Kalna On The Ganges

Our tour of Kalna started with a rickshaw ride to the Rajbari complex of 18th century Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva and Krishna. Concentric circles of 108 sloped-roof temples all contained lingas, phallic statues, for worshippers. Some beautiful gardens surrounded other temples covered with impressive terracotta sculptures of deities and Hindu epics. After this complex our guide waked us back through the town markets, where everything from exotic vegatables, to fish, mutton (goat,) and poultry were offered for sale. Though crowded, all the townspeople respect each other's space. We returned to our ship for lunch, talks on the Ganges, and other activities before dinner. After dinner we saw a film, Sridhar Rangayan's "The Pink Mirror" about the lives of two drag queens who live in Mumbai. The director Sridhar told us how his film has been banned in India, due to censorship since 2013, the year it was produced. India still criminalizes homosexuality, but there is a growing movement for LGBT liberation. - Dan