Kolkata Through Twilight: A Diplomat’s Reflection on the City of Contrasts

In Twilight Chronicles, a book that emerged from her go backward and forward diaries, Ambassador Daniela Sezonov-Țane takes readers on a deeply personal and intellectual journey through India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. An exploration of cultures a ways faraway from her Romanian roots, the book reflects her deep admiration and intricate working out of those lands. In this excerpt, we get a glimpse of Kolkata through the Ambassador’s eyes—a city steeped in history, artistic vibrancy, and the legacy of colonialism. But through her nuanced narrative, Kolkata emerges now now not handiest as a city of contrasts but also as a mirror to India’s evolving identity.

Extract from Twilight Chronicles by Daniela Sezonov-Tane, Romanian Ambassador to India

I arrived in Kolkata on a pleasant November morning, basking less than a fragile sun, as if exhausted after fighting with the monsoon clouds. The patron goddess of the town is Kālī who left a mark on me from the primary moment itself. I became for to to locate crowds, chaos (now not lower than which is what I had heard from quite a lot of sources), cohorts of beggars and poverty. Whatever the heaviness of the air which seemed more polluted than Delhi, the greatness of the town instantly conquers the newcomer. Kolkata emanates an old fashioned ambience, a definite characteristic British “stiffness”, retaining but it an charisma of unspoken nobility. It appears, this former capital city of British occupied India, abandoned by them since 1911, has been waiting ever since to regain its formal glory. Next to 19th century buildings, properly renovated, with their facades painted invariably white and brick, the travellers to locate buildings dating from the identical period and within the identical architectural style that would possibly possibly be blackened and desolate by the passage of time, eaten up by mould and damp, overtaken by moss and wild vegetation, completely dilapidated and neglected. Their state of decay, some of probably the most visible sign of the passage of time, is overpowering and painful on the identical time, a manifestation of the end of a everyday life.

Following the recommendation of an influential Indian friend, I checked into an impressive colonial-style house which had prove to be a guest house for diverse government officials on mission, a whole lot more relaxed and more authentic than most hotels. And more cost-effective too (taking into account that the budget of a Romanian diplomat on mission is to assert the least modest). Then I anxiously headed towards the National Library. In front of this huge building, surrounded by a giant garden, I felt a regret for now now not having the possibility to spend my school years here: I might have loved to be a student devoting all my time immersed in Sanskrit manuscripts and oriental studies. I had to settle for taking a look out out Dasgupta’s works through the files, within the hope of finding some biography. I became accompanied by Bob, an American friend with whom I shared the long journey and who became simply excited about visiting the town. Dr. Kar, a stocky Bengali guy, friend since decades with generations of diplomats on the Romanian Embassy in New Delhi, met us on the train station to guide us through this labyrinth. I pictured him like a gatekeeper, a form of Saint Peter, holding the keys to Heaven and selecting the chosen few. Like every self-respecting Bengali, our guide had tons of endurance, did now now not be troubled or stress. For him, conducting things in a laid-back way became absolutely normal, so we had no choice but to adjust, wisely and silently, to the “universal rhythm”.

Therefore, I decided to arm myself with endurance, despite the undeniable proven fact that I knew that on a everyday basis counted and that I couldn’t stay longer than four-5 days having obtained the ambassador’s popularity of it. Unfortunately, for me time has - or must have - a different value. This, despite the undeniable proven fact that since being in India I kept telling myself that it should per chance possibly be better to know and, in as a whole lot as conceivable, get closer to the code of conduct of the individuals with whom I might be spending the following three years; every other time, the angle vis-a-vis time is one within the entire most important elements. Almost any meeting arranged with an Indian presupposes which that that it truly is critical to are awaiting delays (justified or now now not); in the event you accept as true with that now now not being punctual is an affront, it'll be almost not you may to perform any sort of activity here, be it diplomatic, business, or cultural.