All buses without exception and I mean ALL, slow down at the 'Naba Graha' Mandir on the left of the Kalighat bridge. They don't stop. Just slow down and the conductor or the helper, throws a coin or two which sails out the bus door, over the bridge rails, missing the trees and straight through the mandir door. This must be a regular, routine, daily deed judging by the bulls eye scored by conductor after conductor. I have in the 5 months of commuting to work on this route, never seen a mis throw. I catch a bus between 8:30 and 8:45 - don't know if each bus offers daskshina each time it passes by or just at that time...perhaps by when the purohit is offering morning prayers.
But just imagine if coins came flying from each bus as it passed by ... several every minute .... the amount of dakshina piling up each day. But that's not all I am referring to: I leaned out yesterday and watched the coin arc beautifully inside the mandir narrowly miss the purohit who ducked at the right moment. He did this without missing a mantra! He must be so used to it by now that the chant-duck-chant-duck-chant is now old hat for him! Just another Occupational Hazard.
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There's a small temple near about Malancha which sees the same display of agility. This time from the auto drivers :) Early morning around 0715 onwards. Tremendous fun !
The other place where you see the long distance buses do this is at Behala Tram Depot. I need not point out which temple that would be.
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