On December 30, 1841, a dozen Loreto nuns led by Mother Delphine Hart had arrived in Babughat after setting sail from Dublin four months before. They were the first Loreto sisters to arrive in India — and the entire South Asia. The Loreto now runs 20 educational institutions and several women welfare centres in India, Nepal, Sikkim and Bangladesh. Calcutta has six schools and a college run by the order. To commemorate the 175 years of Loreto in South Asia, the Loreto group of institutions organised a programme, in association with The Telegraph Young Metro, at Science City auditorium on Friday. Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, the First Cardinal of Bangladesh; Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta, Sister Noelle Corscadden, General Leader of the Loreto Sisters (Rome); mayor Sovan Chatterjee; and Trinamul MP Derek O’Brien attended the programme. Around 550 former students, teachers and priests of Roman Catholic churches were present. Loreto students from across India and all six branches of Calcutta staged a dance drama Every Leaf Of Green that narrated the journey of Loreto in India and the lives it touched.

This year’s Durga idol of Ahiritola Sarbojanin at Metro Railway’s Park Street station, where it has found a permanent home. The idol, sculpted by Purnendu Dey, was unveiled on Thursday during an exhibition which will continue till January 2. 

Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Arnab Mondal