Friday, November 4, 2011

How To Be A Bengali Tourist - wanderlust Bengalis


How To Be A Bengali Tourist

Bengalis have an insatiable wanderlust, and their group tours have a unique flavour

JAIDEEP MAZUMDAR - OUTLOOK MAGAZINE - JUNE 2007

A Motley group-- of all ages, with diverse temperaments, varied tastes and different agendas. But the 44 travellers boarding the train did have something in common-- with the exception of a Malayali banker and his family, they were all Bengali, and they were all being shepherded by Asia's oldest tour operator: Kundu Special. Come holiday time, and the Bengalis set off on their discovery of India.Proverbially clad in monkey caps and dhotis, in staid saris and stout sneakers; carrying capacious jholas stuffed with shawls and umbrellas to brave every possible vagary of weather, their voices high-pitched with excitement, you see and hear them everywhere-- from the heights of the Amarnath glacier and the meadows of Gulmarg, to the beaches of Goa and the palaces of Rajasthan. No other Indians, with the exception of the Gujaratis, have such an insatiable wanderlust.

The 11-day trip to Shimla and Manali, on which Outlook joined the 44 travellers, was a quintessentially Bengali experience, thanks in no small measure to the eight-member Kundu Special team of managers, cooks and helpers who accompanied the group. They never failed to rustle up a sukto at Shimla, machher jhol at Manali or radha-ballobhi at Rohtang Pass! For, despite their zest for discovering the new and unfamiliar, at the end of a day immersed in new experiences, Bengalis want the familiar flavours of Bengali food when they sit down to a meal.

But it wasn't just food-- and there were loads of it right from the moment the Howrah-Kalka Mail pulled out of Howrah station on May 18 evening-- that was available in copious quantities. Human frailties and strengths were also amply on display. As the journey got under way, bonds formed between the unlikeliest people. Old men struck up a tender rapport with children, young men shared intimate confidences with old ladies, secrets and advice were shared between people who had been strangers at the start of the journey, and were now like one large joint family. And inevitably, as in every joint family, there were tensions too. Adults quarrelled over window seats on the bus journey from Shimla to Manali, resentment over perceived wrongs-- like someone else being allotted a 'better' hotel room-- were loudly voiced, with snide remarks about their fellow-travellers' looks, clothes and table manners, and everyone complained endlessly about leaking faucet in hotel rooms, or being given a back seat in an SUV (on the journey to Rohtang Pass) and a lot more.

All met and settled with wondrous equanimity by tour managers Swapan Chatterjee and Kunal Singha, for whom such complaints and accusations are all part of a day's work.

Soothing ruffled feathers, tackling bloated egos, settling petty squabbles and dismissing unreasonable demands with diplomatic finesse is what the 74-year-old Kundu Special's 300-odd staff and managers seem to specialise in. They conduct about 250 such tours to various parts of India every year year. "You travel with us once, and you'll be back again and again. That's our guarantee," Soumitra Kundu told Outlook.

He is the grandson of Sripati Charan Kundu who started the company in 1933, when he hired a whole train to take a group of elderly Bengali couples around India on a 56-day trip. Soumitra's boast isn't an idle one: elderly Mrs N. Mondal, who led a nine-member group of family and friends on this tour, said it was her 12th trip with Kundu Special.

Back in 1933, the 56-day trip cost Rs 104 per person-- all inclusive. This eleven-day trip to Shimla-Manali cost about Rs 9,000, inclusive of train fare, food, accommodation, all travel and sightseeing. While reasonable prices are a factor, what enhances Kundu Special's appeal is its reliability, and attention to individual needs. "I wouldn't have had the courage to bring my elderly mother along had it not been for this tour operator," attests Debabrata Das, a corporate executive.

Swapan Chatterjee's friendly banter, for instance, went a long way in bringing solace to a young woman for whom this trip was a recuperation from an abusive marriage. Chatterjee has even taken it upon himself to play match-maker for the unhappy lady! Chatterjee and Singha also had the full-time, onerous task of keeping eager menfolk at a safe distance from at least two ladies who, to put it mildly, had roving eyes. "Illicit liaisons are not uncommon on a trip like this, but they can end up messy and mar the trip. We have to be on guard to prevent such incidents," confided Chatterjee.

Among the other responsibilities they took on was providing a sympathetic ear to a man with a constantly nagging wife, and a tearful lady who had lost her husband recently. The irrepressible Chatterjee plans to pair off this lady with a lone widower on the trip.

On May 29 morning, as the train pulled into Howrah station, 40 (four had flown back to Calcutta) tired but happy souls alighted from it to return to their everyday lives, and start planning their next Kundu Special tour.

The Calcutta office of Kundu Special which conducts 250 such tours every year

Postscript: Chatterjee and Singha left with another set of tourists on another trip to Shimla-Manali on June 5; Mrs N. Mondal is wondering if her next trip with Kundu Special will be inauspicious because it will be her 13th; the hen-pecked man continues to survive his wife; and the two 'roving eye' ladies had not met with much success (at least that's what they claim). And the widow and the widower have reportedly exchanged phone numbers.

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?234909

The Bengali love for travel and tourism - September 30, 2009 Author:leesamarten

People of Kolkata are known for their love for travel and tourism. They have always being way ahead of people of other states in buying tickets and booking hotels in different travel locations. There is no such tourist spot in the countrywhere one does not get to see Bengali families. Durga Puja is the biggest festival of the Bengalis. People from across the globe come to enjoy this festival. People of the state start getting their reservations done in trains and hotel rooms at least two months ago to keep away from the crowd but often struggle to get reservations, because the demand for tickets becomes quite heightened.

Thanks to the economic development of the country, earning capacity of the people of Kolkata has increased tremendously. It has brought even distant corners of the country easily reachable for them. In the past, Bengalis’ traveling was mostly restricted to Puri, Digha, Darjeeling and Sikkim but these days they are planning longer trips.

Bengalees’ enthusiasm for traveling is no more limited to the geographical boundaries of the country. In the current times, percentage of Bengali tourists in places like Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong has gone up considerably. Turbulence in the Kashmir Valley has made it a bad choice for people of Kolkata and so they are opting for places like Shimla, Kulu, Manali, Ley, Ladakh and Rohtang Pass.

Almost all key tourist destinations in the country have got some hotels that give special Bengali food. In fact one can easily locate hotels that are being run by Bengalis and they aredoing quite well as there is no off season for the Bengalis.

2009 has been a terrible year for the global economy. Many people have lost their jobs and many are getting salary cuts as companies are on a cost cutting mode. Everybody across the world is trying to set aside money for future. Same is the case for the Bengalis too but that does not seem to have an effect on their love for traveling. May be this year, the percentage of Bengali tourists will decline. May be this year they will not plan a foreign trip or a trip to distant places but will definitely visit the neighboring tourist spots.

Actually, there is not anything that can curb the ‘tourist’ entity that all Bengali individuals have. Bengalis will keep on ruling the travel and tourism industry of the country.

http://www.212articles.com/The-Bengali-love-for-travel-and-tourism/


The biggest Travel and Tourism Fair in India is in Kolkata


http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/india/kolkata/fairs-and-events-in-kolkata/travel-and-tourism-fair-kolkata.html


India's prolific travellers


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7542686.stm


The Bengali Approach to Tourism

http://abhijitbhaduri.com/2011/02/the-bengali-approach-to-tourism/

Hyderabad Blues - October 2011 - my blog

".......We stayed at Hotel Suhail ( 040 - 2461 0299 : booked by him and recommended by LP and was on my mind as well, Rs 750 - non AC). There are 27 rooms in that hotel and all the rooms were occupied by Bengalis. Amazing! "

http://sourabhdg.blogspot.com/search/label/Hyderabad

1 comment:

preeti said...

Beglalis culture is really mind blowing but i was unknown about their
wanderlust. Thanks of sharing such a good information about bengalis.
Regards
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