Eric Garcetti is in love with Kolkata, its history, culture and food. Shorshe maachh (fish in mustard sauce), phuchka or the black-and-yellow taxis — you name it and the US ambassador, on his first official tour of Kolkata, has experienced it.
In an interactive session with the media at the American Center, Kolkata, on Thursday afternoon. Garcetti couldn’t stop talking about Kolkata.
Eric Garcetti during the pressmeet on Thursday at American Centre Amit Datta
“This may be a very personal view, but I like cities where you can get lost. I think Kolkata is one such city. You can roam around in the lanes and by-lanes here, only to stop for phuchka or puri-sabzi. This is the cultural capital of the country and I am loving every bit of it,” he said.
Adrian Pratt and Eric Garcetti Amit Datta
Garcetti will be treated to a sumptuous Bengali dinner on Thursday night but even before setting foot in Kolkata, the ambassador visited Banga Bhawan in New Delhi to taste Bengali food. “I particularly liked the fish with mustard,” he said.
Eric Garcetti and CG Melinda Pavek Amit Datta
On Wednesday morning, despite his pact schedule, the ambassador found time to visit Kolkata’s historic, cultural and religious monuments. He sipped tea from a bhanr, explored the lanes and bylanes of central Kolkata and did every other thing a curious tourist would do. “Kolkata is truly a city of cross-cultural splendors. On a walking tour this morning with @CalcuttaWalks, I saw the depth of the city’s history of harmony and visited diverse places of worship. The coexistence of these institutions reflects Kolkata’s religious tolerance and plurality,” he wrote on Twitter after the visit.
The walk in the lanes and by lanes of Kolkata US Consulate
Garcetti shared a similar view when asked about his experience in Kolkata. “I think Kolkata is a city of diversity and contradictions. People from so many faiths and religions live here peacefully. This is a city where people celebrate Durga Puja, Christmas and Eid with equal enthusiasm. I would definitely like to come back here,” he said.
At old China Town US Consulate
After the press meeting, Garcetti visited Jorasanko Thakurbari for another glimpse of Kolkata’s cultural legacy. He met the teachers and students of Rabindra Bharati University.