-Pooja Sahal Image Courtesy: Sumit Naskar With the commencement of Mahalaya, West Bengal starts bathing in the joy of Durga Puja which starts with Mahasaptami – exactly after seven days. (In 2020, the gap between Mahalaya and commencement of Durga Puja is longer than usual.) There can be immense joy and elation seen in all the individuals irrespective of their age. This is the most … Continue reading Unveiling Durga Puja in Kolkata
Post-partum, tips for handling work life balance, etc. – we have often discussed some of the challenges a new mother faces. But we hardly talk about the challenges a new dad faces – Does a baby brings no changes in a new father’s life? Fathers are, after all, humans, too, and they also play a principal role in their child’s life respectively. According to an … Continue reading Challenges of a new dad
“……. Let’s go fly a kite Up to the highest height Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring Up through the atmosphere Up where the air is clear Oh, let’s go fly a kite!” (A song from the Mary Poppins Movie) There was a time when the terraces of Kolkata houses used to cry out ‘Bhokatta’ and the air above would reverberate … Continue reading Flying Kites – A forgotten pastime event of the Bengalis
As starters or Prothom Paate, Bengali cuisine offers a variety of pastes or Baatas. Potol Baata, among them, is basically an easier version of Potol Pur or Potoler Dorma. The original preparation of the latter dish involves piercing a small hole on top of the pointed gourds after peeling off the skins and scooping out the seeds and the pulp from the inside. The pulp … Continue reading Potol Baata – A Bengali avatar of pointed gourd paste
Dokra or Dhokra is an ancient craft which uses lost-wax casting technique to create artefacts from non-ferrous metals like bronze and copper-based alloys. The ancient Mohenjo Daro figurine of the dancing girl art is one of the testimonials of this form of art which dates back to about 5000 years. One of the famous folklores of Chhattisgarh, the epicentre of the Dokra craft technique, says … Continue reading Dariyapur – Uphelding the heritage of Dokra Art in Bengal and India
During the monsoon season, Spine gourds or Kankrol (many Bengalis call it kakrol or ghee korola) appear in abundance in the Bengal markets. The most popular recipe with this vegetable is obviously shallow fries or bhaja to be accompanied with any kind of Daal. But, in many Bengali households the Kankrol is eaten as starters with stuffings comprising generally of grated coconut, mustard-poppyseed paste (sorshe-posto … Continue reading Kankrol er Dolma – Stuffed Spine Gourd Croquettes
Bengalis are known for their Adda skills. It is said that if two Bengalis meet somewhere on this earth or universe, they will start Adda – discussing everything under the sun!! Back in 2002, while pursuing graduation from Pune University, Neha used to stay with 5 of her other school friends. They had only one mobile, and thankfully it was as good as a land … Continue reading A brief dig into the infamous form of intellectual discussion – Adda
Continued from Part 1… Once we settled down with the coffee mugs, Nikhil happily took charge of the baby, giving us enough space to empty our hearts. Seeing me looking at her imploringly, she smirked and casually remarked, “I am loosing my sanity. It’s like I am dealing with a hurricane of very conflicting emotions! And very soon I might end up in an asylum, … Continue reading My Friend Became A Mother (Part 2) – Postpartum Challenges
From the moment I entered the house, I could sense it. Mutilated toys were scattered all over the floor and a stripped off mattress laid naked at one end of the room with the bed-sheet dangling somewhere on the couch. There were scattered cushions near the gaping main door (giving anyone a free access to the house). The TV was playing some silly “parivaar” drama. … Continue reading My Friend Became A Mother (Part 1) – A New Journey
When one of our touring friends instantly decided to drop off to Darjeeling from Chatakpur for a day to celebrate my daughter’s 1st birthday, we couldn’t say a NO to that. The chilly March evening in Chatakpur was spent frantically searching for a hotel for a day stay in Darjeeling. The search was starting to prove futile and at that point, we closed in on … Continue reading An Accidental Sojourn In Darjeeling
