The East Satsangis Spread Deepavali Cheer in Ballygunge and Gariahat, Kolkata

The Ballygunge Phari and Gariahat stretch of South Kolkata is a fascinating shopping hub and bustling market area. However, it is also home to several daily wage workers who live under the flyover and on the pavements. When some SSM team members who stay in this neighborhood saw their miserable living conditions, they shared pictures of their make-shift homes and tents with the rest of the group.

 

 

Just before dusk, on the 5th of November, the team members distributed 50 food packets comprising a sumptuous serving of Bengali delicacies: luchis, vegetable curry, and gauja, a delicious sweet to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Deepavali with them.

 

 

The noble mien of these daily wage workers was extremely touching for they insisted on taking only one food packet for their children stating that they would share the meal with them instead of each individual partaking of a separate meal.

 

 

Despite these crushing challenges, most families have ensured that their children continue their learning through local tuitions since the schools have not yet reopened. 

 

 

On the advice of these precious denizens of Ballygunge, the SSM team members also walked over to the Gariahat area where they were able to serve several brethren who had been rendered homeless in the aftermath of the pandemic. This short walk of 700 meters was indeed overwhelming for the team members as they witnessed the tenacity and nobility of their fellow human beings in the face of all odds.