We are visiting Kolkata at a very auspicious time. The Durga Puja festival has just began and there is festival fever everywhere in the city. It celebrates the victory of the Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura.

There is a long battle and some twists and turns but suffice to say good triumphs over evil and she destroys him.

The city is decked in orange decorations and many representations of Durga aka Kali.Flowers, garlands and offerings everywhere.

In fact there is a whole neighbourhood dedicated to creating these deities. It’s full on and as we walked through ready made Kalis / Durgas were being sent to their neighbourhoods where they will be put on display at the pandals (created specially for the festival) where many come and pay their respects. Everyone is out shopping for new clothes, meeting friends and family and visiting pandals, a favourite pastime. There is stiff competition now between neighbourhood pandals about the best displays which can also be thematic not just representational. Shimmering lights, lasers and colours. India is good at that.

The idols are clay based over straw and preparation for them starts months in advance.

This is a ten day festival beginning with the goddess Ma Durga coming down to earth and ending with Durga victorious and immersed in the Ganges to return to her home and Shiva.

Two Westerners making their way through the deities and trying to retain all the mythological names, battles and figures. There is of course so much more here. The glorious Victoria Memorial, the crumbling splendour of the buildings from Bengal as the flourishing capital it once was, the churches, art works, writings, (Tagore and Satyajit Ray) the markets and last but not least the amazing people who make up the vast population in West Bengal and who I leave in the safe and caring hands of Ma Ganga and the Goddess Kali.