The night Kolkata came alive.

Yesterday was Diwali, there's no better way to celebrate it then actually being in the centre of it all, in India itself. People have been running around preparing for this night for days now. Lights have been slowly appearing all over town, and bamboo scaffolding put up to create special buildings just for this event. The markets were alive with people buying and selling candles, sparklers and fireworks.

I am aware of the fact that hes selling fruit not candles but I liked the photo!

There was so much excitement in the air. We went out a little later so that it was dark and we could experience the full effect of all the lights and sounds merging together in perfect symphony to create the amazing electric atmosphere.

There were shrines and statues of Kali everywhere, so much effort went in to making everything perfect. 

The lights were just beautiful. Every where you turned there was something else to see. 

Me, Ellen and Josh.

After our night time stroll, we went back to the guesthouse, and after dinner we went up onto the roof with Anu with the sparklers and candles we bought, and had a lot of fun messing around with the various types, and watching the fireworks go off all around us. 

Our Diwali candles along the ledge.

Josh with a sparkler.

Naomi lighting one of the worst sparklers ever.

Me with a sparkler.

Catherine wheel type thingy! Amazing.

Team Kolkata!!

The team.

Sparkler.

It was a beautiful evening. 

There have been big bangs going off for a couple of days now, and they were going off all of last night. You kinda get used to them but there are one or two massive ones that make you jump out of your skin! They say you're not allowed anything that goes over 90 decibels but Indians being Indians, no one cares about the rules, and so the loud bangs continue. 

Kolkata by night:

Casual meat shop.

Man doing metal work down an alley.

Attempting to cross the road!

These three guys drove up and stopped in front of us until we took their photo!

The streets that never sleep.

I thought it would be good to show you what Kolkata is like every night. It never sleeps! 

So there's a little insight into Diwali and Kolkata at night. A place filled with such vibrancy and beauty. 

Please pray for us as a team as we continue on with our Indian activities. We have been finding it fairly hard so far to know how to plan lessons for the school as the language barrier makes things very difficult. Also pray for health as I am ill at the moment (Cold thing not Delhi belly!), and we don't want anyone else getting ill as its no fun! Also pray that we continue to bond as a team, and that the next few weeks as we are introduced to the other places we will be working go well and that we enjoy spending our time there.

Thank you muchly,

H x

p.s. The cutest car sat by the gate in the guesthouse, I just had to take a photo: