Transmissions from Tarapith
October 3rd, 2011 2:00 A.M. After much difficulty obtaining a train and then getting fined 596 rupees because there were no available seats, we finally arrive at the Rampurhat station around 11:30 at night. A swarm of rickshaw wallahs descends...
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Evening Aarti at Kalighat’s Northern Entrance
It is now 2 a.m. and I am staying up all night to see what I can collect from the opening ceremonies of Durga Puja early tomorrow morning near the Kalighat Kali Mandir. Julie and I were invited to attend...
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Bengali Children Singing
Durga Puja is fast approaching and Kolkata is becoming a mad house–in a good way. The general vibe surrounding West Bengal’s biggest holiday is one of awe. Right now, I’m observing the most intense explosion of creative energy I have...
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A Visit to Kolkata’s Kumartuli District
Wanting to explore the culture of Kolkata a bit more, I decided to travel to the traditional potter’s quarter called Kumartuli. This place is renowned for being the section of Kolkata where the majority of clay images of gods are...
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Shakti Pith #23: Varanasi’s Vishalakshi Mandir and Manikarnika Kund
In a narrow lane near Varanasi’s Meer Ghat is a small, curiously South Indian-styled temple dedicated to the goddess known as Vishalakshi–the “Wide-Eyed.” At first, this temple might be easy to overlook if it weren’t for the elaborate gopuram (ornamented...
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The Varanasi Slide
“Ram Nam Satya Hai” Day and night, funeral processions transport the dead through Varanasi’s narrow, winding lanes toward the burning ghat, Manikarnika. Groups of men carrying corpses on decorated stretchers chant Ram nam satya hai (Ram’s name is truth). At...
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THE VISION OF MA
