And fuelling this passion are nightly hubs where people gather to play chess, carrom and football. Under the Gariahat flyover, chess tables illuminated by arched lamp posts draw a stream of people: this is the open-air Gariahat Chess Club, whose regulars include government officials, college students and hawkers — all drawn here by their shared love for the game. This is the favourite pastime of the shopkeepers of Gariahat, who head straight for a game under the flyover after they down shutters for the day. Kolkata’s night hubs for sports extend, of course, to its all-time favourite, football. The young men who work at hotels in the vicinity can’t wait to finish work and head to the park.

Source: The Hindu January 25, 2020 18:33 UTC