The Big Day - 'Borodin'

The Yuletide season is all over us again. Christmas or X-mas as it is known to many, is is a global phenomena.  Christmas carol, Christmas trees and cakes are an inherent part of Christmas. But again, though it is celebrated all over the world, albeit with a slight variance in divergent cultures, to us, here in Kolkata, it is known and acknowledged as the ‘Borodin’ or the Big Day. Allow me to clarify. Christmas in Kolkata is more of a social festival than a religious one. Just like Durga Puja or Deepavali or for that matter, even Eid.

The sleepy row of red brick houses, comprising of six blocks of three storied buildings  in Central Kolkata, behind Bowbazar, called the Bow Barracks is normally dormant throughout the year. But with the advent of December, prodigal sons and daughters of the dwindling Anglo Indian community of Kolkata start trickling in. The neighbourhood is suddenly alive with activity as rice bulbs adorn these heritage buildings, once built as a garrison mess for the British Army during the First World War. Sounds of laughter and mirth along with smell of fresh home-made wine and cakes waft out through the windows.

If Christmas ever had an address in any Indian city, it would be Park Street. Christmas celebration in India is synonymous with Park Street. Park Street and its adjoining areas have through ages been inhabited by a majority of the Anglo-Indian community of Kolkata. From about mid-December, Park Street is decked up like a bride. From Carol singing competitions to a huge bejewelled Christmas Tree, Park Street is known for  the heritage tearoom and confectionary ‘Flury’s’ founded in 1927 founded by Mr. and Mrs. J Flury’s and introduced Kolkata to the best of rich cream pastries and Christmas puddings, perhaps one of the best outside of the continent. Park Street boasts of other  eateries like the ‘Peter Cat’ and the ‘Mocambo’ whose inception dates back to the 50s and where you are destined to have a tryst with typical British Christmas lunch and dinner.

Kolkattans are infatuated with Christmas Cakes. The ritual of cake baking, goes back a long time at the ‘hole in the wall’ bakeries of Beckbagan. In fact, Beckbagan, a Muslim majority locality in Kolkata, got its name from baking of cakes. Much before dawn on Christmas, huge earthen ovens are lighted up by muslim workers who work with efficiency and diligence for their clientele, who still hold on to the traditions of the British Raj and prefer to bake their own cakes, from the recipes handed down through generations in bakeries like the Ahmad Hussain Bakery. Mohammad Hussain has been baking cakes since 1975 and people still swear by his cakes. The Ahmad Ali Bakery or the Kanchan Bakery are other bakeries of repute in Beckbagan.

The iconic jewish bakery of the Nahoums at New Market in Kolkata, set up in 1902 by Nahoum Israel from Baghdad became an instant hit with the British expatriates and the Anglo-Indians before the Bengali taste bud was tickled with the taste of its plum cakes, jam tarts and chocolate pastries.

I being a Bengali Hindu, have always seen Christmas celebrated in my home and neighbourhood most spontaneously. ‘Notun gurer payesh’ or kheer prepared from freshly brewed palm jaggery is a must on ‘Borodin’, as is the clamouring for gifts by Santa from little ones in every home.

These same communities of the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians are fighting it out tooth and nail in West Asia and it is said that, religion is dividing humanity. What then is the common factor that binds Kolkattans to celebrate any festival with equal fervor? Perhaps one needs to visit Kolkata to find that out.

 Article & Photos : Jayeeta Sinha Roy