More than seventy of the UPGI family from different parts of India and three from outside participated in the much awaited Retreat , being held after a gap of three years due to the pandemic. The Kolkata organizers' team led by Govind Kumar Kundu and Alfred Ghosh had painstakingly planned an interesting programme balancing sight-seeing with fun, gourmet dining and free time for ‘gup-shup’ ( informal chats) over tea and jhalmoorie (a Bengali snack). Our comfort was utmost to the team and we were well cared for by the beautiful Taj Bengal. The welcome dinner on the 10th was a curtain raiser to the joyful get-together of colleagues of yesteryears, greeting one another with loud hellos across the noisy hall trying to catch up on the latest news.
The sight seeing on the first morning included Belur Math on the shores of the Hooghly. It was a long and bumpy ride over the iconic Howrah bridge to the sacred peaceful destination revering the Shri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa ( considered a Saint) and his renowned disciples. From there on to the ancestral home and birthplace of another Guru, Rabindranath Tagore, the author ,poet who gave India its national anthem , which is now a museum. Visit to Ramakrishna Mission, an NGO partner of UNICEF for decades was combined with a typical Bengali lunch. The next morning, we trudged up the Imperial path to Victoria Memorial, a colonial monument and St Paul’s Cathedral among the first churches in Kolkata. The story goes that a year or so before the Victoria Memorial was completed, the British moved their capital to Delhi so it became which a museum for British India statues and paintings but ironically this year was the venue for the Centenary exhibition of Netaji Subhas Chanda Bose, a prominent freedom fighter.
The surprise in the fun segments was an evening river cruise on the river Hooghly against the backdrop of the illuminated bridges. Participants made it enjoyable with music, song and rhythm, and spontaneous dancing added to the merriment. We relaxed after a hot day in the cool breeze and enjoyed the sumptuous dinner, again a delicious range of dishes. Then came a gourmet lunch the next day at the famous 6 Ballygunge restaurant which was a real treat with the choicest authentic Bengali dishes. The finale at the Saturday Club, part of Kolkata’s colonial legacy, commenced with moments of sadness when we stood in silence paying homage to colleagues departed from our midst in the past three years. We were then cheered by group of adolescent girls who entertained us with folk and contemporary music, dance and drama with beaming smiles, energy and self-confidence. As is the custom at our Reunions, the local UNICEF Office joined us. Mr Mohammed Mohiuddin, Chief , Field Office for West Bengal, Kolkata in his concise briefing, explained that while there has been progress, the disparities in the child related and development indicators in the state (100 million population) presented challenges. UNICEF programme priorities included malnutrition and child marriage. New partnerships with faith-based organizations and community-based ‘sanghas (groups) had proved strategic in ushering behavioral change. Some of us interacted with Mr Mohiuddin and his colleagues over dinner while others kept us entertained with song and dance. There was some preliminary discussion on the venue and dates for the next Retreat/Reunion.
Before we bade our goodbyes, we thanked the Kolkata team for their months of planning and followup in making the 2023 UPGI Retreat most interesting and enjoyable.
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| A lovely group photo inside the Victoria Memorial |
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| Group at Victoria memorial |
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| Belur Math |
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| On the cruise |
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| Howrah Bridge |
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| Howrah Bridge |
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| Victoria Memorial |
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| At Saint Paul Cathedral |
ReplyDeleteOne correction to the otherwise brilliant article by Sreelakshmi Gururaja. St Pauls is no way among the first Churches in India. The first Churches were established in Kerala, in the first century.
The Church I was baptized in was established in 458 AD. English was then not spoken in England.
Augustine Veliath
Aside from the UPGI Reunion, the trip to Kolkata was an emotional and nostalgice return to the city of my birth "CALCUTTA" as a real expatriate American Citizen. Being born in India didn't automatically grant my siblings and I Indian citizenships. We were all "Stateless" and went through the pains and sufferings of millions of current stateless people in the world. We were always treated as "foreigners". I took the opportunity to revisit to my Alma Mater (school) after 53 years and also visited the house where I grew up as a child. Relived a lot of memories, both bitter and sweet, and marveled at the "progress" made - new highways and infractures that have come up but at the same time disappointed at the decline of some places that have moved backwards in terms of filth and squalor. But all-in-all, enjoyed the Reunion organized by a very efficient Kolkata Team.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading Sree’s piece on the Reunion. Missed being a part of this lovely get together!
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