Janak Road, stretching through Lake Pally Club, near Kolkata’s Lake Market, was lit up in yellow between March 29 and 31, as the club, in association with Kalakaar Project, warmed up for Poila Baisakh through ‘Borshoboron Utsab’, two weeks ahead of the Bengali New Year. The long Easter weekend proved to be the perfect time for Kolkatans to explore the 23 stalls set up at the festival, which sold everything from garments to handcrafted bags, from jewellery to food
Photos: Amit Pramanik‘We always have to be prepared to welcome the new. Letting go of the old and welcoming the new is a part of our lives. When spring comes along, the old leaves fall off and new leaves begin to grow… Similarly, this cultural festival stands for ushering in the new,’ said Debasish Kumar, MLA and chief guest for the event
An associate partner for the event was the India Autism Center (IAC), a daycare centre based out of Kolkata for people with various stages of autism across age groups. ‘Not everybody knows what autism is. One of the reasons to be a part of this festival was to educate people and make them aware of it…We set up a stall for parents whose children are suffering from autism to give them a better idea about training and therapy for their kids,’ explained Nabanita Acharya, one of the IAC representatives at the event