What is in a city?

Last week I relocated to Pune from Chennai, from a conservative south Indian city to a cosmopolitan west Indian city. Previously I had stayed in Calcutta (Kolkata, though I like the name Calcutta better) as well as Delhi. But today I realize one thing, every city has its own individuality and in each halt, you take the city along.

Calcutta, my hometown, birthplace had a charm of its own (along with its shortcomings, you cant deny it). The place is untidy, people are boisterous, noisy, quarreling but very passionate. During the independence movement, Calcutta gave the maximum number of revolutionaries (read "Struggle for Indian Independence" by Bipin Chandra) and the British wanted the rest of India to be segregated from the perilous influence of Calcutta. But every city has its own shelf life which Calcutta also had. Came the downturn in late 80's and 90's which finally led to birth of Kolkata. The City of joy led way for city of hope. Today things are changing, and pretty fast. People which used to be the nervous system of the city is now fast changing and malls, amusement park taking its place. Truly change it the routine of life.

I came to Chennai at 2005 for my post graduation at IIT Madras. Thing were very different from Calcutta. Food is different, culture is different, people are different. Apart from a bad experience of Auto (worst in India, I can vouch for it) Chennai experience was not that bad. People from North cannot tolerate Chennai food, But I happily gained 8 kgs within my 1st year with sambhar-idly-dosha-utthapam. But the main thing common about Chennai and Calcutta is the stron regional feeling, dominated by the language. Bengali literature being so rich (largest book-fair in world by the number of attendee in world, maximum number of regional books in any Indian language) and Tamil language being one of the oldest spoken language brings these two city to a common platform. You from the surface, the bongs and the tams are so different. One being so impulsive and the later so opposite, still look for the common soul finding. A person staying in these cities cannot stay anywhere outside and anybody from outside cannot come and stay in these cities.

Lastly, coming to Pune, a hi-fi cosmopolitan town marked by IT professionals from all over India has given a truly cultural mix. Previously known as Oxford of East now houses 120,000 students. The city Rocks, Raves and Smiles with the young confident crowd. But I cannot take my Calcutta or the Chennai out of me. Today they are my identity and I have taken the cities along with me