chahti huun.

Good, can we go to South City Mall too? There are very good shops there, and I want to buy some presents for my relatives and friends.

 

श्रेया: हाँ, बिल्कुल । मॉल में हम खा सकते हैं या Golden Joy Restaurant पर कुछ इंदियन चीनी खाना खा सकते हैं । क्रिसमस के दिन पर इंदियन चीनी खाना खाना बहुत कोलकाता में रहनेवालों के लिए एक बहुत खास रिवाज है ।

Shreya: Haan, bilkul. Mall me hum khaa sakte hain ya Golden Joy Restaurant par kuch Indian Chini (Chinese) khaanaa kha sakte hain. Christmas ke din par Indian Chini khaanaa khaanaa bahut Kolkata me rehnevalon ke liye ek bahut khaas rivaaj hai.

Yes, absolutely. We can eat in the mall or we can eat some Indian Chinese food at the Golden Joy Restaurant. For a lot of Kolkata residents, eating Indian Chinese food on Christmas Day is a very special tradition.

ऋचा: अच्छा? अमेरिका में लोग ऐसे ही करते हैं लेकिन क्रिसमस के आगे दिन पर ।

Richa: Accha? Amerika me log aisa hi karte hain lekin Christmas ke din se thik pehle din par.

Really? In America people do just that but on the day right before Christmas day (Christmas Eve).

 

हेमंत: हाँ, हम कोलकाता के रहनेवालों को इंदियन चीनी खाना और दक्षिन भारतीय खाना भी बहुत अच्छा लगता है । और रात के खाने के लिए शायद हम Park Circus (पार्क सर्कस) के Muslim Quarter (मुसलमान क्वार्टर) में जा सकते हैं, वहाँ की बकरी बिरयानी शहर की सबसे मस्त है ! 

Hemant: Haan, hum Kolkata ke rehnevalon ko Indian Chini khana aur dakshin bhartiya khana bhi bahut accha lagta hai. Aur raat ke khaane ke liye shaayad hum Park Circus ke Muslim Quarter (Musalmaan Qvaartar) me ja sakte hain, vahan ki bakri biryaani sheher ki sabse mast hai! 

Yes, we Kolkatans love (like a lot) Indian Chinese food and South Indian food too. And, for dinner, we can go to the Muslim Quarter in Park Circus (a neighborhood); the goat biryani there is the most delicious (amazing) in the city!

 

ऋचा: अरे वाह! बिरयानी मेरा मनपसंद खाना है। लेकिन मैंने सुना है कि कोलकाता वाली बिरयानी देश की दूसरी तरह की बिरयानी से अलग है, ऐसा कैसे?

Richa: Are vaah! Biryaani mera manpasand khaanaa hai. Lekin maine suna hai ki Kolkata vaali biryani desh ki dusri tarah ki biryani se alag hai, aisa kaise?

Wow! Biryani is my favorite food. But, I’ve heard that Kolkatan biryani is different than the country’s other kinds (of biryani), how’s that?

 

श्रेया: हाँ, वह सही है । कोलकाता की बिरयानी कम मसालेदार होती है और आम तौर से हम उसमें उबले आलू और उबले अंडे डालते हैं । बहुत स्वाद है ।

Shreya: Haan, voh sahi hai. Kolkata ki biryani kam masaaledaar hoti hai aur aam taur se hum usme uble aaloo aur uble ande dalte hain. Bahut svaad hai.

Yes, that’s right. Kolkatan biryani tends to be less spicy (or contains less spices) and, usually, we put boiled potatoes and boiled (hardboiled) eggs in it. It’s very tasty. 

ऋचा: अच्छा! मैं उसे चखने का इंतेज़ार नहीं कर सकती । चलें!

Richa: Accha! Main use chakhne ka intezaar nahin kar sakti. Chalen!

Okay! I can’t wait to taste it. Let’s go!

 

शब्दावली की सूची

(Shabdaavali ki Soochi/Vocabulary List):

1. मशहूर/Mashhoor (adjective): famous.
2. x के बिना/X ke binaa OR बिना/binaa + subjunctive form of verb (postposition): without.
3. मनाना/Manaanaa (verb): to celebrate, also to convince (someone else).
4. अनेक/Anek (adjective): many, numerous, several.
5. गिनना/Ginanaa (verb): to count.
6. मुँह में पानी आ जाना/आना/Munh me paani aa jaanaa/aanaa (phrase): mouth to water.
7. x की कोशिश करना/X ki koshish karnaa (verb): to try. Use the infinitive, oblique form of the verb before की/ki, examples: पाने, मिलने, जाने, खरीदने, etc.
8. भीड़/Bhir (fem. noun): crowd.
9. कुम्हार/Kumhaar (masc. noun): potter.
10. मूर्ति/Moorti (fem. noun): statue, idol.
11. खरीदारी/Khareedaaree (fem. noun): shopping.
12. रिश्तेदार/Rishtedaar (masc. noun): relative.
13. तोहफ़ा/Tohfaa (masc. noun): gift.
14. चीनी/Chini (adjective): Chinese.
15. रहनेवाला/Rehnevaalaa OR रहनेवाली/Rehnevaali (masc. noun OR fem. noun): resident.
16. रिवाज/Rivaaj (masc. noun): tradition.
17. दक्षिन/Dakshin (adjective): South, Southern.
18. बकरी/Bakree (fem. noun): goat.
19. बिरयानी/Biryaanee (fem. noun): a dish of layered rice, meat and spices, originating in the Mughal period.
20. मसालेदार/Masaaledaar (adjective): spicy, flavorful.
21. आलू/Aaloo (masc. noun): potato.
22. अंडा/Andaa (masc. noun): egg.