Songs for the goddess Kali drift through the lanes around Kamalakanta Kalibari each Kali Puja, and many were written in this town. Their composer, the poet Kamalakanta, served as guru at the court of the Maharajas of Burdwan. The same royal family raised Curzon Gate over the main road and built the Rajbati, a palace that now holds university offices.
Past the arch, Bardhaman is a busy market town on the Damodar. Sweet shops stack golden mihidana, and students cross the old gardens of Golapbag between classes. Summers run hot, the monsoon soaks June to September, and winters stay mild and dry. A Local Friend links temples, river and sweet counters into a day that makes sense.
