City of Echoes: Fifteen Tales from the Soul of Kolkata – A Journey into the Heart of the City of Joy

Kolkata is not just a city. It is a rhythm, a memory, a conversation that refuses to end. It is the hand-pulled rickshaw still pulling its weight in a digital age, the fragrance of freshly fried telebhaja drifting through old lanes, the clash of football loyalties between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, and the silence of the Hooghly at twilight. It is contradictions, chaos, and charm woven into one.

City of Echoes: Fifteen Tales from the Soul of Kolkata is the sixth book in the acclaimed Heartbeats of India Series, following Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune. Each city has spoken through its people, its stories, its heartbreaks and hopes. Now, it is Kolkata’s turn.

This collection brings together fifteen deeply human tales that showcase the essence of a city often called the City of Joy. From the faded glory of Ballygunge’s jazz musicians to the puppet shows at Park Circus where truth hides behind stringed figures, from a rickshaw-puller’s quiet dignity to a foreigner’s spiritual quest ending at the serene banks of Belur Math—the stories capture Kolkata’s paradoxes with humour, poignancy, and tenderness.

Every character is alive—quirky, flawed, and achingly real. They carry the city in their gestures, their accents, their sighs, and their resilience. One moment you will laugh at the wit of a para addaa, the next you will find yourself reflecting on the silence of Dakshineswar’s temple bells.

Much like Kolkata itself, these stories are not in a hurry. They pause, linger, and invite you to look closer at the everyday miracles and heartbreaks that shape human lives. Whether you are a Kolkatan missing your roots, a traveler who has wandered through its alleys, or simply a lover of soulful fiction, this book promises to stay with you long after the last page is turned.

At its core, City of Echoes is about how cities remember—and how people, even in their fragility, create echoes that live on.

With this sixth volume, the Heartbeats of India Series continues its exploration of India’s urban soul, proving once again that cities are not just about streets and skylines, but about the people who breathe life into them.

So step into Kolkata. Let its voices, laughter, and silences echo within you.

[All my book projects and musings are listed at https://www.rajeshseshadri.com/books]