The Afghans of Calcutta

In 1892, India's first Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, wrote the iconic short story, Kabuliwala.

It was the tale of a man from a distant land - Afghanistan - living in Kolkata, now the capital of West Bengal state.

Over the past century, this interpretation has helped shape a romantic image of Afghans in Bengal and beyond.

The men are typically thought to have distinctive features - piercing eyes and rugged faces.

Dressed in their traditional attire, they seem at home in a city which is thousands of miles away from their own homeland.

Some Kabuliwalas carry mementos passed on by earlier generations.

Here, Sultan Khan shows off his mother's dress from nearly a century ago.

             

Many of the Kabuliwalas, though born in Kolkata, lead the life of "stateless" people without any citizenship documents.

But regardless of their official status, a final resting place in this graveyard.
                           
                         

Googs, how did Aghans reach all de way deh ?

Thought Peshawar from Jajalabd was a decent nomadic Walk ! 

Many afghans moved to India under the moguls leadership. Way before India was invaded, India, Pakistan,  and Afghanistan was literally  one country.