howrah bridge kolkata

Usually i visit a place by taxi , get down spend a couple of hours there and come back by another taxi . But when you are visiting a bridge this doesnt apply . Especially when it starts raining . Nevertheless it was a nice trip . I started from alipore in the iconic yellow ambassador taxi of kolkata and told the taxi driver to take me to the old howrah bridge across the Hoogly river . When he suggested why not he take me to the old as well as new bridge i thought ---ok why not . We first passed through the new Howrah bridge a huge steel structure impressive on its own right . I took some snaps and i could see the old Howrah bridge from there a few kilometres away . On the way  we passed through the rail museum of Howrah (will visit it next time ) with a steam engines front visible from the road . We passed near the huge Howrah railway station one of the oldest railway stations in india . A few minutes passed and there it was the old Howrah bridge standing in all its glory in the evening .Apparently made during the British era (wikipedia for more details )  it is an engineering marvel . It was the third longest bridge of cantilever type when it was made in the world and even now it is the 6 th longest in the world . It took more than 30000 tons of steel to make it and it doesnt have a single nut or bolt in it --the entire structure is riveted . The old howrah bridge is iconic of kolkata and has been in so many movies too latest being Kahaani . From the distance i can see modern yachts as well as traditional boats in the river showing the different facets of this ancient-modern mix city . On my return i passed through Victoria Memorial (had visited it last time ) and  reached back Alipore .

Thinking back i started to compare the new and the old bridge  a few kilometres apart both very impressive structures . Which is best ? No doubt the old bridge  as it was made 70 years back almost and is as impressive as the modern bridge  .  Has the bridge frozen in time ??  I dont know  ..