In Kolkata!

You must be wondering where did I disappear yet again. I must confess that I have been a rather sporadic blogger the last couple of months. First there was broken laptop woes, then I got busy with organizing an event (details here) and then my India travels.

Right now I am in Kolkata, the city of my birth. The city which I call my home and always would, the city where my parents live.

The reason for my trip this year was my brother's wedding. It was a full-on traditional Hindu wedding which happened over a period of four days with numerous functions before and after. Immediately before the wedding was the main Bengali festive season which extends over a period of a whole month. So I came home to share the festivities with my parents and also help them organize my brother's wedding.  Let me I share some photos which I had taken of the festivities and my brother's wedding. All the photographs of my brother's wedding is taken by various cousins, I was to busy to click. Enjoy!

Ma Durga-- the Goddess of Power. Durga Puja is the main festival of the Bengali Hindus. We believe that the Goddess come to earth to demolish evil Asura.  Every year in autumn this festival is held according to the Hindu calender. Kolkata takes on a festive look and feel during the four days that this festival goes on for.

Ganesha or the Elephant Headed God is the God of Knowledge and according to Hindu mythology son of Goddess Durga. When Bengalis worship Durga during Autumn  her four children Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kartik are also worshiped!

Diwali the festival of lights being celebrated at home!

My brother's wedding. In Hindu weddings fire is the primary witness ...bride and groom offer prayers to the fire while reading their scared vows!

Joined together is matrimony ...I hold your hand and promise to take you as my wife in the presence of Gods and all our ancestors with the blessings of all our elders and well wishers!

The bride in her wedding finery-- Hindu brides wear red because it is the colour of  desire and fertility!

Mehendi, the art of painting women's hands and feet with henna, a natural colourant. It is not a traditional Bengali wedding custom, but we have incorporated it from norther Indian wedding customs.

The best part of a Bengali wedding-- the food! More on this later.
More food photos are here and more to come over the coming weeks!

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So the venue is London. Now you may wonder why London. Cos it is the centre of blogging mandala. No, more like it is most convenient. Also for those attending Bloggers' Buzz UK from outside London, why not make a weekend of it? Come on guys London is calling...