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    Secret Shoppers’ Haunts in Kolkata: 6 unusual, must-visit places

    NOV 9, 2015 | By ELLE DECOR Team
    For more secret addresses in your hometown, get our Diwali booklet that comes free with our October –November 2015 issue

    From classic to offbeat – take in this city’s unique sights and sounds. Between serpentine alleyways fringed with red-bricked British Raj-era buildings, hide historical food hubs, charming curio shops and incongruous architectural landmarks.

    1. Chamba Lamba Within the confusing maze of small shops, it’s actually not hard to spot this curio store owned by the jolly old Chetenyangjom Sherpa. If oxidized baubles aren’t your thing, get copper, brass artefacts as well as Thangka paintings. Where: F58-60, New Market, Kolkata 87Tel: (033) 22526408

    2. Dakshinapan This open-air mall takes pride in having excellent value Indian artefacts, handicrafts and fabrics. Visit Tribes India for brass figurines, Aranya for souvenirs made from recycled materials and Kashmir Emporium for vibrant papier mache items. Where: 2, Gariahat Road, Dhakuria, Kolkata 68

    3. Rabindra Sadan For a crash course in the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rabindranath Tagore and his literature, spend a day at this cultural hub. It’s a popular local venue for music concerts, plays and films too – sometimes with added light and sound effects. Where: Cathedral Road, Park Street, Kolkata 16

    4. India Hobby Centre Always dreamt of flying a plane? This store caters to one’s flight of fancy with world-class aero modelling kits and gliders. Also, marvel at (and purchase) original miniatures of cars. Where: Anandilal Poddar Sarani, Park Street, Kolkata 71 Tel: (033) 22261910

    5. Dolly’s Tea Shop This cafe was started by Dolly Roy, India’s first woman tea taster and auctioneer. Try any of the 20 fruit-flavored chais in hot and ice blended varieties, along with their apple crumble or grilled ham sandwich. Where: Shop G62, Gariahat Road South, Santoshpur, Kolkata 68 Tel: (033) 24236445

    6. Paramount This 97-year-old adda was once the meeting ground for revolutionaries of the Swadeshi Movement. Now, it attracts loyal patrons who enjoy the same unchanged beverages. Enjoy their daab sherbet, green mango and cocoa malai. Where: 1-1-1D, Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata 73 Tel: (033) 22192433

    Also read: Secret Shoppers’ Haunts in Hyderabad: 6 unusual, must-visit places