Calcutta

Well, again the early bird catches the worm, I was up at 6am and out the door as soon as I had my morning chores and cup of tea done. This morning I walked to the river side and headed south to the district where they manufacture straw dolls, mostly Hindu God idols, for temples and various processions. There was also pottery being made. I could see a multitude of shops and they had dolls in various stages of completion. First the torso of the doll is made of straw, then it is covered with mud. After the mud is dry more is applied to make the features. Finally the doll gets a wig, it is painted and decorated.

Krishna doll

Calcutta

Got up at cock's crow and made myself ready for a day sightseeing. After a quick cup of tea I headed for the Metro and bought a ticket for Kalighat station. Once there I started asking directions to the Kali temple the station is named after. Eventually I got to some kind of temple but it looked more like a park and next to it was some complex that was closed. Later I learned later that I had been in the wrong place. After walking around in circles there for awhile I took a taxi to College Road.

Sachin Mitra Lane

Trip to Calcutta

On the 29th I flew to Calcutta from Bangkok with Kingfisher airline. Service was excellent and they were not stingy with the beer, King of Good times...

In Calcutta the taxis are yellow