Cracking the maze

Diwali shopping is incomplete without a visit to environs surrounding Cotton Street. You don’t need to stroll down a maze of lanes because people are always there to push you wherever, writes Mathures Paul

In Chitpur each lane has its own unique blend of personality. The spectrum comprises the flamboyant to the demure, the ideal to the repellent. And the people somehow manage to fit together, selling wares over chit chat. The photographer stood helpless, outnumbered, before the different varieties of ladoo, aloo dum, samosa, kachodi… thinking which to click, which to eat. As Diwali closes in, the bustle reaches a feverish pitch on the lanes hemming in Cotton Street. The festival of lights is more than bursting a few firecrackers. Here shopping means a little more than buying a sari or two. Chitpur needs to be divided into bits and pieces to get a rough idea about what goes on inside these narrow lanes. If historic buildings is your interest, there are a plenty for your eyes. Instead, Unplugged tried to mingle with the crowd to understand what Diwali shopping means. The few kilometre walk ended in discovering a strange fact ~ each lane has its speciality.
Cotton Street. Keep your eyes glued to display windows and you will not miss it. The sight of sewing thread and needles can only mean you are about to enter Cotton Street. Small baskets filled with cotton flakes greet visitors. The street name is an obvious pointer to the content of the shops that line the stretch. From pillow covers to pillows to bedcovers to mattresses ~ all this and more are available here at unbelievable prices. Youngsters may look after these stores but it’s the oldest member in his family who lays down the rules; his word is law. Without his consent, no business initiative is undertaken. A visit to these shops for a pillow or two doesn’t make sense. Bargain a little, look around for a while and you will surely come up with a set that’s prettier than those offered by designer brands.
If you can dodge zipping autorickshaws, continue walking down the lane. Every third shop on Cotton Street is that of a tailor, each one packed to full. While crossing Bharati Bastralaya and the likes, you will notice that tailors give way to shops selling jute bags. As the lane broadens, you will have three options ~ Mullick Street, Narayan Prasad Babu Lane and Kalakar Street, each special for a particular reason.
Every paan masala available at shops around Kolkata is found in Mullick Street. In this few hundred metre stretch cash flows like water. Nobody shops here for less than Rs 500. Names like BRC Jain & Co. and Shree Kant Stores will attract anybody who loves to chew a few masalas post lunch or dinner.
The stroll (or push) down Narayan Prasad Babu Lane begins on a boring note, with shops offering nothing new. But as the lane narrows, excitement increases. From a few hundred metres away the aroma of kachories and samosas fill the air. Excellent vegetable preparations to be had with big kachories are available in most of the shops. Everything is fried in pure ghee in your presence. Yet, the best part of the lane is that which houses Benaras Achaar (technically on Hanspukaria Second Lane). You are sure to spend a good 15 minutes here. Achars made just the way north Indian mothers make, are available here. There are at least 25 varieties to choose from, each being as different as chalk and water.
Coming back to Cotton Street and into Kalakar Street, here shops sell diyas, bangles, Diwali decorations are in plenty. Don't forget to bargain.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, that's how the saying goes. Walking past nameless shops one cannot help but wonder what lies around the bend. With every dusty footstep, a new tale is told. Change hasn't robbed the lanes surrounding Cotton Street of its charm. Watching customers ponder over wares, one understands the true meaning of Diwali (and other festivals) ~ sharing with people you care.