fishy business…

This Saturday night people were coming up with lots of ideas for Sunday shoot. Even someone told that we might go to Fancy market! For the people who does not know, this market in kolkata deals mainly in smuggled goods. Lastly we decided to check out Maniktala fish market which is a very old market in North Kolkata and famous for fresh fishes and business in bulk. Sunday morning was lovely and we met there almost on time. Though I reached last. Well, something about the market… most of the sellers sit on high platforms and after every 15 minutes or so, people are cleaning the passages with water.It is not possible to keep the entire market clean but still they are trying their level best. The indoor markets are challenging shoots always and the bulbs hanging everywhere made it worst. It was very difficult to get a frame without bright bulbs which either ruined the metering or covered the face of the merchant. I tried to get a decent angle as much as I could. As it was a Sunday, it was really difficult to make space.

Fish, I think is the main Bengali food. On a Sunday, it is always a time consuming affair to buy fishes. Bengalis enjoy the Sunday morning marketing. Bargaining over the prices, checking for qualities are common affairs. Many varieties of fishes, a huge range in prices and quality…. it is an event to get the best lot; after all the Sunday lunch is more important than the status meeting on Monday!!

People were curious as always but very friendly I must say. Nobody objected to anything. After all who gets to see 12 photographers with big cameras at a time! That too in a fishy area!! I was thinking of my father. If he were present there, he would be so much happy. When we finished the shoot all of us were sweating like hell. Had kachouri, jalebi and tea as breakfast (after I guess years..) and continued towards chatubabu’s bazaar to get some information about Charak, a popular festival which happens there every year, on that day. We left because it was in the afternoon and the sun was mighty enough to scare us away. Then changed direction to Sharma & sons in Girish Park. This is one of my favourite joints. These guys are famous mainly for their lassi and rabri. Almost nobody in the group tried it before! I am so mad about this lassi, whenever I go to north kolkata side; I try to make a quick visit. All of us had 2 lassis each… and we were discussing to change the name of our group to “Kolkata Weekend Foods (shoots)” Just beside Sharma’s shop, there is a place where thousands of pigeons live. People from all over Kolkata come and feed them. We enjoyed the view, tried a couple of shots and came back. Short and sweet market shoot followed by sweet lassi… Ohhh…