In this essay, the author brings Kolkata alive not through the monuments, but in the everyday lives, through the artists on the streets, vendors in markets, and friendships stitched in small gestures. It is a portrait of resilience and warmth, where survival meets creativity, and the city’s true soul is found in its people. Bringing back the focus on how the place is only as good as the people in it.

Despite being integral to India’s urban landscape, smaller cities often get overlooked in both academic and online knowledge resources. While big cities dominate research and Wikipedia pages, small cities remain under-represented. To bridge this gap, Nagrika launched “Nagarpedia” — a community-driven initiative encouraging citizens to enrich Wikipedia’s city pages with credible, local insights. After all, who better to contribute than those who truly know their own city?