OCT 6, 11 .. For What It’s Worth
IF you are interested in the DURGA PUJA (the word Puja means Festival) going on here.. and IF you like the photos.. THANK PATTI 99520 BECAUSE PATTI ENCOURAGED ME TO STAY-PUT AND TO CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE I WILL ONLY BE HERE THIS ONE TIME..
AND ANDREW AND BILL AND CHERI 1616 48073 (I have already thanked them for ALL the photos)..
SO A BIG ‘ THANK YOU PATTI ‘.. AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.. ANDREW/BILL/CHERI..WITH LOVE .. FROM ALL WHO ARE FOLLOWING ALONG HERE AND INTERESTED..
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THE DURGA PUJA (PUJA means Festival) .. it will formally end.. it will formally be finished today.. Thursday the 6th of October..
HAVE I MISSED SOMETHING.. HELP ME OUT..
WHAT HOLIDAY DO WE HAVE.. DURING WHICH THE BANKS CLOSE FOR FIVE (5) DAYS..
THIS IS HOW BIG THIS ONE HOLIDAY IS HERE IN CALCUTTA..
And I am working at a disadvantage.. I do NOT know.. intimately.. the location of the hundreds of local PUJAS (local Festivals).. BUT I HAVE STUMBLED UPON SEVERAL AND THOSE ARE FANTASTIC..
MORE PHOTOS COMING..
In a nutshell the entire city is involved.. it is focused on local streets and in local neighborhoods.. it is NOT an institutional thing..
There has been TERRIFIC ENERGY here during this past week.. GOOD.. POSITIVE.. WHOLESOME.. ENERGY..
People are having fun and the people are in HAPPY GOOD SPIRITS.. NOT ONE SIGN OF MEAN OR ILL SPIRITED ATTITUDES OR ACTIVITIES THAT I HAVE WITNESSED..
OH YES THE BUSES ARE CROWDED .. but Calcutta is a ‘ crowded place ‘.. so what is new.. THIS.. the people are OUT ON THE STREET UNTIL MUCH LATER THAN USUAL..
AND THE PEOPLE.. ESPECIALLY THE FEMALES.. YOUNG AND ELDER AND IN BETWEEN.. ARE DRESSED UP ‘ TO THE NINES ‘ .. I have wanted to photograph them but it is night and I don’t see them coming upon me until it is too late and besides.. a surrounding crowd inhibits photo taking of a specific couple or group of people..
I ought to sit.. still.. and.. with camera ‘at-the-ready’ .. wait and snap them..
THE LADIES ARE JUST DRESSED SO NICELY.. IT IS THE EASTER PARADE..
9 PM.. Thursday evening.. October 6th.. well the SHOW CONTINUES.. I was wondering IF it would go deep into this evening and the answer is YES..
I HAVE seen evidence of some sites being taken down.. but the sites I am most familiar with ARE STILL UP AND BRIGHTLY RUNNING ..
Some reduction in the crowds also.. so it is WINDING DOWN but not yet closed out..
I AM SO VERY HAPPY THAT I STAYED IN TOWN AND GOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CROWDS AND TO PHOTOGRAPH THE FANTASTIC AND PHENOMENAL LIGHTING..
I do NOT plan to come back to India this time of year again.. September and October are new experiences to me and I will NOT repeat them .. so I say.. writing at this moment..
MUCH JOY.. Cap..