Although much of our time will be spent at Udayan with the children we will be staying in Kolkata itself for a number of days. During this time we will be visiting various people who are carrying out extraordinary work among the poor. rnrnIt may have changed its name, but for many Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) still conjures up images of squalor, poverty and urban disaster. Too few bother to discover its enchanting colonial beauty, the energy and humour of its people and the charm of the city’s distinctive Bengali soul.rnrnWhile the teeming humanity, chaotic streets and crumbling colonial heritage are all too real, Kolkata is also acknowledged as the cultural capital of India and its friendliest metropolis. It is also home to India’s heaviest concentration of political activists, poets and artists.rnrnThe city undoubtedly has its share of problems – chronic labour unrest, population overload, political ineptitude, environmental degradation and traffic snarls that bite. Yet time and again entranced visitors tell of its beauty and the dignity and altruism of its people.rn