Pre-independence Bengali Swadeshi Companies, still in business

Though the ‘Make in India’ campaign happened to be initiated around eight years ago, its roots dig deep into the pre-independence era when a fire of passion for Swadeshi companies swept past entire India. Making and using Swadeshi products was thought to be the fitting reply to the British dominance where the Sun had never set. There can be long-drawn arguments on the exact impact … Continue reading Pre-independence Bengali Swadeshi Companies, still in business

Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury – the renaissance man who understood Bengali children

To us Bengalis, childhood is never complete without the healthy doses of Tuntunir Golpo, Abol Tabol’s verses and the Gupi Gyne Bagha Byne trilogy. And all these evergreen creations are from the same family – the illustrious Ray (Chowdhury) family of 100 A Gorpar Road! Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury created the unforgettable, cute, naughty bird Tuntuni. Through Abol Tabol, his son Sukumar Ray built improbable scenarios, … Continue reading Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury – the renaissance man who understood Bengali children

Christmas Park Street

The Grand Christmas Carnival At Park Street

Christmas is always celebrated in Kolkata with splendour and joy. A drop in mercury with a chilly breeze indicates that Christmas is in the air and it’s time for some rock and roll with a platter of multi-cuisine delicacies followed by some rich fruit cake as dessert. Park Street, Kolkata, with tons of famous restaurants, cafes, pubs, hawkers, becomes the central hub during Christmas. While … Continue reading The Grand Christmas Carnival At Park Street

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore – The Bard whose works will never lose their relevance.

Rabindranath Tagore’s presence in the lives of the Bengalis has been like this song written by the great poet himself. The songs, poems and his other literary works have been a blessing to us and would continue to be so, forever….. “Bohe nirontoro ononto anandadhara…….” (The showers of eternal bliss flows forever) (Rabindranath Tagore, Bhaanga Gaan, written on 1897) However, my acquaintance with the famous … Continue reading Rabindranath Tagore – The Bard whose works will never lose their relevance.

Satyajit Ray Behind The Camera

Reminiscing the legacy of the God of Indian cinema Satyajit Ray

For us, Satyajit Ray is the sole God of Indian cinema. Yes, there have been controversies surrounding him. But, which great man has ever lived without controversies. Parna’s article will take you through his career, his art, his books, and his favourite actor. From a very young age, when I have just learned to read Bengali, I used to be excited when I saw storybooks … Continue reading Reminiscing the legacy of the God of Indian cinema Satyajit Ray

Happy Birthday Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – The Fearless Leader, The Enigma

Feature Image: Souptima Basu During our school days, teachers told us not to mention the death (?) or disappearance (?) year of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose while writing about him. We were pretty young to understand then. But now, we can feel the enigma surrounding him. In this article, however, we are not going to discuss the mystery surrounding Subhash Chandra Bose. Instead, we will … Continue reading Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – The Fearless Leader, The Enigma

Abanindranath Tagore – A multitalented gem from the Tagore Family of Jorasanko

Much before I started reading Abanindranath Tagore’s stories, I got the chance to see a few of his paintings that Bhaskar Sir, my art teacher showed us while explaining modern Indian Art forms. Later, we read the story ‘Shiladitya’ as a part of our ICSE curriculum. As far as I remember, I also read his vivid essay on the ‘Alpana’ or ‘Mandala Art’ of Bengal, … Continue reading Abanindranath Tagore – A multitalented gem from the Tagore Family of Jorasanko