Bricks of the Raj
My romance with the Bricks of the Raj began ,a few years ago, when I was influenced by a group of four to walk with them and as they explored the streets of Calcutta that housed these historic edifices. In the day the teeming millions shroud these magnificent structures with their purpose of business or hide them from what they were once built for. At night they stand as silent sentinels guarding their space in history. At the break of day they seem to talk to us ,almost imploring us to spend time with them, to love them as they had been loved once , to live in them and enjoy the comfort they once offered. These ,that were once stately homes ,stand in testimony of the true expressions of a kitsch of culture that surrounded the areas from Bandel to Calcutta. The areas where the Portuguese, The Dutch ,the Danes ,the French and later the British established their settlements that later found their way into India. These were also the palaces and abodes of the other R