Desk To Wheels

  An hour drive from the hustle bustle of the Kolkata city, is the BAPS Shri Swami Narayan temple in JOKA. The entire framework of the temple is spread out across a huge area with lawns and gardens with various structures and sculptures. The property got ample parking space with parking of Rs 20 for two wheelers and Rs.40 for 4 wheelers. At the entrance of the main building is a water kund on either side of the passage which houses several tiny gazebo-like structures. The intricate work on every pillars and domes of the temple is an absolute marvel.  The interiors of the temple give you a royal experience with well-lit halls, grand ceilings. The temple houses several deities. There’s a nice cafeteria and a gift shop for souvenirs. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The temple timings are usually  7:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM .

Hotel Hindustan International, one of the heritage 5star hotels in Kolkata is not so premium after all.  A 1 night stay including complimentary breakfast buffet costed around 5.5k INR. The hotel has a vallet parking and a huge concierge. The hallway to the room is as messy and dirty as it could get with stuff lying around. I found a few moulds and mushroom growing from the side of the walls.  The room was alright but not at all a heritage hotel quality.  A cup of tea is Rs.200 + taxes but the quality was so not worth it. Anyway, I was looking forward to the breakfast buffet, but it was just another addition to my disappointment. They only had Indian spread like idly, vada, puri bhaji , in addition to cornflakes, bread, fruits and juices. I was expecting a continental spread as well which is very common in places like these. The did have "make your own eggs/ dosa " on request but if you don't know they do that, none of the staff had the courtesy to inform you t...