A crash of drums, a cloud of incense and a bursting paintbox of colours signal a welcome to so-called Hindu Street . Lined on either side with old houses, garlands of lurid orange marigolds, and dark doorways leading to matchbox-sized shops and workshops, this can be an extremely photogenic part of Old Dhaka, as the shankharis (Hindu artisans) , whose ancestors came here over 300 years ago, busy themselves creating kites, gravestones, wedding hats, and bangles carved out of conch shells. Particularly flamboyant during Hindu festivals, but colourful year round.
