Mother Teresa'sHouse a bucket list visit

A lifetime of awareness of the work of Mother Teresa was the driving force for coming to Calcutta.
It is known as the City of Joy...though Im not sure why .
There's a very different vibe. Its instantly apparent that this is a city with poverty on another level....there really aren't the words ...So many people living and trading under canvas .people washing together in.the street with a shared bucket of water or round a public tap in the streets.
Men do urinate in the streets here as in other Indian cities I seen.
I feel dreadful being in a comfortable hotel with this going on around me.
My guide took me to the wholesale flower market...so many people ,so many flowers and so crowded. Beautiful colours and men making garlands for temples and festivals. I stopped to say hi to one guy who was selling lotus 🪷 flower, the national flower and had a photo...He gave me one of the flowers..which the guide said is expensive...I was so touched.
Moving along the area has people living and working under canvas ...I stopped to say hi to an elderly lady and her son...they were lovely...and covered a seat with a cloth for me to sit down .I was delighted to give the lady my lotus flower as I cant take it with me. I had a little fun chatting with a guy carrying a large sack on his head ...he was literally standing chatting with friends, whilst this sack was on his head..remarkable.!
The guide showed me people bathing in the river which is the Ganges in Calcutta
We moved on to my bucket list reason for coming to Calcutta..to visit Mother Teresa's place..hugely poignant and emotional after a lifetime of following her work, hearing about her and wondering what Calcutta is actually like
In contrast to a lot of the area ..the street was clean and litter free .the house was immaculate
Mother Teresa's simple room was available to view but not photograph .Apparently despite the heat she never used a fan
Her body is in a tomb in the mother house .The other half of the room.is a chapel and Mass is said at 6am each day
There was a museum with so many of her things but photos weren't allowed...which is a real shame..there was her habit ,travel bag, blanket ,syringes used to take her blood samples...! Lots of articles and photos..I'd have loved to be able to take my own photos
One of the nuns agreed to have a photo....she was Irish....from Cork
It was a very interesting and emotional experience.
Next we went to the pottery area where people make statues out of straw and clay...Significantly the people were making figures of the Hindu gods ..Again many people working and living under canvas or in shipping container types of accommodation....absolutely stark ..no forms of comfortable living at all
I felt bad taking photos of people in these situations but otherwise how do I raise awareness 🤔?
We then called in at an incredible Jain Temple...so much bling ! So much silver ,gold and jewels .
Moving on we went to the Victoria Monument....In-Memory of Queen Victoria....a building based on the Taj Mahal and in beautiful grounds.,with a large lake .
Our next stop was St.Paul's Cathedral, the 1st Anglican Cathedral in India. The design is reportedly based on Canterbury Cathedral
It was lovely inside but had separated sides for men and women.
Our final stops included looking at the Writers building where the writers of policies for the East India trading company were based...I saw the High Court ,the assembly rooms and the Town Hall
An amazing day..
I was back at the hotel by 2.30pm..I was tempted to return under my own steam to Mother Teresa place but decided id be too worried bout getting back .
Instead I had a siesta
I was woken by the phone in my room where the staff were inviting me to ladies night in the bar....Sometime later the door bell on.my room rang, the staff had come with a mobile bar and an invitation to ladies night...Id get all manner of cocktails and shots and reduce price food.
I didn't go and instead had a room service meal .Read more