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There is a nip in the air but a spring in the feet of Kolkatans as they welcome the winter months. No city in the country embraces the winter with so much enthusiasm, fun and fiesta marking the days and nights. Come winter and there is a buzz in the streets of the City of Joy. The sweltering heat and perspiration that plague the citizens for the better part of the year make way for salubrious weather that adds a zing to all winter festivities. Any open stretch of land, be it park or maidan is full of people basking in the benign warmth of the winter afternoons. The youngsters love to have addas (gathering) in their para (colonies) while schoolboys are out playing cricket, football or badminton. The roadside becomes a favourable site to while away the time or have engrossing gossip session for the working class. The people gorge on street food like jhalmuri, fish cutlets, chicken and egg rolls, puchkas (golgappas) and the delightful steaming hot momos among scores of other food. It is the time to eat, drink and be merry. While high-end restaurants and clubs host food festivals from across the world, then street-side stalls too rustle up epicurean delights. The China Town draws all who love their Chinese food, especially its Sunday morning breakfast. But nothing marks the winter delicacy than heaps and heaps of the quintessential signature seasonal delight from Kolkata, the date palm jaggery (nolen gur). The nolen-gurer sandesh and the nolen-gurer roshogullas found at every sweet stall are simply melt-in-your-mouth delight. City’s denizens are known for their sweet tooth so their choice of desserts goes beyond the traditional and embraces cakes and cookies like their own. A sweet legacy of the erstwhile British capital in India, the varieties of cakes made from rum, raisins and marzipan or the popular fruit and plum cakes fly from the shelves during the Christmas and the New Year time. It had to be seen to believe how people queued up for over two hours at the 173-year old bakery at Lalit Great Eastern hotel that opened after a closure for eight years. The century-old Nahoum & Sons at New Market and Flurry's at Park Street are no exceptions as the crowd throngs to have their famous cakes, fudge and cookies. Even the small cake shops do brisk business. During this time the city, known for its intellectual prowess and culture, delights a tourist with the string of live musical performances, international bands, ghazal evenings, film festival at the Nandan theatre, quizzes, games, trade fair, art and culture shows at the Birla Academy, photography exhibition and carnival spread over different venues. The administration has a tough time handling Kolkatans celebrate Christmas and New Year with the energy of a carnival. The holiday hangouts notch record footfalls as kids and parents make a beeline to Alipore Zoo, Nicco Park, Science City, Eco Tourism Park at the Rajarhaat, Salt lake stadium for fairs, the malls and the iconic Victoria Memorial. If you happen to be in Park Street on the eve of Christmas, it beckons you with its festive lights and an unmatched energy of revellers. The entire Park street stretch is illuminated with multi-coloured LEDs. The festivity and lighting continues till the dawn of New Year. As the huge Santa Claus smiles in a nearby park, the popular bands like Blue Mist and Skinny Alley belt out popular numbers while mellifluous Bengali songs soothe the winter chill with their peppy beats. An adjoining stage depicts the birth of Christ and its story. The New Market is the place where Christmas trees, baubles, decorations and glittering paraphernalia are sold from pavements. An entire stretch of the market sells cakes to jostling buyers. If the nights are glitzy and afternoons a noisy bustle, there is nothing like the beauty of the city at the crack of dawn and early morning when it stirs to life on its streets. As the rickshaw-pullers and labourers gear up for the day, morning joggers in their sneakers, mufflers and 'monkey caps' exercise in the morning cold, the chai-wallas put the kettle on fire; the relaxed morning cast an enchanting glow on the city. Sip a steaming hot cup, then breakfast on 'kraishutir kochuri' (type of stuffed puris) and enjoy the freshly prepared warm nolen-gurer sandesh; this etches the winter morning in Kolkata forever. Usually the first week of January chills with light showers and the citizens huddle indoors. Maybe it is a sign to sombre down for Makar Sakranti commence and the pious side of the Kolkatans come to fore. The much awaited Ganga Sagar Mela sees a surge of devotees to Kolkata. On the auspicious day of Makar Sakranti people start taking a dip at the crack of dawn in the confluence of Ganga and the Bay of Bengal at Sagar Dweep, an island 156 km from Kolkata. The devotees believe holy dip there ceremonially cleanses them. The homes of the Bengalis are spruced up and cleaned. The lady of the house prepare delicacies from palm gur and the kheer and steaming hot peethas fill the air with an irresistible aroma. Amid all the crowd and cacophony though, it is the evenings that appears magical and serene when pilgrims are done with their baths gather in the evenings at the temple of Sage Kapilmuni to light the earthen lamps. The scent of camphor and the beautiful glow lend serenity to the occasion as pilgrims set adrift camphor-lit leafy baskets full of flowers in the holy Ganga that flickers in the evening breeze. Quick facts How to reach: Kolkata is well connected with all major cities of the country by rail, road and air. Best season: October-March What to wear: It’s very hot and humid in summer. Winter is short and requires light woollens.
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