​# [RECAP] A Landmark Day: Eastern India Local Guides Unite at Victoria Memorial!
What an absolutely incredible day! A huge and heartfelt thank you to every single Local Guide who joined our “Eastern India Local Guides, Let’s Meet Up at Victoria Memorial” on June 8th, 2025. The energy, passion, and sense of community were simply off the charts!
As planned, I arrived at the majestic Victoria Memorial bursting with excitement to finally meet the faces behind the profiles that do so much for our community in Eastern India. The day unfolded more beautifully than I could have imagined.
The first to arrive was the legendary @ReshamDas, a senior Local Guide from Kolkata, whom so many of us look up to. He was already in his element, guiding fellow attendees to our meeting point. Soon after, @Preachytrooper (Saikat Sarkar) made the long journey from Siliguri in North Bengal to be with us! He was followed by the wonderful @Pajamatraveller (Som Shekhar dada) and the 360-degree photography maestro, another senior Local Guide of Kolkata @AmitabhDey. The dedication was truly inspiring, with @AmarjitD traveling all the way from Contai, near Digha, the southernmost tip of West Bengal!
After gathering, we purchased our entry tickets (a steal at â‚ą30 for the garden area!) and were delighted to meet @Debroop from Kharagpur and the senior-most Local Guide of Kolkata, the esteemed @TPattanaik. Lastly arrived amazing @SayantanDatta from Naihati, North 24 Parganas district. In a wonderful surprise, two other Local Guides who were at the venue joined our group spontaneously @Rkmahajan and one of his companion.
With the sun shining bright, we found a perfect shady spot in the serene gardens. It was a fantastic opportunity to finally connect in person, sharing stories and experiences from our Local Guide journeys. We had an engaging discussion about the Google Maps and Local Guides Connect programs, encouraging everyone to be more active and share their knowledge on the Connect platform.
The spirit of community was truly alive when we exchanged goodies! A special thank you to @Shubhu1 for designing the brilliant custom badges for “Kolkata Local Guides” and “West Bengal Local Guides” that I had printed for the occasion. And Som Shekhar Dada distributed the Local Guide Stickers.
To make things even more special, we connected virtually with other pillars of our community! A quick Google Meet call brought in warm wishes and congratulations from senior Local Guides ** @DrShaunak , @RosyKohli, @Shrut19 , @Gurukrishnapriya , and @Reeshav.Das**, connecting our physical meetup with the wider Team India family.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Local Guides meetup without some mapping! We took plenty of photographs and paid special attention to the accessibility and sustainability features around the Victoria Memorial, ensuring the information on Google Maps is helpful for everyone.
All that connecting and contributing worked up an appetite! We headed to the Park Street area and settled in for a delicious Chinese lunch at Chowman on Ho Chi Minh Sarani. During our meal, I reminded everyone about the fantastic opportunity to earn a Connect badge by uploading menu photos and to get their pictures featured in the anniversary photo booth before the June 10th deadline.
As the day drew to a close, we all departed with happy hearts, enriched with new knowledge, and strengthened by our shared passion. It was a day of friendship, learning, and meaningful contributions. We left with a firm promise to do this again very soon!
Thank you once again to everyone who made this meetup a roaring success!
Here is the shared Google Photos Album
Roll Call of Attendees
It was an honor to be joined by such a diverse and passionate group of guides:
- @ReshamDas - Resham Das - (Kolkata) - Local Guide Level 10
- @Preachytrooper - Saikat Sarkar (Siliguri) - Local Guide Level 5
- @Pajamatraveller - Som Shekhar (Kolkata) - Local Guide Level 7
- @AmitabhDey (Kolkata) - Local Guide Level 9
- @AmarjitD - (Contai, Digha) - Local Guide Level 6
- @Debroop - (Kharagpur) - Local Guide Level 8
- @TPattanaik - Trupti Pattnaik ji - (Kolkata) - Local Guide Level 10
- @SayantanDatta - Naihati North 24 Paragana
- @Rkmahajan - Local Guide Level 8
- Myself @NandKK - Kolkata - Local Guide Level 10
. Till then, let’s keep inspiring and supporting each other through our journeys on Google Maps. Warm regards and happy guiding! 
