Kolikatar Rajpath 2 by Ajit Kumar Basu

Just as the city of Rome did not emerge in a single day or a single year, Kolkata too did not come into being in such a short span of time. Instead, through a process of historical evolution, three obscure villages - Sutanuti, Kalikata, and Gobindapur - gradually and step by step transformed into the Kolkata we know today. This journey led to the creation of this city, a metropolis rich in heritage yet often oblivious to its own traditions. How the city's narrow lanes and wide boulevards, its palaces and gardens, once intertwined with the vibrant elements of society and culture, and how much of these elements are now being lost to the dust of time, is a fascinating and thought-provoking story. This story is as much known as it is unknown. The known and the unknown make up a tale that Ajit Kumar Basu has chronicled in a long, laborious book.

The author had long-standing connections with the advisory committee for the naming of streets in the city. This gave him the opportunity to view many rare documents related to Kolkata, while also deeply stirring him with the realization that, amidst the frequent changes in street names and the overwhelming presence of multi-story concrete structures, many invaluable and intimate historical testimonies were slowly being lost under the weight of modern urban civilization's pride. It was primarily based on these two concerns that he set out to preserve this vanishing history in written form.

The first part of the author's History of Kolkata's Streets was well-received by readers, but he was unable to complete the second part as a full manuscript. Shortly after the publication of the first volume, he passed away. Under the editorial guidance of Srimoyee Guha Thakurta and Somdatta Chakraborty, Ajit Kumar Basu's Calcutta's Roads: In Society and Culture was published as the second volume. For those who love Kolkata, and for those who wish to learn more about the city, this second volume, just like the first, will certainly be a valuable addition to their collection.