Fish have been around for 500 million years. Fish are cold-blooded, which means their internal body temperature changes as the surrounding temperature changes. All fish have a backbone and there are primarily three classes of fish namely, the jawless, the cartilaginous, and the bony. There are about 20,000 different species of bony fish alive today.

Fishy Tale

Any visit to the fish market is an interesting experience every time. The hustle-bustle of the people is always chaotic. What’s peculiar of every fish market is the peculiar smell that it carries in the air.It is something that is not found anywhere else. And many people that I have interacted with, mention that it is this smell that often puts them off and is the major reason for many to have and not to have it in the first place.

Choices aplenty

Choices Aplenty

I love freshwater fish more than the sea fish. It’s perhaps because I have grown up eating only freshwater fish. Though of late I have developed a liking for the seawater fish. Unfortunately the choices to the fishes that I grew up were limited to 3 or 4. In a market like this, where there is a gamut of choices available, there is always a slight confusion in the mind. You wonder which to go for.

Shall I help you?

And that is where the people selling the fish come into the picture. I had a nice discussion with him and asked about the different fishes on sale, and he explained me about the bigger ones, the smaller ones, the bony ones and the not so bony ones, the cheap ones and the expensive ones, the crowd favorite, and the gourmet’s choice. There is something for everybody.

Small is Delight

Quite often in my conversations with the connoisseurs of the fish, I have heard that its the smaller size fishes that are tastier. On my part, however I associate smaller fish with more and thinner and more irritating bones, and more often than not I settle for the larger size ones. The bones are easier to take out, and as a result makes my whole fish eating experience more pleasurable.

What do you want?

Prior eating experience and the rates are the two prime factors in deciding which to go for. In my case, if I was purchasing, I would have gone for the Rohu fish.

Rohu - the favorite

The Rohu fish (Labeo Rohita) is the crowd (which not surprisingly, has a lot Bengalis in it) favorite and is the fastest selling item on the cart. It is therefore no wonder that the carts of the adjacent vendors are filled with this fish. In Hindi it is called rehu (rawas is the Indian Salmon, which is quite different). It is called rohi in Oriya, rui in Bengali, rou in Assamese and Sylheti.

All set to go

Once the people decide on the fish, they get it to the fish dressing area. This is where its necessary to keep the hygiene in check. If one is not used to the smell of the fish, this dressing area can get really difficult to bear and it is best advised to stay away from far and shoot. I however could not resist going near to the action, as I had to take a few pictures.

Scaly Affair

One of the time consuming part about the Rohu is the removal of the scales on its body. The scales form an interesting pattern on the dressing chopping block.

Ready to be dressed

After the scales are removed, the fish is ready to be cut into pieces and given to the customer.

Cut to the core

At this point, my attention is diverted to some of the other action that is happening in the fish market. I spot other fishes kept in the distance, and have their parts cut out. The site is a bit uncomfortable,

All set to go under the knife

Front Side Only

Another customer has got some fish of some other kind and the vendor is busy in scaling it and making the right pieces for him.

Inside Out

To float forever

Another one bites the dust

The scene gets gory with more bloodshed and I move on.

Royal Enfield production continues, and now Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle company in the world still in production and Bullet is the longest production run model.^[1]

Attention Seeker

From my very first time I saw a Bullet, till today, I do not recall a single instance when a passing Bullet vehicle did not get my attention. The sound, the build of the body, or just the sheer wheel span. Everything in it makes a statement. A statement that has stood up to its times and still continues to live on as a living legacy.

A desire

I do not know when I will be in a position well geared up to own a Bullet myself. My friends having it make up for it, but not for too long. The sheer ruggedness makes me want to own it. There is a unique feeling to riding a bullet. Something which is beyond words, and only who rides it knows best.

Epitome of Engineering

I am sure that not many would deny the fact that the Bullet bikes have been an epitome of Engineering over the years. Right for over 50 years now, it has been enthralling its riders all throughout. I wonder if the original makers of this bikes ever predicted the success that it would bring it.

Lighting the way always

Elements of the bike makes it a cult classic. The ever present rounded lights and the boldness that it brings along with itself is a statement in itself.

The Solid Skeleton

Down to the Minimum

One of the most liked things about the Bullet machines is its Engine. It is therefore only natural to get a closer look at the components. the characteristic shape of the parts also makes it a cult classic.

Ruggedness

Close Up

It is important to view this engineering marvel from the core.The harmonious placement of elements make it a visual treat, not only from the outside, and its sound, but also at its inside.

Dhug Dhug Dhug

And who would deny that a Bullet is a Bullet because of its silencor sound. The very characteristic sound, which is recognizable even from a distance. I was told in this workshop, that it is these different kinds of silencers that are responsible for the change in the sound of Dhug Dhug Dhug.

Pride and Passion

For many in India, Bullets bikes from Enfield Motors, has been their Harley Davidsons, their Hendersons and their Excelsiors. In places like the United States where Cruiser bikes make up almost 60 of the bikers share, it is common to see Harleys. In India however, the presence of the economical low cc bikes have made it difficult for the cruisers to make its presence felt. Having said that, this could have worked to the Bullet’s advantage. The list of its owners is small, but I am sure that everyone of them is a proud owner of it.

The sound lingers on

Bullets have often been modified to make it look like Harleys, but the essence and the pride remains loyal to the Bullet.The sound lingers on your head for a long time. A friend said the other day, “Once you have experienced the Bullet, there is absolutely no other bike that would even come close in its experience.”

Inspector

These Enfield bikes in my opinion are purchased as a result of a passion for the machine and a passion for the journey on that machine. It is only when that liking from the inside becomes evident, a person decides to buy a Bullet.

With a Bullet, you do not only buy the bike, you buy a Legacy and Live with it.

REFERENCES:
[1] Wikipidea Page on Royal Enfield

I had left my village some 24 years ago for education. I was surprised to see that not many things had changed since then. Life style remained more or less the same, except that there was a larger penetration of technology in the form of televisions, radios, mobile phones.

One of things that refuses to go from the memories is the uncountable number of nights that were spent with the lantern. Electricity would often not be heard for months, and we would end up sleeping early in order to save up on the kerosene (which again was hard to get). Metaphorically speaking I think even though the village has limited electricity today, one still needs a lot of progressing to happen for the village to come out of its actual darkness.

Three parts of the home

The home is divided into three different parts. The one on the left that you see is the pakka one, which was built later on after the one on which it was built collapsed in an earthquake. The central portion is the aangan or the courtyard, which holds a really special place in my heart, as some of the fondest of my memories of my childhood are about playing in this aangan. The one on the right functions as the storage areas now, but used to be bedrooms when it was in use.

A typical Chulha in a village home

As far as I can remember, this is exactly the same location of the chulha (earthern stove) in the aangan of my home in the village. Memories of meals cooked on big utensils, with the smoke filling the entire space, come rushing back the moment I see these. My favorite used to be the makki ka rotis, served with spinach, or the freshly caught fish from the nearby pond, deep fried in mustard oil and masala.

Tulsi Plant

A common site across most village homes is the presence of the Tulsi Plant in the aangan and mine was no different. It is worshiped, and the tulsi leaves also has tremenduous medicinal properties. The Tulsi plant at this location, has been around for at least 25 years that I know. Maybe more. I wonder whether its the same plant, or another one just grew at the same place.

Lend them an ear

One of the things that I always face when I visit the village home is when the neighbors come and sit around me. News of my arrival travels to almost every corner of the village faster than forest fire. There are faces that i recognize, some tell me who they are and then I try to make the connection with how they look today and how they looked some 20 years ago, the time when I left the villages. They are surprised to see me, and so am I.  There are some who according to neighbors will be my nephews or nieces. They all have a hope in their eyes. A hope of me doing something good for the village, for their children, for them.

Some tell their stories, some shed a tear or two at their misfortunes. Some tell of their lost children. Children who have left them at their miseries, and moved on to greener pastures. I listen to them aghast. I am loss of words. I do not know what to say. I make up my mind of doing something for the village. I decide that the next school that I am going to work on through my child education project is the school in my native village. The building is there. Unfortunately it’s a cowshed presently.

Verandah

Once upon a time, the village home used to be one of the very few pakka makaans in the village. With time, parents and my uncles moved out of the village. At present only my grandma lives here. And she does not want to leave the place and come to the town to live with her sons, no matter how uncomfortable it is to live in the village home. I make it a point to go to the village every-time I go home.

Grandma in her room

Most of my childhood was spent at my grandparents house, as my parents were in college. From the stories of my childhood that I hear, I constantly traveled between my maternal and paternal grandparents. I have been literally been brought up by them, till I understood things. And the year i started to do so, I went to a boarding school. This is my father’s mother, who does not want to leave the village home and come and settle with her sons in the town.

After I went to boarding school, my stay at home in the town, where my parents live, was very limited. I used to go there only during holidays, which was never much. So whenever I went home, my grandma used to come from the village to meet me. She never came empty handed. It could be either fresh corn, sugarcane from the fields, or home made fish curry, or rotis made of rice flour, or guavas and papayas from the garden in the village home.

Now owing to her age and health, her visit to the town is very limited. But mine to the village is not. I make it a point to go to the village every time I go home. And I do not go empty hand either.

Daadi Maa

My grandma’s diet comprises mostly of chapatis, due to her illness. She has limitations in the things she is allowed to eat. However the cravings for the things she likes is always there. This time, I spent a lot of time with her and talking about such things. Things that she misses. She mentions how in her heydays she used to thrive on milk, milk products, a non vegetarian diet, fresh food from the fields and gardens and an avid sweets eater. Of all the the things she misses eating the most is rice. She has been diabetic for over ten years now and is constantly on medicines.

Size

I am always amazed at the size of her fingers, her hand, her feet and the slippers that she wears. And these are the ones she is the most comfortable in. So where ever she goes, it is always these kind of slippers. One wears out, the other similar one comes in.

Source of Exercise

One of the things that has always had me awed, is the life expectancy of the people in the villages. Though my grandfather passed away in his sixties, there are others in the village who have gone on to be well beyond 80. While there are obviously a lot of factors, like less pollution, greener fields to walk to, purer air, I think there are other factors within the home too. for example this spice grinder. The females in the house grind the spices on this, everyday. By virtue of working out on this by grinding it, in a sitting posture, exercises the whole body. This definitely is another of those factors in the longer lives of people.

Running Around

Things being kept in different rooms, also results in people moving from one to the other very frequently. So there is always someone walking around. This almost inspires you to move around at all times!

Store and Puja room

One of the other common features in village homes are the multi utilization of a room. This room served as a store room and a puja room. The puja room often called the Gosain Ghar contained the idols that used to be particular to specific households. Often one would see plain stones, that served at idols too. The structure on which you see the pumpkin (which again was home grown) contains the crops from the season. My grandfather was a farmer, and the structure was always full of either rice or wheat.

One of them

I have always tried to make a visit to the village in my trips back home and I will continue to do so. I will never be able to get over the fact that I was one of them a few years ago and played the same games, wore the same kinda clothes, gathered around in aangans, and thrived on biscuits that were purchased for as low as 5 paise.

I see me

In the pillars that bear testimony to the time that has passed.
The steps that it has born, without a word being said.
Of the hopping from one pillar to the other,
The uncountable number of rounds and rounds around it.
I see me.

In the next generation kids, who stop by to see a stranger,
A stranger to his own home, his motherland,
Little knowing that where he stands,
Stood that very stranger who just appears larger.
And I see me.

In his eyes, in the shorts, in the slipper-less feet,
In the desires, the dreams and the ambitions.
In his inability to go to a school in the village,
And a life that resembles after effect of a carnage.
I see me.

I now wait eagerly to get back to my village again.

The trams

A photographer’s paradise… One place where one can never get tired of shooting! Its a wonder as to how long will these trams remain in function! They are very much in function and is jam packed at times! Even though its slow, one wonders what makes it the preferred mode of transport for the hundreds of people daily..

The Hand Pulled Rickshaws

These hand pulled rickshaws have been the face of Kolkata for long… the very sight of this reminds one of the novel City of Joy… Of late the government has issued an order to ban these hand pulled rickshaws. There are a group of people who are against this mainly for the reason that it will cause mass unemployment… currently there are around 10 thousand such rickshaw pullers there… Some also feel that this is actually a good thing in the crowded city of Kolkata and a welcome thing from the pollution that has been a characteristic of the city.

The street children

There are so many children like these on the streets of Kolkata… they are indeed nice as subjects to shoot and perhaps the most easily available.. but after a while they start to haunt you.. the poverty.. the conditions in which they live… they things they do .. like begging.. looking for food.. not knowing when their next meals would come from.. or perhaps just sleep on the pavements.. hoping for a better tomorrow…

The footpath dwellers

The number of families stranded on the footpaths of Kolkata is just uncountable… There are always so many of them on the streets.. and it appears that their drawing , study, bed room are all on the footpath. The number of such families keep increasing due to people flocking to the city from nearby towns, villages and states.

The earners of the footpath

On the footpath, its their office. They sit there whole day.. wait for customers.. eye each person passing by .. and then leave for the day.. to come back the next day….

The Yellow Taxis

This is one thing that you can never miss in Kolkata. They are everywhere…! The Ambassadors taxis! One of the most comfortable vehicles to travel by! And with the FM radio on full swing, no ride across the city seems to be boring!

The Tea with the daily News

When was the last time you actually saw the newspapers on the walls for a community… when was the last time you actually sat with friends at a chai stall reading and discussing about the latest news… politics.. cricket.. unions..

The Howrah Bridge

The symbol of Old Kolkata…and perhaps Kolkata’s most photographed monument.

The Street side Chowmein and Roll stalls

Its a wonder as to how the stomach never gets spoilt! These stalls are there at almost all areas of the city! Oh BTW the rolls and Chowmeins and the chicken chillies here are very tasty and cheap too!

The Victoria Memorial

In houses one of the largest painting exhibitions of the Indian History with artifacts from the historical India. The architecture is indeed marvelous and amazing!

And above all.. Cricket!

Where else but in Kolkata! The Cricket fever is always at a high here! No matter how the country’s team performs… the streets have always been and will be a playground to millions!

Well.. This is one place where I could go on and on shooting.. and run out of films/ memory but never out of subjects! An ancient city with a touch of modernity! Though one may not see the glimpse of the modernity in these photographs. One other trip will cover that aspect of the city. I just love the place anyway!

Presently I have been visiting three schools of varying infrastructure, groups of children attending it. I have spent time talking to them. Often I feel that it is one of the very basic things that they seek.

I am always looking for more photographers to join me in my pursuit of interacting with these children. Sharing a few moments with them gives an incomparible joy. What is more satisfying, is when you visit them the next time and they remember you and the talks that you have spoken to them.