Rangoli Journal

The saree came through six days of pandal-hopping, one anjali, and in all likelihood some sindoor. What happens to it this week decides whether...

Vijaya Dashami, 20 October. The goddess goes home.Darpan visarjan in the morning, sindoor khela through the day, mishti and embraces and asche bochor abar...

Maha Navami, 19 October. The last full day, and everybody knows it.Navami has a mood the other days do not. The crowds are enormous,...

Maha Ashtami, 18 October. The most important day of the six, and the one every purchase since August has been aimed at.Three separate occasions...

Saptami, 17 October. Before dawn, the nabapatrika — nine plants bound together, banana at the centre — is taken to the river, bathed, dressed...

Today is Shashthi, 16 October, and this evening is bodhon — the ritual awakening, when the covering comes off the idol's face and the...

Shashthi is tomorrow. Nobody in Kolkata is waiting for it.Tonight the lights are fully up, the big South Kolkata pandals are open, and the...

Shashthi is 16 October. Two days. The shopping is over; this is about making sure what you have works.Do these today Lay out all...