• English - Travel

    A Foreigner’s Durga Puja Journey in Kolkata

    September 22, 2025 - By 

    Sujoy Roy Chowdhury Chapter 1: Arrival in the City of Joy Alex stepped off the plane at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport with a sense of excitement buzzing inside him. He had read countless travel blogs about Kolkata’s Durga Puja, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him the moment he arrived. The terminal itself was decorated with banners showcasing the festival—bright reds, golds, and oranges, images of the goddess Durga in all her glory, and the words “Welcome to the City of Joy” beaming from every corner. Outside the airport, the humid October air…

  • English - Young Adult

    Colors of Kumartuli

    September 19, 2025 - By 

    Pritam Sarkar Chapter 1 – The Arrival at Kumartuli unfolds with the vivid sensory chaos of Kolkata’s legendary artisan quarter. Seventeen-year-old Tanya steps into the narrow, winding lanes of Kumartuli, her senses immediately overwhelmed by the vibrant intensity of the place. The air is thick with the earthy scent of wet clay, mingling with turpentine, oil paints, and the faint tang of incense from nearby shrines. The rhythmic tapping and molding of hands on clay create a hypnotic symphony, broken intermittently by the calls of vendors and the chatter of apprentices. Towering idols of Durga, in various stages of completion,…