Part 7: January 19 (Wednesday) to January 21 (Friday)

Alan w. Subir Sarkar, AIIS office, Kolkata (JZ)

I had been corresponding with Subir Sarkar, head of the Kolkata AIIS office for months. Now we finally had the chance to meet. He was extremely helpful, had arranged for our hotel in Bishnupur, as well as secured a local driver, Bilip, who knew the area well. We brought out the album and Subir proceeded to give us detailed information about the temples in our collection. He was certain that one was near Bhadutala, a 3 hour drive from Bishnupur.

Vests, Shyambazar, Kolkata (AT)

Subir suggested a visit to Shyambazar, a busting, old market in north Kolkata. This was clearly where the locals shop and our presence was noted by every shopkeeper. Indians seem to have a fascination with photography. I would ask permission to photograph and people would gather round the display screen to see what I had captured. I do miss my Leica, but you could never share instantly, a blessing and a curse. 

Merchant, Shyambazar, Kolkata (AT)

Street vendor, Shyambazar, Kolkata (AT)

Shyambazar, Kolkata (AT)

We decided to get off the main street. What ensued was remarkable. I saw a group of women and asked if I might photograph them. They agreed, and then seemingly every child in the neighborhood appeared. They noticed Jerri's interest in the small shrines that dotted the area, took her hand and led her from one to the next.

Young girl and shrine, Shyambazar, Kolkata (JZ)

A small crowd gathered and took us through tiny corridors, with hanging laundry, the smells of cooking, family life in unimaginablely small spaces.

Alley, Shyambazar, Kolkata (JZ)

Jerri with children, Shyambazar (EZ-T)

Emma showing flip video (JZ)

Angowary School, Shyambazar, Kolkata (AT)

They were excited that we were in their neighborhood and ended up inviting us into their school, a tiny room, lit by a bare bulb, with no discernible books or materials. They were in love with Emma, and crowded around her.
We were offered tea.

Mother with her children, Angowary School (JZ)

They took our photos with their cell phones (people might be poor, but they all have cell phones) and we took theirs. Every time they saw the photos, they clapped. Jerri wrote down the teacher's name and address—we will send them photos. I am sure we were the only Americans to have ever set foot in their neighborhood, let alone their school. They asked for our autographs, as if we were rock stars. Jerri found it hard to leave.

Teacher, Angowary School (AT)

We next took a cab to the Grand Hotel to meet Gopal Chowdery, an artist I had been in contact with through facebook, although we're not quite sure how this happened. His work is striking (http://www.gopalchowdhury.com/) He met us at a nearby gift shop, where we bought some beautiful drawings. We then had dinner at the Zarang Restaurant, where half a dozen uniformed waiters treated us to a magnificent meal. Emma surprised the staff by ordering and enjoying one of the spiciest items on the menu. I foolishly bit into a hot pepper, causing our waiter to run over with a plate of sugar crystals to calm my burning but happy mouth.

Victoria Museum, Kolkata (AT)

Diorama, Victoria Museum (AT)

The next morning, Gopal, his nephew and a friend picked us up and drove us to the Victoria Museum. It is an impressive structure. We had an introduction to colonial India, as evidenced in remarkable watercolors, etchings, paintings and textiles. I got my museum fix. The next time, we need to visit the India Museum, where we can see the country reflected through an Indian lens.

Zaika Restaurant, Howrah

Gopal wanted us to see the Dakshineswar Temple, an hour's drive further north. Everything in India takes inordinate amounts of time. First, we stopped for an excellent lunch at the Zaika Restaurant in Howrah, a favorite on the side of the road.   

The light was fading by the time we made it to the temple, but it was worth it. It is a series of structures, very much in use. We saw devotees at the Hooghly River, removed our shoes and entered the complex.

Devotees at Hooghly River (JZ)

Dakshineswar Kali Temple, West Bengal (JZ)

We then heard music coming from one of the buildings, and saw a group of people, sitting on the ground, singing, clapping and drumming. These were Hare Krishna followers, but not the orange robed missionaries we used to see at the airports. Photography was not permitted, but there were no signs about audio recording. Emma recorded several pieces. Here is a segment:  

Hare krishna song 2

We got back in the car; Gopal was playing Elvis songs on the radio. Nothing is surprising.

Both Sharon and Subir said that we must meet Bachoo Roy, an Indian scholar who worked for the U.S. State Department in Washington for many years. His wife had been in charge of Hindi language training for American diplomats. We met Bachoo for dinner at #6 Balygunj Place, a short walk from our guest house. It was an incredible experience. Bachoo is strikingly handsome, with a beautiful accent, a mixture of Indian and British and a winsome laugh. He started the conversation by saying “I am Bachoo Roy. I am 86 years old and I live here and in Santiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore's university where I have taught for many years.” Turning to Jerri, he said “And who are you?” He then proceeded to ask the same question of Emma and me. We had an amazing conversation, exploring our impressions of India.

Alan enthralled by Bachoo Roy (JZ)

Bachoo is eminently quotable.  He talked about India's straddling of worlds and told us that the joke in India is that when the country launched its first satellite, the capsule was brought to the launching pad by ox-cart.  He ofered that India challenges Darwin's Theory of Evolution--because nothing really evolves, it all exists simultaneously.

He was impressed with our album, again offering specific comments to guide us. The further we get into this project, the more we realize how little we know.