In Twilight Chronicles, a book that emerged from her travel diaries, Ambassador Daniela Sezonov-Țane takes readers on a deeply personal and intellectual journey through India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. An exploration of cultures far removed from her Romanian roots, the book reflects her deep admiration and complex understanding of these lands. In this excerpt, we get a glimpse of Kolkata through the Ambassador’s eyes—a city steeped in history, artistic vibrancy, and the legacy of colonialism.
But through her nuanced narrative, Kolkata emerges not only as a city of contrasts but also as a mirror to India’s evolving identity. Extract from Twilight Chronicles by Daniela Sezonov-Tane, Romanian Ambassador to India I arrived in Kolkata on a pleasant November morning, basking under a gentle sun, as if exhausted after fighting with the monsoon clouds. The patron goddess of the city is Kālī who left a mark on me from the first moment itself.
I was expecting to find crowds, chaos (at least this is what I had heard from various sources), cohorts of beggars and poverty. Despite the heaviness of the air which seemed more polluted than Delhi, the greatness of the city immediately conquers the newcomer. Kolkata emanates an old-fashioned ambience, a certain characteristic British “stiffness”, retaining nevertheless an aura of unspoken nobility.
Apparently, this former capital city of British occupied India, abandoned by them since 1911, has been waiting ever since to reg.