Happy 2009!!

Whistles, screams and crowd; the mood for new year's eve celebration condenses as the clock ticks toward the midnight. Traditionally it is the Park Street/New Market area that pulls most of the crowd in Kolkata. During the British rule it was called "Saaheb paaraa" meaning the neighbourhood of the Britishers and was the epicentre of celebration of the year ending festivals from Christmas. In general psyche the locality is able to maintain its past image even to this age. Although now different sponsored parties, music performances by local bands and other such events are being arranged in different shopping complexes and multiplexes throughout Kolkata, and they also pull huge crowd.

A rock music show was arranged by NIFD students near their campus at New Market to welcome 2009. NIFD is a fashion design school. It was a street-side show and open to all. So the crowd was of mixed nature; from the serious looking elders to the most enthusiastic adolescents, whoever was passing by the place stopped to get a feel of it.
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My first story on Photojournale

"On the Streets" is the name of my first photo-story published on Photojournale. Its a collection of street photographs from my city: Kolkata. I call it "photo-rambling" on the streets of my city. I invite you all my friends to see the photographs there. Now only thirteen photographs are uploaded on the site but I shall add more later. So keep watching the place.

Please let me know how do you enjoy them through your comments there.

Thanks for viewing!!
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Morning Chinese Market

The morning market at Cheenapara, or the old China town in Central Calcutta, is the nerve centre of social life for the communities living in the neighbourhood. It becomes alive with activities from early in the morning. People flock to the place to collect their daily supply of vegetables, fish and meat. Although it has lost its past glory still a number of food stalls run by the Chinese people can be found here selling Chinese snacks, sweets and other food items.

In the slideshow below I present a glimpse of the daily life in the market premise. I tried to focus on the symbiotic co-existence of the different communities for whom the old China town at Central Kolkata is the home.



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A Summer Afternoon

On a summer afternoon the blazing Sun has cast a dark shadow of one of the entrances of Governor's House at Esplanade, Kolkata. We call it "Raj Bhavan". This was the seat of British imperial power during Raj era. Now it serves as the residence of the Governor of the Indian state of West Bengal. For more information please visit:

rajbhavankolkata.gov.in
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raj_Bhavan_(West_Bengal)

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So I take a leap

Last Friday was my last day at my current day-job. It was in software engineering and so was high paying. My friends were shocked at my decision. Their concerns were quite logical. These days there are not many job that allow you to live lavishly, and just for a few thousand bucks people toil like anything.

But while my job was allowing me to buy expensive photo-gears, I was not able to buy time to use them. So it turned out either I have to stop thinking about photography or quit this job. I opted for the latter.

So what shall I do next? Try for some work in photography, in whichever area it is. Well this is only a short term solution I think. I look at myself as a photographic content developer, and as such I need to develop an understanding of the market where I shall be playing a role. I need to have a well chalked out career path in that market.

I shall keep sharing with you my friends all my experiences. For the time being I concentrate on finishing off the pending tasks. I just completed working on my photographs I took during Ganga Sagar mela at Maidan, Kolkata. I made a PDF book with them too. My friends have some good words to say about the PDF, but I want to hear it from you.

I present here only the partially completed version of the PDF, as the book is a bit big (6MB only). If you like to get hold of the complete PDF please contact me. Please provide me your full name, email id, profession you are in and a little bit of yourself.

Ganga Sagar (draft) - Upload a doc

Read this doc on Scribd: Ganga Sagar (draft)

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Flower Market devastated by fire ...Contd.

On the second day after the fire, that is 13th April 2008.

The administrative body of the market has taken a decision the day before to clear up the debris from the site by the following night. Hence by next morning space has been made for the vendors to start operation as much as possible so that loss is minimum.

Vendors started business on the cleared up site. The next day, that is 14th April, was the Bengali New Year and hence a boom in sale was expected.

A boy scavenging in the heap of debris still remaining to be cleared up from the site.

The camp of the labourers in the market who worked on the previous night to clear up the site from debris. Much were yet to be done.

Vendors set up temporary shelters with bamboos, the wooden pillers which are not completely burnt and plastic sheets.

Lots of scrap iron sheets, rods, welded frames , etc. had been produced due to the accident. Scrap metal vendors flocked to the place for their share.

The fire had taken away all colours from the market and turned it into black ashes. On the second day of the accident the market was struggling desperately to regain its usual colour.
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Flower Market devastated by fire ...Contd.

12th April 2008: The next day

The burnt portion of the flower market from a rooftop.

The flower vendors sitting idly inside a burnt out structure.

Flowers to be sold and water pots before a burnt shop.

A burnt out shop in the market. Police forces had been deployed for security reasons.

It was suspected that the fire was caused by LPG cylinder burst.

A burnt out temple in the market.

A burnt earthen flower vase in the debris.

Vendors stocked flowers in the market expecting boom in sale due to the imminent Bengali New Year. They met with huge loss after the accident.

The opposition parties organized a political rally in the market demanding proper investigation of the incident. They were the strong believers of the conspiracy theory.

Curious passersby having a glance at the site of devastation.

The horticulture minister, the chairperson of the administrative body of the flower market and other administrative heads discussing the future course of action. It was decided that the site will be cleared up working whole night, so that from next day morning business activities could be resumed at least partially. Some sort of temporary structures would be erected later for the shops.

Question-answer session with the journalists from different media houses.

Business was in full swing at the unburnt portion of the flower market.

In a temple a few pace away from the burnt site people were engaged in their daily worship.

An old lady taking rest in the afternoon was probably on her daily routine as usual.

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The Street Circus

The winter season in Kolkata is the season for merriment. Lots of picnic, sports and other events are arranged. People go out in the afternoon sun to enjoy its warmth.

This is the time when street-performers come out in the street to show there feats. Mostly the gypsies or the poor people from nearby Kolkata flock at the different corners of the central Kolkata to perform rope walking, fire eating and many other juggling games.

In the photo above I have captured one little gypsy girl performing rope walking with pitchers on her head at New Market area, while in the second photo, at the same area, a Japanese tourist is performing fire dance with two fire balls.
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Muharram in Kolkata

Its long since I haven't been around. Mostly due to some network failure at the beginning, but then I got busy with shooting the events that were coming up. After the autumn festival the two months of winter season, that is December and January, are most eventful. I wish to share my photographs on Muharram here. Others are following by soon.


Muharram is the first month of Islamic lunar calendar, Hijrah. It is one of the four months that have been designated as Holy according to the Islamic belief, the other three being - Dhul-Qa'adah (Zulqa'dah), Dhul-Hijjah (Zulhijjah) and Rajab. However the first ten days of the month are considered as most sacred. Fasting is advocated in the month of Muharram, but the fasting on the tenth day of Muharram, called Ashura, is particularly important, as it is supposed to lead to great rewards.


Muharram is an important month to the people of Islamic faith. Many auspicious events of Quranic history are believed to have taken place during this month, specially during the tenth day. Some of the events are: The Prophet Adam was born and his repentance was accepted on this day, the Prophet Abraham was saved from the Fire, the Prophet Ishmael was delivered from the Sacrifice, the Prophet Joseph was reunited with his father, the Prophet Job was cured of his illness and the Prophet Solomon was ordained as king; however no accurate historical evidences could be found for them.

Shiite Muslims observes the first ten days of Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his family, the grandson of the holy Prophet. Hence Muharram is not a festival in the celebratory sense to the sect as it mourns the Karbala tragedy. Muslims build paper and bamboo replica of the martyr's tomb, called Tajiya or Tazia, and carry them into the street in a procession to mourn Imam Hussain's brutal assassination. Mourners walk barefoot, beat their chests and cry out the name of Imam Hussain. Some plaintive verses are recited to signify that Hussain and his family had to suffer terrible thirst during their murder. The youths whip them with chains or hit them with knives to draw blood out of their body to symbolize the physical pangs that Imam Hussain had to suffer. Horses decorated as a battle horse with swords, etc. are also taken out in the procession in memory of Hussain's horse, Duldul.



Sunni Muslims also commemorate Imam Hussain's martyrdom but in a less demonstrative manner, concentrating instead on its spiritual aspect.

The word Muharram is derived from the word Haram, which actually means forbidden; it also means respect. Hence the month of Muharram encourages people to forbid themselves from all worldly pleasures and to respect the great children of the Mother Earth by commemorating their sacrifices towards the establishment of Truth and Justice.

More photos in my Flickr.


Resources
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1. http://www.jannah.org/articles/muharram.html

2. http://www.indiawijzer.nl/tourism_travelling_to_india/fairs_and_festivals/march/muharram.htm

3. http://www.alinaam.org.za/library/imuharram.htm

4. http://www.indiaparenting.com/indianculture/festivals/fest009.shtml

5. http://muslims-r-us.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-really-happened-on-10th-muharram.html
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The elderly priest of Durga puja

I met this aged person at Kumortuli ghat during Kolabou puja. He is the eldest priest of Durga puja, at least in Kolkata I think. What I made out from what he said in his soft voice amidst the beating of the drums is that he is around 92-93 years old. But still he is actively involved in Durga puja as a priest observing all the rituals with utmost earnestness. Actually he was supervising the ceremonial bathing of Kolabou while I took this photo. He told me his name, but I missed it in the noise of the beating drums and I didn't like to disturb him. He was once featured in a popular local newspaper here while going to Bangkok for the purpose of Durga puja in the year 2001.

I searched the archive of the newspaper in the net, but couldn't find anything. I am trying to know more about this person of great stamina. If someone visiting this blog happens to recognize him please leave me a comment.

More about ceremonial bathing of Kolabou or Navapatrika will be coming shortly.

Durga puja, Kolkata, 2007
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The End of the Show!!

So the festive season has ended at last!!
It all started with Durga puja, or rather with Eid this year. These two festivals always come side by side, separated just by few days. The end comes with the immersion of the idol of Goddess Kali. For Hindi speaking people it is the Chatpuja and it has been held the last saturday.

So its the end of the show. Or is it? I think the autumn festivals are just the beginning of a six months long festive season which ends up with the Saraswati puja, the goddess of learning. Then again the summer starts, the season of sweating and suffocation. Now the weather is pleasant in this part of the world, and so many festivals and ceremonies are in the line.

Lots of activities on the streets of Kolkata, means lots of opportunities for beautiful photographs. I have already shot photos on the occasion of Durga puja, Kali puja and Chatpuja. Shall publish them here shortly, so stay tuned.

Enjoy the festive season!!
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