CESC Fountain of Joy
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| The CESC Fountain of Joy, Calcutta |
A better Calcutta is a city that would be more 'livable and lovable', to quote Mini Menon from the Bloomberg series 'Cities of the future'. Hundreds of construction projects can be seen undergoing in various parts of the city, and rapid expansion of Calcutta can be felt even in the neighbouring townships of Howrah, Barasat, Madhyamgram and more. But one of the problems really recognized by the incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is that, the city truly lacked modern places of interest, if I may use the term. While prodigious and prestigious buildings decorate the skyline of the city alike, ranging from the first structures of the University of Kolkata and the Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium and St. Paul's Cathedral, the number of 'modern' attractions had always been less. Definitely there's Science City, and Nicco Park as well, but still something was lacking in the city of joy. And this gap has been filled by the newly developed 'Fountain of Joy'.
History of the fountain
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| The fountain, under the afternoon sky |
During the 1990s, a musical fountain was erected to commemorate Calcutta's tri-centinary celebrations. It soon became a place of interest for children and adults alike, and the area turned into a hotspot. However, the same musical fountain that once turned the south gate of Victoria Memoria to a tourist-magnet gradually lost its charm over time. And ultimately, the state government decided to call off the thing. As per the Times of India (well, that was before my birth, so I can't give you a first-hand account), the very seat of the musical fountain became a den of criminals and gangsters, and decent families didn't wish to visit it after dark.
And just last year, Mamata Banerjee expressed her interest in presenting Calcutta and Calcuttans with something to be proud of. She decided to 'resurrect' the musical fountain. And thus was the first stone of the CESC Fountain of Joy laid. Built and powered by CESC, the provider of electricity to Calcuttans, the fountain of joy is better than before. Sanjeev Goenka, the man behind this success of CESC, has rightly called the fountain 'a gift to the people of Calcutta'. Indeed, few constructions gleam with so much splendour, to be a bit poetic.
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| The illusion of 'water hemisphere', seen from a side |
This musical fountain is unique & has 150 channels available for water and light effects – old fountain had 20 channels for water. The concept of three-tier fountain pool, with musical fountain in the upper pool surrounded by architectural and dynamic fountains in the intermediate and lower pools, is quite unique in this subcontinent.
The CESC Fountain of Joy has a centre-fed circular water screen of 6 metre height and 18 metre width. In the upper pool, the CESC Fountain of Joy will have 99 water effects, while the intermediate pool will have 20 water effects and another 30 special water effects in the lower pool. There will be a large water cascading area – more than 80 metre long from upper pool to the intermediate pool.
The CESC Fountain of Joy comes with an enormous number of lights as also LED and PAR lamps, as also high watt reflectors, capable of constantly changing the colours to make the fountain attractive and eye-catching.
According to CESC sources, the Fountain of Joy is integrated with ultra-fast technology, in which water effects will be controlled by the pneumatically assisted solenoid valves, capable of opening and shutting 12 times in a second, thereby resulting in water shooting in air at a spectacular speed.
The charm of the fountain
The beautiful fountain comes to life every afternoon, as the last rays of the scarlet sun cast a red-gold aura over the skyline of Calcutta. Dancing streams of water can be seen from the other side of Gorer Math, and the music of the fountain truly turns the air into something musical. Of course there are many different musical programmes, but I especially like the Rabindrasangeet (songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore) part. Indescribably beautiful songs ever composed in any language, Rabindrasangeet really commands respect and awe even today. And what place can be considered better for Rabindrasangeet to be played than an open platform, right under the openness of the sky?Multiple songs are played each day, but my favourite ones include Khar Bayu Boy Bege, Amra Nuton Jouboneri Dooth, Pran Chai Chokkhu Na Chai, Amar Sonar Horin Chai and Pagla Haoar Badal Dine. In addition, the track 'After' by DJ Omnix is played after the completion of the daily Rabindrasangeet programme. This creates a magnificent effect, which I don't honestly have the power to properly capture in my words. Water streams turn golden, crimson, blue, green, yellow, scarlet, purple, whitish and they keep on changing colours using the ultrafast CESC-powered technology. As the sun sets in the west, Gorer Math lights up once again, lit by the dancing lights of the fountain. Indeed, rightly has it been named 'The fountain of joy'.
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| Crystallized waters of the fountain (1/4000 shutter speed) |
Location
Easier than ever to find, the fountain is located just opposite to the main gate of the Victoria Memorial. Just get to the metro and get down at Maidan station, walk beside the flowered gardens of Eliot Park to reach the marvellous white structure of Birla Planetarium, turn right and move into the immensity of Gorer Math, and you'll be able to hear 'the music in the air'. Just follow the light and sound, and you'll be standing beside the glorious fountain. :)
Timing
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| The fountain in all its glory |
Well, the programmes usually start around 4:30 PM. And certainly it's free, so there's no worry as no ticket is required. You can sit on the cool, green, moist grass on the side of the fountain facing the fountain and Victoria Memorial. This is, in my opinion, the best place to sit.
Especially summer evening can be 'liberating', virtually transferring you to a musical world of joy, a world devoid of pain and loss, a world of Rabindrasangeet, a world of hope. Tagore's divine words of joy, of courage, of youth, of hope, of glory flow into our hearts as we witness the majesty of the fountain. Indeed, there's something so magical about the fountain that can't be felt unless someone sees the spectacle himself/herself.
All the songs are great, but my personal favourite is Khara Bayu Boy Bege, which sings of hope, of courage, of divine strength. It's a song whose lines can really fill you with optimism, and thus the fountain of joy does a marvellous job reminding us all of our seemingly infinite potentials.
All glory to modern science and technology, to CESC and Mamata Banerjee, and most certainly to Kaviguru Rabindranath, the national poet of India and one of the greatest men ever born.
And what's better to finish the post with, than the lyrics of my favourite song? So here it is:
The wind is high, clouds dark,
O the boatman, Row your boat.
You give it the direction, while I prepare the sail high-
Row, Row your boat.
Resonance of the chains, time and again, Isn’t the yell for despair
Unbearable are the bounds, its oscillations are hence.
Row, Row your boat.
Do not ask, whether or not to venture,
The day, time just or not, anxiously.
If your luck runs against, roughness beyond control,
Smashing storm, sea waves even higher,
Be confident, adjust to the rhythm,
Chanting His name merrily.
Row, Row your boat.
(Original Bengali lines)
খরবায়ু বয় বেগে, চারি দিক ছায় মেঘে,
ওগো নেয়ে, নাওখানি বাইয়ো।
তুমি কষে ধরো হাল, আমি তুলে বাঁধি পাল--
হাঁই মারো, মারো টান হাঁইয়ো॥
শৃঙ্খলে বারবার ঝন্ঝন্ ঝঙ্কার, নয় এ তো তরণীর ক্রন্দন শঙ্কার--
বন্ধন দুর্বার সহ্য না হয় আর, টলমল করে আজ তাই ও।
হাঁই মারো, মারো টান হাঁইয়ো॥
গণি গণি দিন খন চঞ্চল করি মন
বোলো না, 'যাই কি নাহি যাই রে'।
সংশয়পারাবার অন্তরে হবে পার,
উদ্বেগে তাকায়ো না বাইরে।
যদি মাতে মহাকাল, উদ্দাম জটাজাল ঝড়ে হয় লুণ্ঠিত, ঢেউ উঠে উত্তাল,
হোয়ো নাকো কুণ্ঠিত, তালে তার দিয়ো তাল-- জয়-জয় জয়গান গাইয়ো।
হাঁই মারো, মারো টান হাঁইয়ো॥
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