Rising as a trickle from glaciers up in the Himalayas, the river Ganges flows through the northern states of India and reaches West Bengal as a voluminous, meandering giant of a river, depositing tons of alluvial silt onto the plains of Bengal, nourishing an ever-expanding population of the two Bengals - West and East (the latter now Bangladesh).  For hundreds of years the river has been source of life to residents in the Kolkata area, bringing rich bounty to fishermen and providing a efficient means of transportation and supporting commerce along its banks.

 

Through the ages, bustling markets relied on trade brought in on boats from ports along the river. Big and small traders like those of the Mallick Ghat flower market, the largest in Asia or the sprawling Burrabazar sell their wares from hundreds of small shops along the East bank of the river. Walking along the narrow bylanes of these markets one can find everything from live birds to safety pins. You might even spot an occasional fortune-teller effortlessly spilling the beans on Lady Luck herself to well paying customers, who are eager to get a peek into business, love, children and other sundries of life, that have yet to reveal themselves. It is good business on any day when thousands of commuters and traders go back and forth across the river between the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, crossing it by the two large iron bridges or on busy ferries of all shapes and sizes.

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As business and commerce has grown in the two cities, life has become tougher for the local fishermen. Pollution and over-fishing by large trawlers have drained the river for its silvery treasure, fish - the backbone and quintessential component to Bengali cuisine. The once typecast image of a Bengali in a white dhoti and kurta, returning from the markets, slinging a large, whole fish  has faded away as fish has gotten increasingly dearer and out of reach of the common man. Large businesses and middlemen continue to cart away the best fish to foreign markets, where it fetches a fat price - hardly any of which trickles down to the local fishermen, who remain as poor as ever. 

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Behind the modern city with its ever growing malls and modern architecture, the river Ganges still ensconces some remains of the older Calcutta that,  like its fish, are slowly fading away. As the river changed its course through the years, ancient brick temples that once stood on the banks of the river have been left strandedn beside a narrow polluted stream - what's left of the original river bed. Forgotten by the rest of the city, these beautiful temples are only known by the locals, like those in the Tollygunge area. Many of these Shiva or Vishnu temples have fallen to ruin, while many have been restored, but in modern gaudy colors, masking the original red brick underneath. Some of these still experience regular worship rituals, but as age and nature catches up with them, they too, like the old Calcutta will probably disappear or be replaced by a swanky new marble construction.

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But this is how life on the Ganges river flows. Just like the river, constantly changing, but constantly providing the lifeblood for humans living in its fertile lap.

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