News 2

Kolkata Dec 16th British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith today said the 'Silk River Journey' commemorated the Year of Culture between UK and India and created curiosity about the two rivers.

There is something going on with the geography of Calcutta that I don’t understand. It ought to be simple.

Ask any British person where in the world they would like to go, at least once in their life, and I’ll bet that a visit to India would be at the top of the list. And if there was one experience that such potential visitors would specify, it would be a journey on Indian railways.

"Jalangi meets Thames in a cultural exchange." Jalangi is the name given to the local river.

It’s our last day on the river today. We leave at seven in a fast-running tide that’s carrying rafts of water hyacinth along, some of them inhabited by pond herons.

After breakfast we take a bus through Barrackpore and get down near the river a few kilometres upstream from where we are staying. Then we walk down a small lane with walls on both sides.

The photos from the Silk River journey so far by Mike Johnston.

Dawn eases the world into view from the boat. We are anchored off Chandannagar where today there will be a parade. It’s the best yet. We walk down The Strand with drummers and a team of acrobats on stilts wearing peacock feather headdresses.