The Calcutta Photo Tours Blog

A visit to the blog after ages and what better day to re-vist it, than Earth Day. OK, Earth Day just happened to happen today. What really prompted the visit and the desire to write here again on a regular basis (fingers crossed, it is such a discipline that I am clearly not disciplined enough for that, nor prolific a writer to able to churn out so much content) was this absolutely wonderful discussion I had this morning with a guest from Italy - who was excited enough to start soaking in the city, that she and her husband chose to start their Calcutta experience from the airport itself. Well, in all honesty it was a special conversation because English wasn’t her strength and my Italian was limited to Google translate and an occasional “si”, “bellissimo” “bella” but there was so much to be discussed, so much to share, such cultural exchanges to be made. What prompted this particular discussion was this sight - and me uttering the words “urban decay” as we photographers usually ...

It is that time of the year when Kumartuli is in a phase of heightened activity... Everything seems to be moving faster... Work is on full swing for the Pujos which are fast approaching. The straw work is mostly over, the basic structure is ready, and the models of clay and mud are finally getting an identity... a face! The hands which are moulding these faces perform nearly an act of worship... one is creating God. Measured moves - a result of years of doing the same thing each year... What a feeling just to be in the presence of these artisans! Wow! It is really an amazing time for one to go photographing here. Just so much to shoot. And then there are times when one notices something funny... something that was not in the scheme of things. Like this artisan wearing an "Enter The Dragon" tee with the "Demon" drying itself out in the sun. Come, lets explore this wonderful little world of Kumartuli. For more details about the vario...

Some times it does not matter what camera you are using... I really strongly believe in getting the picture... yes, the picture might not be "accepted" in a lot of places... but as an artist, as someone who likes photography and the pure joy of "creating" an image the mega pixels or the "D" before or after a few numbers really do not make a difference. If I had let this moment go by, I would have  let this moment go by. As simple as that... But here I was out to get some provisions and I saw this cycle stocked up all the way with these plastic crates stacked one on top of the other. It was such a long stack that the cycle just seemed to be there as a formality... And all I had was my phone - I must admit Instagram is making me use my phone camera much much more - so I did not waste a moment and here is the result. I just let someone pass by the stack.. just to give an idea of how tall this  really was! Do follow us on our Facebook page and...