Kolkata’s nickname is the City of Joy. When I first heard that, I thought, if it lives up to that name, it’s got to be an amazing place.
Kolkata was amazing.
And I learned about the origin of the nickname.
City of Joy was the name of a book set in Kolkata, written by Dominique LaPierre. That book is mostly set in the slum of Anand Nagar, a name that literally translates to ‘place of joy.’ The book focuses on how the people living in the slum, despite the many hardships of life in poverty, still manage to find life worth living and experience happiness.
I often think the trope of “oh they’re so poor, but they’re actually happy” can be harmful. It can get us to romanticize poverty rather than addressing its root causes.
But, especially at the time the book was written, I could see it being helpful to push back on the conflation of material wealth with happiness.
The City of Joy
