I believe that the magic of Christmas still carries us into a new year and, do we all not feel a wee bit nostalgic all the way into even the month of February?!
So, it was around the holy season that I found myself in my hometown, Kolkata, which still boasts of a small but pious Christian community centered around the Park Street area of the city, harking back to colonial times. Culture and heritage have ensured that successive governments have kept the spirit of the festival alive in a country that pays due respect to festivities of any color or creed.
The spectacular lighting begins days or weeks earlier, while the full tableaux come up right on the evening before. Hordes of domestic tourists embark on the elaborate ritual of witnessing all of this either on foot or just riding along slowly along the big and small streets that are lit up, sometimes starting out in the wee hours of the morning when the crowds and traffic are thinner.
The journey is both entertaining and therapeutic, and I did not lose out on this opportunity, with my daughter in tow, soaking up all the fun and glory.
