News — Culture

When all of Kolkata Stops The city shuts down for a week. Traffic is insane. For a month, you see bamboo facades in the most inconvenient intersections in the tiniest of lanes. You curse the city, you curse the traffic, you wish you were out of this hell-hole. Then comes the first day of Durga Puja. There’s a flowery aroma in the air. The hot, humid air gets a twinge of coolness. You hear drums. Huge crowds of revelers choke the streets until 5 am. They 'hop' from one ‘pandal’ to the other. Street hawkers line the sides. Adults dress...