Rangrez, A Muslim Marwari Dyeing Community

Rangrez

A Muslim Marwari Dyeing Community of Kolkata

Also see: Vanishing Professions of Kolkata (Calcutta)

Cloth, as well as yearns, of bright shades hanging from terraces to dry, is a common sight around the area of Nakhoda Masjid, in Chitpur area of Central Kolkata. This is the world of Rangrez!!!

A dyeing process in progress in a Rangrez Workshop, near Nakhoda Masjid, Chitpur, Kolkata

Rangrez, a Muslim Marwari speaking community, dyes for a living. Today the rangrez community in Kolkata numbers around 3000 and few of families still practice the traditional method of dyeing.

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Ramzan (Ramadan) Food Street, Zakaria Street, Kolkata

Ramzan (Ramadan) Food Street

Nakhoda Masjid, Zakaria Street, Kolkata

See Also: Eid Nawaz, Nakhoda Masjid and Red Road, Kolkata

“Islam has always been an urban faith, ill at ease with the wilderness; its civilization has always flourished most successfully in the labyrinths of the ancient bazar towns of the East. Certainly there can be no doubt that Islam looks at its most impressive in a great urban cathedral mosque, especially on an occasion like Id.”

William Dalrymple, City of Djinns

Kababs, Ramzan (Ramadan) Food Street, Nakhoda Masjid, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Located on Chitpur Road (Rabindra Sarani) the Nakhoda Masjid, the cathedral mosque of Kolkata (Calcutta) looks spectacular during the occasion of Eid, but during the entire month of Ramadan the entry labyrinths surrounding Nakhoda Masjid turn out into a food bazar!!!!

Chitpur Local Photowalk

Chitpur Local

A Photowalk along Chitpur Road, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Bonga Local, Gede Local, Rangahat Local are all local trains originating from the Sealdah Station in Kolkata (Calcutta). There is no Chitpur Local and it is quiet obvious as Chitpur is a neighborhood located within Kolkata (Calcutta).

Chitpur Local (reviving of Chitpur, Calcutta’s oldest neighborhood)

Chitpur Local is a name of a project aimed at reviving the Chitpur area, which is considered as the one oldest neighborhood of Kolkata (Calcutta).

PHOTO PUBLICATION – I

THE TELEGRAPH

Dated 15th October 2010

My photo was the winner of the My Puja My Pix contest organised by The Telegraph, Kolkata. The photo was published with three other photos in Metro section of  The Telegraph dated 15th October 2010 (Astami).  My photograph was one of the four photos selected out of 200+ odd photos submitted to The Telegraph, Kolkata for the My Puja My Pix contest. The photos was judged my noted Bengali film maker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and noted Bengali film actress Rituparna Sengupta and The Telegraph.  The top left corner photo titled “She on Track” was shot by me.

The Published Photos

The page from Metro, The Telegraph, Kolkata. Dated 15th Oct. 2010

She on Track

My photo, Titled “She on Track” of a small ek – chala durga Idol was shot on the eve of Durga Puja when idols of durga were been transported out of the poter’s quarter of Kumartuli (or Komortuli).

Kumartuli is an amazing maze of lanes & bylanes crammed with idol makers studios. The narrow lanes deny trucks to enter the studios so idols are carried out manually making to the Chitpur Road (Rabindra Sarani).

Here a group of porters pull an idol resting on a makeshift platform with ball berring wheels across the tram tracks of Chitpur Road (Rabindra Sarani).

Special thanks  to friend and fellow photographer Subhamoy Sinha Roy and Sutirtha Basu who shared the honour with me.

More photos of Kumartuli & Durga Puja.

More Photo Publication