Bhubaneswar, Dec. 30 -- Pele mania once gripped India in 1977. When the football legend arrived in Kolkata, he was greeted by around 40,000 crazy fans at the airport.

The great footballer was part of the New York Cosmos team that played Mohun Bagan in a one-off friendly at the Bagan Stadium in 1977. It is a story, a huge number of Indians still live on. The game ended in a 2-2 draw with 80,000 people in the audience. Pele played the game for just half an hour without scoring but instead setting up a goal.

It was not Durga Puja time in Kolkata, but the city wore a festive look as Pele was in the city with a star-studded New York Cosmos team. The team was part of the North American Soccer League.

Watching Pele weave magic in flesh and bl...