Calcutta Rickshaw Wallah
One of Calcutta's ubiquitous rickshaw wallahs, or puller, rests for a few moments in the city's stifling heat while a devotee puts the finishing touches on his family's pandal, in…
Serving Up Curry and Naan in Kumartuli
Down a narrow, winding lane in Kumartuli (Potter's Town) in Kolkata , India, a vendor is busy serving up curry and naan to the lunch time crowd. The potters here…
The Potters of Kumartuli – Where the Durga Puja Story Begins
Durga Puja, the annual worship of the Hindu Goddess Durga, is about to begin in Calcutta, India. The festival lasts the better part of a week and is embraced by…
Fresh Flowers for a Goddess
I believe that the civilization India has evolved is not to be beaten in the world. Nothing can equal the seeds sown by our ancestry. Rome went; Greece shared the…
Of Entrances and Exits – What’s Behind the Green Door?
Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit; and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in....Aesop The stairs, the shaft of light, and…
Durga Puja, the Worship of the Hindu Goddess Durga, Returns to Calcutta, India (part 2)
The Durga Puja (Pujo in Bengali) is celebrated in various parts of India in different styles, but not on the grand scale of the Festival in Calcutta. This year's celebration will be…