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In Kolkata, where the gentle whispers of the Hooghly River harmonize with the soulful beats of tradition, Saraswati Puja unfolds like a sonnet of devotion. Amidst the vermilion blossoms and fragrant marigolds, young maidens embrace the ethereal artistry of draping a saree, a rite of passage painted in the hues of anticipation and grace.
The silk threads entwine around them like verses of an ancient love poem, weaving tales of innocence and transformation. As the radiant sunlight caresses the Howrah Bridge, its glow mirrors the blossoming radiance of those donned in resplendent sarees for the very first time.
As if in a poetic dance of tradition, Saraswati Puja and Valentine’s Day intertwine like the fates of two lovers, their union celebrated in the sweet symphony of romantic coincidence. Kolkata, a city draped in both the fabric of tradition and the tapestry of modernity, embraces these dual celebrations, offering a glimpse into the delicate dance of love and culture.
Siddhartha’s journey has by no means been smooth or easy, he is a common man with a routine job, who has struggled in his domestic life. What had begun as only the documentation of his avid travelling and wander lust, underwent many twists of life and fate to become the apex of street genre it is today. Diagnosed with severe eyesight issues and suspected eye cancer, almost put an end to his passion for photography leaving him physically and mentally broken, with no clear path to move ahead, this deep thinking and sensitive man did not stop embracing life with whatever little he had. Being forbidden to get out in bright sun, he continued to take pictures from within his room and in the evening. He fell in love with the old charms of the city anew. He fell in love with something so many of us take for granted, his eyesight.
