Planning to head back to Calcutta in December

The Streets of Calcutta still invoke some timelessness, but not for long as buildings are getting torn down for developments.

Once again I am heading back to Calcutta,  this city has been my first entry into India in November 2008, it touched my heart deeply and I fell in love with this Great Dame, missing her dreadfully.

This time I would like to see Calcutta proper, to venture into North Calcutta and the other parts of Bengal.

Visiting the Poush Mela in Santiniketan (alt spelling – Shantiniketan), because I am fascinated about the Bauls – spiritual musicians who have forsaken the material life and devote themselves to music, like a spiritual monk/nun. Their music is so soulful, it touched me deeply when I first listened to them in Bangladesh.

Poush Mela happens during Christmas in December, not sure about the dates yet, will have to find out more about it. It is said that most of the Bauls around the country would make their way to this massive jamming session for 3 days.

Santiniketan (alt spelling – Shantiniketan) is made famous by the Nobel Literature Laureate Rabindranath Tagore who helped made the town into a university center for Bengali arts and literature

Kenduli Mela, another baul festival celebrated at Kenduli in Birbhum District of West Bengal, a less commericalised festival compared to Poush Mela but also gradually getting corroded by the Kirtans – Sikh musicans over-numbering the Bengali bauls. Story about the Kirtans invading the Baul festival is here.

The festival happened around 14 January this year, not sure when it will be in 2010. As it happens it is on the same day as Ganga Sagar mela at Sagar island, another festival I would like to visit as well.

Kenduli mela held in honor of a Sanskrit poet Jayadeva, the village is said to be the birthplace of the famous poet and lyricist although now it is being disputed. Kenduli is located in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. It is at a distance of about forty-two kilometers from Santiniketan (alt spelling – Shantiniketan)