Day after deluge, Kolkata struggles to stay afloat

The downpour, the heaviest in nearly four decades, inundated Kolkata and its outskirts and killed 11 people.

In the annual cultural calendar of Kolkata, Durga Puja sits right at the top. Preparations for the autumnal festival begin in the early summer months as artisans begin crafting idols from fistfuls of clay and organisers start hunting for sponsors and workers to erect their mega street spectacles. As the auspicious dates draw near, the city is wrapped in an envelope of bamboo barricades, glittering electronic archways, and hundreds of makeshift fast food stalls. Large organisers vie with each other

A Durga Puja pandal gets waterlogged after heavy rainfall in Kolkata, with visitors wading to see the idols. (Sudipta Banerjee/ANI)