The Bengal Cricket Association, handed the golden goose of this Test at the last minute by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has renamed the week.
This is no ordinary seven days in early November, this is ‘Salute Sachin’ week.
The treasurer of the association has been quoted as saying: “There is no Diwali festival. This is Sachin Festival.”
All around the city, huge technicolour cut-outs of Tendulkar that dwarf the original are being hammered into place.
Two hundred giant screens have been set up for fans to watch the game live.
Two exhibitions of photographs of the little master have opened near the ground.
A special coin has been minted for the toss. On one side is a casting of Eden Gardens, on the other, Tendulkar’s face.
The match tickets have been specially made with a sketch of those cherubic features imprinted into the paper.
When Tendulkar turned up at Eden Gardens on Monday for his first practice session, he was welcomed by a 24-blast confetti and rose petal salute, to commemorate his 24-year career.
An applauding line of children wearing Tendulkar embossed T-shirts then lined his way to the dressing room, when he was met by a smiling life-size waxwork model of himself.
Tendulkar, a notoriously private man, if serenely patient, is said to be unamused by all the fuss.
But all this is nothing compared to the plans for the match itself – surely dreamt up by an official emerging from a hallucinogenic afternoon.
The first day’s ticket comes with a commemorative book. The 68,000 spectators will also each be given a mask of Tendulkar’s face to wear when watching the game.
On day two, spectators will find placards by their seats, which, when held up together, form a mammoth Tendulkar head.
Day three, marginally less disturbingly, is the scheduled time for the release of 199 balloons printed with, you’ve guessed it.
Day four is a meet and greet with dignitaries and Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, and on day five, the crowning glory of the operation, three two-seater aircraft will scatter 199kg of rose petals on to the ground.
At any given time the new album, We Miss You Sachin, by local artist Piloo Bhattacharya, will be played over the public address system.
Such is the BCA’s enthusiasm that small mistakes have crept into the operation.
There was some embarrassment when the India captain M S Dhoni pointed out a spelling mistake in the huge poster plonked next to the electronic scoreboard which bears the line: “Celebrating Sachine Tendulkar.”
There have been complaints too, that only 5,000 tickets have been made available each day to the public, the rest have been given to VIPs, dignitaries, associations, ex-players and members.
What remains of that shy 16-year-old who first walked out for India against Pakistan at Karachi, and made 15 before being bowled by Waqar Younis, no one knows.
Three years later, Tendulkar played one of the best innings of all time against Australia at the Waca and reminded the elderly Bradman of himself.
He has won the World Cup, led his country 25 times, been part of the best Indian team in history. He has been a joy to watch.
But it has been nearly three years since he made a Test century – for him, and his dedicated followers, there is no escape from the finger drumming of the hand of time.
In his final Reith lecture, Grayson Perry quoted Jennifer Yane: “Art is spirituality in drag.”
This week, in Calcutta, substitute art for Tendulkar, and hope that both parties cope with the end that is fast approaching.
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