I am writing this during the most amazing monsoon storm, it seems like four separate thunder and lightning storms have converged on central Kolkata and the rain has to be seen to be believed. The storm is directly overhead and the noise is deafening. Lightning and thunderclaps every 3 - 4 seconds. I will read in tomorrow's newspaper that 111mm (nearly 4.5 inches) of rain fell in slightly less than two hours!
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| Howrah bridge - now renamed Rabindra Setu |
I
decided that this week I wanted to explore the Banks of the River
Hooghly which separates Kolkata from (the City of) Howrah. The
Hooghly is a tributary of the Ganges, 160 miles long, it receives its
water from the Ganges and flows into the bay of Bengal. So Hindus see
it as an equal part of "Mother Ganga", the river is
therefore sacred and its waters pure. As part of the Ganges it
receives the mortal remains of those devote Hindus able to either be
cremated on its banks or whose ashes are taken to be launched into
its welcoming waters.
From
my guest house I jumped on a 118 bus to my starting point Howrah
Railway Station on the western bank of the river. Immediately you
see the same Victorian hands at work that build our great stations of
St.Pancreas, Waterloo and Kings Cross. The building is majestic and
well preserved, it was Saturday morning so I had avoided the rush
hour crowds.
People flood out of the station to the waiting see of taxis, or to the jetty for the numerous ferries to take you across and down the Hooghly, or you get to ride across the mighty and evocative Howrah bridge. The bridge is iconic, yet as I entered I was told firmly by a policeman that taking photos of the bridge was prohibited, for security reasons, so like a good Indian I simply ignored him.
And was immediately confronted by a sign reminding me
"not to spit" ...........but more oddly reminding everybody that "the
vending and throwing of dirt on the bridge was prohibited" of
course you then want to ask a thousand questions, why would you want
to buy dirt, and at whom or at what would you throw it, and when was
this first a problem, had the Hooghly been silted up by millions of
people buying bags of dirt to throw in the river ....... India, land
of mystery.
I walked over the bridge sadly unable to throw any dirt, and arrived above a flower marked devoted solely to the sale of flowers for religious ceremonies, garlands of marigolds in vivid yellows and oranges, most destined to end up in the river at the hands of devotees who go to bathe in the Hooghly/Ganges.
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| Howrah station in all its glory! |
People flood out of the station to the waiting see of taxis, or to the jetty for the numerous ferries to take you across and down the Hooghly, or you get to ride across the mighty and evocative Howrah bridge. The bridge is iconic, yet as I entered I was told firmly by a policeman that taking photos of the bridge was prohibited, for security reasons, so like a good Indian I simply ignored him.
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| A quick dip to cleanse yourself after your train journey. |
And was immediately confronted by a sign reminding me
"not to spit" ...........but more oddly reminding everybody that "the
vending and throwing of dirt on the bridge was prohibited" of
course you then want to ask a thousand questions, why would you want
to buy dirt, and at whom or at what would you throw it, and when was
this first a problem, had the Hooghly been silted up by millions of
people buying bags of dirt to throw in the river ....... India, land
of mystery.
I walked over the bridge sadly unable to throw any dirt, and arrived above a flower marked devoted solely to the sale of flowers for religious ceremonies, garlands of marigolds in vivid yellows and oranges, most destined to end up in the river at the hands of devotees who go to bathe in the Hooghly/Ganges.
In the late 18th and 19th centuries the most wonderful ghats were built alongside the river, these bathing ghats, still stand though they are in a most miserable condition suffering from at least 100 years of neglect. Like greek or classical temples these ghats provide your entrance to the river.
You
are warned to not leave your valuables with the "pandas",
no not the animals, but to make sure that they are safe in the
correct hands, actually most bathers mainly "men" seem to
arrive girt in only a flimsy towel and with a bar of soap in hand,
devote Hindus will bathe twice a day (technically at dawn and dusk),
total nudity is very frowned upon so the bathers are at great pains
to ensure that they maintain their modesty whilst still washing every
part of their bodies scrupulously. The women bathe fully clothed in
sari etc.
Given
that it is monsoon season, the river is a brackish grey colour and
full of silt, (it's also full of s**t) but bathing demands total immersion and the devote will
also drink a mouthful of this water (which despite outward
appearances is pure, sacred, holy).
In
places the pathway immediately on the riverbank was just a sea of mud
so, I wandered along the parallel road "Strand road" which
contains many fine buildings, though again many in a terrible state
of disrepair. The river here boasts India's first and only luxury
floating hotel, on can only assume the beauty of the building ois on
the inside because it is a pretty ugly monstrosity to us on the
outside.
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| Fine architecture. |
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| Unfortunately rubbish is still a huge problem. |
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| Beautiful! |
There
is a train line, single track, running along the bank and many people
use this as a better path than either the road or the muddy lane
behind the ghats.
At
Judges Ghat priests were on hand to receive the ashes of the
departed and to put them ion the Holy Ganga, these days people use
electric crematoria and the traditional burning ghats are no used by
the super devote and the super rich (the cost of the sandalwood for
the pyre being prohibitively expensive), men could be seen getting
their heads shaved. As per Hindu custom the eldest son shaves his
head as a mark of his grief for a dead parent.
The
municipality has made a millennium park which stretches some 3 kilometers along the river bank, amazingly clean, beautiful and
efficiently organized, terminating at Prinsep Ghat which is a fine
example of the restoration possible when the government has the will
to do something. Now Prinsep Ghat sits in the shadow of the might new
suspension bridge.
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| Pandas. |
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| Head shaving to show his loss. |
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| Ganesh under a pipal tree |
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| Traditional ferry men |
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| Identical boats from 1905. |
Having arrived at the Vidyasaga setu suspension bridge I needed to find my way back towards Ballygunge, this led me past many of the old Calcutta Institutions, now clubs for Kolkata's elite, The Swimming Club, The Calcutta Club etc,.......
I
followed up Saturday walk with another on Sunday as I wanted to see
the preparations in hand for Durga Puja, the great festival and
holiday in Kolkata. The city is under the protection of Durga and
every Hindu family will have a statue of the deity in their house for
the festival and on the final day of the festival will take the idol
and submerge it in the Hooghly/Ganges.
As it
happens on my walk, just behind Ballygunge station I found a market
where most of the stalls were devoted the sale of idols of the
Goddess Laksmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity.
These statues are made of
plaster of paris or similar and available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Throughout Kolkata some 1000's of
pandals/shrines will be set up and during the festival people will go
walkabout to look at the amazing pandals all over Kolkata. This year
Durga Puja is in October.
As it
happens on my walk, just behind Ballygunge station I found a market
where most of the stalls were devoted the sale of idols of the
Goddess Laksmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity.
These statues are made of
plaster of paris or similar and available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Throughout Kolkata some 1000's of
pandals/shrines will be set up and during the festival people will go
walkabout to look at the amazing pandals all over Kolkata. This year
Durga Puja is in October.
Today Monday 17th, is Vishwakarma
puja, and cars, taxis, buses, some shopfronts, and doorways are decorated with garlands of marigolds, banana leaves, plants, coconuts,
etc. People are exchanging sweets, music is blaring out from a temple
downstairs and although not a public holiday, there is a general air
of festival.
September 17 every year is
celebrated as Vishwakarma
Puja -- a resolution time for workers and craftsmen to increase
productivity and gain divine inspiration for creating novel products.
This ritual usually takes place within the factory premises or shop
floor, and the otherwise mundane workshops come alive with fiesta.
Vishwakarma Puja is also associated with the buoyant custom of flying
kites. This occasion in a way also marks the start of the festive
season that culminates in Diwali.
Personally,
I have great affection for Ganesha, the God of the intellect, remover
of obstacles and therefore a god of good fortune depicted as an
elephant headed man, riding on a mouse. Friendships started are
often sealed by the exchange of a small idol of Ganesh.
The Calcutta Music School
(CSM)Committee asked me for a report on the ongoing development of
the Calcutta Chamber Orchestra, based on me having a five month
annual residency from November to March and being Artisitic
Director/Principal Conductor, the orchestra badly needs a sense of
direction and although the post is unpaid, I would be provided with
accommodation. The CSM annual general meeting is on Wednesday and a
plan is being put to the meeting, I have been invited to dinner
afterwards with the committee and select guests, so I shall learn
what has been decided.
The October 6th Concert is at the
Grand Hotel in Calcutta and is going to be a big "do", it
will also make a suitable introduction for me if I am offered the
artistic direction position.
On September 30th I am also
directing an informal concert for the committee, to demonstrate some
ideas as to what is possible for the orchestra when under
professional direction. There will be a blog devoted to the orchestra
in due course.
purified water!
Very finally a selection of general pictures:
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| A goat voting for biryani! |
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| Very smart pay and use toilet/bath house (in the posh part of town) |
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| Traditional saree washing |
Have a good week and NO dirt throwing (or spitting) please!
