Having been away for Christmas and New Years it was quite nice to spend a weekend in Kolkata. We organised to go out to a few areas of the city with a religious flavour - the Flower Market and Kumartuli.
When we informed our driver we wanted to head out to the Flower Market, he seemed a bit concerned ("Not good area"), however, we insisted on going and he reluctantly drove towards the Flower Market. The Flower Market is located at the foot of the Howrah Bridge near the Mallick Ghat by the river. When we arrived, our driver took our mobile number and gave us his, made us miss call him and leave valuables in the car. This was a little intimidating. We felt a little better when we saw another car of tourists arrive.
We walked through the market passing vendors selling all types of flowers strung onto garlands and walked up to Howrah Bridge for a better view of the action beneath. Vendors were calling out, advertising their flowers and making sales. Through the tourist eye, I'm not sure what differentiated each seller, but I am sure that there were subtle differences of quality and a network of relationships that moved each sale. We stood on the bridge and watch the vendors pile up garlands on the purchasers (who moved on to sell their garlands outside temples throughout the city) - they looked like they were wearing a big puff coat of garlands - quite cool.
We walked through the markets where shopkeepers threaded ornate flower arrangements and safely made our way back to the car - much to the relief of our driver.
His relief was momentary as we then asked him to drive to Kumartuli, an area in which artists make idols ("Far, bad traffic, many car"). But we managed to get there within 15 minutes.
Kumartuli is a suburb in Northern Kolkata where idol artists live and work. The artists create sculptures of Hindu idols, mainly of the goddess Durga (Durga Puja is one of the most celebrated religious festivals in West Bengal - it celebrates the goddess' triumph representative of good over evil). Some artists tied together straw into shapes of the goddess, horses, mythical creatures forming the skeletons of the sculptures. Others layered clay over the straw skeletons forming the body of the sculptures. We watched in awe as they sculpted details with their bare hands working an amazing level of detail. There were intricate backgrounds, detailed facial features and the draped fabric was reminiscent or renaissance art.
All in all, it was pretty awesome to watch.
When we informed our driver we wanted to head out to the Flower Market, he seemed a bit concerned ("Not good area"), however, we insisted on going and he reluctantly drove towards the Flower Market. The Flower Market is located at the foot of the Howrah Bridge near the Mallick Ghat by the river. When we arrived, our driver took our mobile number and gave us his, made us miss call him and leave valuables in the car. This was a little intimidating. We felt a little better when we saw another car of tourists arrive.
We walked through the market passing vendors selling all types of flowers strung onto garlands and walked up to Howrah Bridge for a better view of the action beneath. Vendors were calling out, advertising their flowers and making sales. Through the tourist eye, I'm not sure what differentiated each seller, but I am sure that there were subtle differences of quality and a network of relationships that moved each sale. We stood on the bridge and watch the vendors pile up garlands on the purchasers (who moved on to sell their garlands outside temples throughout the city) - they looked like they were wearing a big puff coat of garlands - quite cool.
We walked through the markets where shopkeepers threaded ornate flower arrangements and safely made our way back to the car - much to the relief of our driver.
His relief was momentary as we then asked him to drive to Kumartuli, an area in which artists make idols ("Far, bad traffic, many car"). But we managed to get there within 15 minutes.
Kumartuli is a suburb in Northern Kolkata where idol artists live and work. The artists create sculptures of Hindu idols, mainly of the goddess Durga (Durga Puja is one of the most celebrated religious festivals in West Bengal - it celebrates the goddess' triumph representative of good over evil). Some artists tied together straw into shapes of the goddess, horses, mythical creatures forming the skeletons of the sculptures. Others layered clay over the straw skeletons forming the body of the sculptures. We watched in awe as they sculpted details with their bare hands working an amazing level of detail. There were intricate backgrounds, detailed facial features and the draped fabric was reminiscent or renaissance art.
All in all, it was pretty awesome to watch.
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