Introduction
Love it, hate it, but you cannot ignore it. That’s yellow taxi for you, my friends. These are old to very old ambassador cars, which have been plying Kolkata roads since 1958(The Indian Express). It is one the cities in which taxis are yellow. Their numbers are decreasing gradually due to its replacement by modern day app cabs. Still, they make their presence felt. Based on my personal experience, I somehow find the suspension of ambassador extremely comfortable. This may be due to its heavy weight and momentum.
Yellow Taxi: the backbone of Kolkata roads
There are some disadvantages of the yellow taxi such as- no scope of air-conditioning, doubtful cleanliness of seat linen, rough driving/driver etc. Some drivers can be a pain while driving, sudden converging towards your vehicle, getting too much closer in a traffic signal etc. is a typical yellow taxi trait in Kolkata roads. But in this post, I will be mostly talking about its charm, its iconic status and a memorable personal experience.
The Photogenic Chariot
Yellow taxi is extremely photogenic and has a strong presence on road because of its colour, size and shape. The yellow taxi or ‘holud taxi’ as it is colloquially called is an integral part of Kolkata’s road transport system. Many songs and paintings composed in this state are based on the yellow marvel. It has almost reached a heritage status. Among many other things, yellow taxi is synonymous to Kolkata.
The Dream
I have a recurring dream too for a decade now of riding in a yellow taxi with the love of my life (now a reality) holding each other’s hands below a green canopy, mild breeze under azure blue sky on a dry sunny day with a Bengali song playing in the background.
Garden Taxi
In another instance, I had come across a yellow taxi in my neighbourhood whose roof was a mini garden. I was so happy to see the love for plants. The garden was tastefully designed and was well maintained. That particular taxi is quite popular in Kolkata and is frequently seen as photographs shared in social media with basic details about its owner and address. The caption (message) behind his taxi was quite inspiring.
Unique rooftop garden in a yellow taxi Please note the caption written in bengali. Those who can understand bengali would love the way its written which translates to, “There is no place for planting trees is a lie.. If you wish sincerely, plant it anywhere, place does not matter”
A short story
It was my second visit to West Bengal. I had qualified GATE and went to take admission in IIT Kharagpur or Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad for my M-Tech course. I kept two extra days for that trip for any unforeseen delay in admission procedure. chose and took admission in IIT Kharagpur. All the procedures were completed one day ahead leaving me with 3 extra days to spare. So, I decided to do some sightseeing in Kolkata. I put up in Rail yatri nivas at Howrah Station. After two days of doing touristy stuff in the sweltering Kolkata heat in the month of June, I decided to pre-pone my return journey by one day.
I booked a return flight. I cancelled my confirmed train ticket and early morning the next day I got up at 7 AM only to find a dark, thick cloud cover enveloping the Kolkata sky.
To be continued …….
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Thats such a perfectly penned article. Loved the images too.. waiting for part 2
Thanks Yogita. The part 2 i have uploaded. Earlier, it was a single post. But since, it got lengthy, it was subdivided into two. Hope u enjoy the part-2
It is amazing to see how people gets creative with their profession. I feel these are the people who stand out and differentiate their work.
Thanks a lot Paresh for your appreciation. 🙏
I too have very sweet memories of one and half years that I spent in Kolkata. Looking forward to read more about your story!
Thanks a lot Archana. Part 2- is uploaded.
I wasn’t aware of Garden taxi! A wonderful read. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice article, had experienced this once during my trip to Kolkata…
Wow..a very intriguing story…will read part 2 too..
Interesting. Yellow taxi forms a chapter in my book about Kolkata too.
Oh .. nice to know that. Donlet me know the name of your book .
I have travelled in the yellow taxi and it was a not so good ride however, I agree yellow taxis are synonymous with Kolkata. I really liked the message on the taxi with plants, it powerful. Look forward to your next post.
I have not been to Kolkotta but would love to see the colours around town, especially because of the yellow taxi!
Kolkata is my husband’s hometown, so we visit occasionally. But I never came across garden car, it looks so beautiful and unique.
Ah! The photos are so charming and loved the way you have written about your experience too.
I love these taxies too. …but garden taxi looking really interesting and unique.. Looking forward to read more.
Thanks.. 🙂 2nd part uploaded.
This reminded me so much of Bombay’s Kaali Peeli. It is also an icon of the city, as the yellow one is for Kolkata 🙂
Thanks… Yeah kaali-peelis for mumbai. They are fiats i guess!! Or do they have ambassadors?
Yellow taxis can be considered the lifeline of Kolkata. Your post made me nostalgic and I would love to the city soon.
Do visit soon. 🙂 Winter is approaching. Its time for wonderful ‘gur’ laden sweets.
Some things just make a city and their absence would be a travesty. Like for Bombay it’s the BEST buses and vada pav 😄
Agree. Although, in my brief bombay visit local train and people travelling in them had more impact over me. My friend almost died in Dadar station while jumping from moving local. 😱
Like the idea of taxis with plants. Looking forward to read more.
We have also visited Kolkata and seen the yellow taxi. They look great in the city.
This is so interesting, i am heading straight to part 2
This is so interesting and I am heading straight to the part 2
I have seen so many yellow taxi photographs on Instagram from influencers! I have always been in awe. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Nostalgia at its best.
Such good memories and the garden taxi is a hit. would love to read more