Cricket & My Childhood

Growing up, I witnessed my father and my elder brother whenever they were at home, engrossed in front of the television, never willing to part with the remote, when there was India’s matches especially if it was a World Cup. Back then, I couldn’t comprehend the immense excitement and hype surrounding the game. However, everything changed in the year 2011 when I fell head over heels in love with the game.

Cricket World Cup 2011

Especially on the night of the final which took place on April 2nd 2011, remains etched in my memory. I can vividly recall the exhilarating commentary of Ravi Shastri. The atmosphere was electric, the tension palpable. It was the pinnacle of the cricketing world- the 2011’ World Cup final.

“Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lifts the World Cup after 28 years!” Ravi Shastri’s words echoed across the country, etching the moment into our hearts. MS Dhoni’s  innings will forever be etched in our hearts. And the memory of that triumphant World Cup final will remain a source of inspiration and joy for cricket fans like me for years to come. MS Dhoni’s innings remains a topic of endless admiration and discussions. However, it’s essential to acknowledge the pivotal role played by Gautam Gambhir in that unforgettable final. With a well- built innings of 97 runs, Gambhir laid the foundation for India’s pursuit of glory.

Cricket & Bengalis

Cricket by far is the most popular sport in India, and the ICC Cricket World Cup holds immense emotional support in India and its cricket-crazy population. Undoubtedly, cricket is more than a sport in India, and the cricket World Cup is the most anticipated events in the country.

The emotions of World Cup are magnified when it comes to Eden Gardens. No doubt, the World Cup is the pinnacle of cricketing events! And for Bengalis, it becomes a time for intense passion, national pride and communal celebration.  In the bustling city of Kolkata, the iconic Eden Gardens stands tall, eagerly awaiting the return of the ICC World Cup after an arduous 11- year hiatus.

Eden Gardens is not just a place but a metaphorical realm that holds a special place in the heart of Bengal. For those who may not be aware, Eden Gardens is a famous cricket stadium located in Kolkata. It’s one of the most iconic and revered cricket grounds in the world. With the capacity to hold around 68,000 enthusiastic spectators, it’s the 2nd largest stadium in India.

Eden Gardens stadium

For us, Bengalis, Eden Gardens evoke a wide range of emotions and sentiments deeply intertwined with our love for cricket. Cricket is not just a sport here; it’s a passion that unites people across different ages, backgrounds and social strata. The whole city comes alive and emotions range from nervous anticipation to sheer jubilation whenever a match is being played here.

We take immense pride in our cricketing heritage. A World Cup hosted at Eden Gardens offers an opportunity to showcase this pride on a global stage. The spirit of camaraderie during the World Cup is heartwarming. We gather in homes and public places to watch matches together supporting our favorite teams and players.

At times, a world cup match at Eden Gardens can also evoke a sense of nostalgia and reflection. The crowds and the stadium has witnessed some of the most memorable cricketing moments, both joyful and heartbreaking. Whether it’s the chant of “Dada” echoing in the stands or the euphoria of witnessing our favorite players take the field, every moment here is etched in our memories.

Also Read: Interesting Facts About Kolkata – Our City Of Joy

World Cup 2023

In the end, beyond the boundaries and stumps, it’s the emotions that will be etched into the history of the World Cup 2023. This momentous occasion calls for unity and support of our nation. As fans it’s our collective responsibility to cheer for our team with unwavering enthusiasm and belief. The World Cup will not only be a celebration of cricket but also celebration of emotions that bind us with our beloved sport.

Sneha Chakraborty

Sneha Chakraborty, budding teacher who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in English. Her journey through academia has ignited profound love for the language. For the first time, she ventured into the world of content writing for this website, i.e., Kolkata Fusion to enhance her skills in this genre, and also with many more endeavours planned in the upcoming days.
We aspire for this content to resonate not only with cricket enthusiasts but also with those who may not be deeply passionate about the sport but still enjoy watching matches.

The post Embracing the Cricket Fever appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Special Thanks To

Paramita Mukherjee, Sayani Sarkar & Tannistha Mukherjee for their contributions. This post could not have been possible without the recipes they have shared.        

Healthy, quick tiffin box recipes

Flattened rice (Poha) Tikki

Packed with iron, fibre, carbohydrates, antioxidants and vitamins, Poha (chire) provides a wholesome meal. And it’s also gluten-free.

A quick look at the ingredients to prepare poha Tikki for tiffin

Poha – a handful for two medium size tikkis, a small potato, seasonal vegetables (most preferably carrot, beans and capsicum), 2-3 tablespoons refined oil, ½ cube cheese or one teaspoon butter, half onion, pepper & salt according to taste

The ratio of poha to potato should be 1:1/2

Poha Tikki recipe

Wash the poha to soften it but ensure it does not become soggy. Mash the hardboiled (not very tender, yet mashable) potato in a bowl and add finely chopped onion, grated vegetables and cheese or butter. Mix well. Add the softened poha. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Mix well with your hand. Take small portions from the mixture. Give the portions flat shapes like Tikki or patty. Keep aside. Heat the oil and shallow fry the Tikki or patties till golden.

Preparation time: 10 to 15 mins. You can prepare the veggies the previous night and refrigerate them in a bowl of water or in an air-tight pouch.

Pick it and place it in your child’s tiffin box. As a dip, you can give tomato sauce or mayonnaise. (Try out Hellmann’s Eggless Mayonnaise.)

Pancake/Gola Ruti

This is one of those quick tiffin box recipes which has the widest variance. Different moms make this all-time favourite tiffin food in different ways. The process is the same, it’s only one of the ingredients that differ from mom to mom. 

Ingredients which has a wide options to choose from

An egg, all-purpose flour/semolina/Rava/wheat flour, chopped onion, grated veggies (if available), turmeric (optional), salt, pepper/chillies, oil for greasing the pan so that the batter doesn’t get stuck, a pinch of julienned ginger (optional). You can also add a bit of milk to the batter. It helps to maintain the consistency of the mixture and is healthy but adding is not a must.

Preparation

Preparation time: 10 to 15 mins. You can prepare the veggies the previous night and refrigerate them in a bowl of water or in an air-tight pouch.

Whisk the egg and mix in every ingredient to make a batter. The batter should be neither thick nor watery.

Grease the pan and start putting a ladle full of batter for browning. When one side browns, flip it and let the other side cook in the same way.

If in a dire hurry, you can also make this preparation without veggies and onion. In that case, add half a teaspoon of honey.

You can also add mayonnaise to it. But, in that case, whisk the mayo and then add the egg.

Quick fix Rava/semolina upma

Along with various other benefits, upma helps in digestion and boosts energy (something that all our kids need).

Ingredients

• Half cup Rava/fine blended suji (Semolina)
• Mustard seeds and curry leaves for tempering
• 1/4^th potato
• 1/4^th onion
• A small portion of carrot
• A handful of groundnuts
• 2-3 tablespoons oil or ghee
• Salt according to taste
• A teaspoon of coriander for garnishing (optional)

Preparation

• Finely chop all the vegetables
• Add oil/ghee to a deep-bottomed pan
• Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves to splutter. Then, add the veggies to it.
• Stir fir them until mildly cooked.
• Add the Rava and keep frying. Sprinkle some water on and off.
• Add the salt.
• Once the rava turns golden brown, take it off the pan, and garnish it with coriander.

Preparation time: 10 mins. You can prepare the veggies the previous night and refrigerate them in a bowl of water or in an air-tight pouch.

Lemon Rice

Like pancakes, lemon rice is also a prevalent tiffin food which our friends from Southern India swear by. Lemon rice is straightforward to make and lengthens the shelf life of rice. During humid days, when our kids cannot digest fried food easily, you can prepare lemon rice to cool the gut.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pre-cooked rice (tastes better with short-grained gobindobhog atop chaal/rice)
• A handful of groundnuts
• A sprig of curry leaves
• A pinch of mustard seeds, chana daal (Bengal gram), urad daal for tempering
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• Salt and Sugar according to taste
• ½ slice of lemon
• 2 tbsp refined oil

Preparation:

• Heat the oil in the pan
• Fry the groundnuts and keep them aside.
• Now, put the mustard seeds, urad and chana dal in the same oil.
• As they start spluttering, add the curry leaves and immediately add the pre-cooked rice
• Stir in. Add the fried groundnuts, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.
• Meanwhile, take the juice from the lemon slice and mix it with 1 ½ tbsp of water.
• Turn off the flame after mixing the rice well with the other ingredients.
• Add the lemon juice and water mix. Mix well. Once you see the colour of the mixed rice changing to faded yellow, you know it’s done.
• Preparation time: If you use a cooker, the rice hardly takes 15mins to cook. And once that’s ready, the rest is a matter of just 10 mins more. To quicken the process, you can use last night’s pre-cooked rice.
• Serve in the tiffin box after a standing time of 5 minutes.

Kabuli Chana Chaat (Chick Pea Salad)

The Chick Pea or Kabuli Chana has high protein content, which is required for nourishment in children.

Preparation that’ll make your Mondays happier

1. Boil overnight soaked Kabuli chana (Chick Pea), or use pre-boiled chana. The quantity depends on the kid’s appetite.

2. Mix chopped onion, cucumber, tomato, chilli and Kabuli chana in a bowl. Add a dash of lemon juice and black salt before packing the tiffin.

Preparation time: This is one of the best quick tiffin box recipes. It hardly takes 8 mins to prepare this delicious recipe. And can be used as a great evening snack too.

So, here are a few handpicked quick tiffin recipes, and we have a storehouse full of more tiffin ideas. So, please write to us in the comment section if you want more quick tiffin ideas from us. And if you have some other ideas, which will make the tiffing times more joyful for the kids without burning us, the moms, please share with us.

Related Articles: Hugely Popular Bengali Breakfast Dishes

The post Quick Tiffin Box Recipes appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Now more than one year has passed – almost from the beginning of 2020- the life of the most dominant species of this planet has been under the grip of the covid-19 pandemic. This epidemic has badly hit not only our bodies but also our mind. The human mind is not keeping well; many people are suffering from severe mental health conditions. The sky of our mind has become shrouded with feelings of insecurity, uncertainty, anxiety, depression, fear of death – from children to the elderly – perhaps nobody is spared.  

Side effects of the Covid – 19 Pandemic: Challenges to the physical mobility

The scientific research finding that the coronavirus infection is a contagious disease which has started to regulate our lifestyle during this period. If the spread of infection cannot be arrested, the situation would become virulent; we cannot let harmful viruses colonize our bodies. As a result, many various restrictions have been imposed on our day-to-day life to protect ourselves. This form of life is totally unfamiliar and unprecedented to all of us. And sadly enough, this different lifestyle is being called ‘new normal.’

One of the most critical aspects of this ‘new normal’ life is restricted physical mobility in public/social space, as maintaining social/physical distance has been identified as one of the powerful tools to arrest the spread of this infectious disease. Hence, the need has been felt to control and curtail our free and arbitrary movements. Society vis-a-vis state mechanisms have deployed various means to keep watch on and monitor an individual’s movements.

Yet these days, contemporary urban life had come to accustom to enjoying the flavour of freedom with free, unrestricted physical movements and self-regulated activities. Any kind of state or society-imposed injunctions generate a sense of resistance and conflict in the awakened minds of 21st century people.

Having come out of the inertia of unquestionable compliance, individuals of today’s world find the meaningful presence of their independent selves in the acts of protest and opposition. This is eventually reflected through various organised protests, debates, and attempts of disobedience and violation of restrictions and protocol advisories issued to maintain health and hygiene during this ongoing pandemic in multiple corners of the globe. Because of their lack of awareness, some people are showing their disregard for the entire Covid pandemic situation. Also, there are people whose struggle for survival is so very challenging that they cannot afford to sit at home to abide by the regulations of maintaining physical distance and avoiding exposure to the public domain.  

Almost all individuals are finding it difficult to accept the compelling closure and stalemate of homebound life that they have been thrown into by restricted physical mobility due to this pandemic. This sense of confinement is creating stress on their minds, which is affecting their mental health badly.

All these floating thoughts in my mind fetch many other thoughts along with them. Some hitherto forgotten thoughts have surfaced out of the oscillation that is going on in me between dynamism and stagnancy. The repetitive mundane life had covered them up from my sight until recently.

Physical Mobility of the Human Beings

Human science claims that human beings are the most evolved species on this planet and the best of all creations of nature! Human consciousness is the most developed, and therefore, human thought, understanding and senses are the finest among all other species of life. Human language – sign, words, gestures, or any other medium, through which humans express their thoughts and feelings, interpret other minds and external worlds in their terms, is also the most advanced one. This species experience the feeling of bondage in the state of immovability and immobility.

Stagnation, getting stuck in one place and lack of dynamism make humans unhappy, and take away their vivacity. To a species that can change their geographical location at their own wish and will, changing physical position, moving from one place to another, mobility of body are prerequisites of freedom. Unrestricted mobility of both mind and body keep human beings lively, cheerful and enthusiastic.        

But interestingly enough, this same species of Homo Sapiens, at some point of evolution, chose to settle down in one particular place to build up a durable/temporary shelter at the cost of their nomadic life. It took resort to stability in life and bid adieu to the once ever-volatile lifestyle. Since then, a permanent abode, a protected shelter, has started to provide a sense of psychological security to them, which helped them cope with the outer world’s sheer uncertainty. Thus not having a stable residence has become one of the basic existential crises of present-day human life.

Recommended Read: Covid -19 thoughts of a medical professional.

This crisis gives rise to various feelings of insecurity among the dwellers of today’s earth. The sense of security in recent civilized people has become inseparably attached with the assurance of a consistent place of dwelling. The episodes depicting the sufferings out of displacement and homelessness uphold one of this civilization’s major and serious community exigencies. In this way, contemporary human individuals carry inside them the dilemma of motion and rest, immobility and physical mobility, dynamism and stability, change and stagnation.

Perhaps, when the human beings said goodbye to the nomadic life to deal with the uncertainty, contingency, and suddenness of external reality, they started to feel in themselves their dynamic, change-loving spirit more and more. Whenever this spirit gets dampened, humans feel lifeless, depressed and gloomy.    

Continued in Part 2

The post Pandemic thoughts (Part 1): Life beyond physical mobility appeared first on KolkataFusion.

All illustrations in the story are done by the author himself.

Once upon a time, there was a town named Contigo. That place had a huge museum and a monstrous bank. One night, a gang came to the town. They looted those two places. After they had finished, a bell rang— TRI……IINGGGGG!!!! The police were all around. The gang- leader told the others,” We should hide in our secret base!”

They had a secret base in a nearby city. They secretly went to their base and hid themselves and the items they stole.

There was a police officer with six friends in Contigo. They were searching for the gang and the items they stole. They saw a man who saw the truck that belonged to the gang. The investigators asked him the number plate of the vehicle. The man replied,” The truck’s number was- HEM42MC1439. It was a red number plate with white letters on it.”  One of the six friends told the others,” There is a chance that this information may help.” So, they resumed the investigation.

While investigating, they found a numberplate broken into pieces. They matched the broken pieces and could identify the numberplate. They realized that this was the original numberplate of the gang’s truck. The officer said suspiciously,” They threw it may be because they didn’t want their vehicle to be easily identified.”

Also read: Autobiography of Black Diamond Express

Eventually the 7 friends found a wee bit of information from the number plate. The information was sent to the news channels so that if people see the truck, they could easily identify it and alert he police. Finally, one day, someone called and reported about the thieves’ secret hide-out.

The police officer and his six friends got ready to catch them. They followed the caller’s directions and reached the secret lair. They entered carefully. The room was dark inside and they heard low grunts. They kept looking for the sound source. They found a door. When opened, they saw a few hanging clothes. They moved those aside and discovered a secret tunnel. As they stepped in, SWOOOOOOSH!!!…they were teleported to a secret arena.

In front of them was the gang they were searching for and a huge Gollum stood beside them. They also discovered another Gollum standing right behind them. Their Gollum stepped in front of them and started fighting.

The good Gollum almost got defeated. Just then, the friends distracted the evil Gollum. The good Gollum healed itself and defeated the evil one. Hen the gang leader busted the good Gollum with his Bazooka!

The seven friends started fighting. The gang leader tried to escape but got hit by a stone thrown by one of the friends. He fell!

 Everyone was arrested and put behind bars. The treasure stolen was finally put back to where it was. The police officer and his friends were praised a lot.

About Sourish Majumdar

Sourish is an 8-year-old multi talented kid living in Bangalore. He is an avid reader and a die hard Transformers fan. He loves painting, elocution, music and writing stories.

The post Seven Friends To The Rescue appeared first on KolkataFusion.

A few months ago, an event was organized in the school where I work, wherein the students had to submit a rangoli design made on a piece of paper. Here in Bangalore, the pan-India background of the students is quite obvious. I was intrigued to see the regional touches in the Rangoli designs submitted.

Rangoli in West Bengal

In this pandemonium, my mind often races back to the happier times- to those of my childhood days.

As a young girl, I remember, the night prior to the Saraswati Puja, I was made to study for a couple of hours extra as the books would be resting at the deity’s feet for the next two days.

So, right after dinner, my mother would tuck her pallu in her waist and make me a loose batter made up of ‘Atop chaal’ ( refined rice)  and water. She would then give me a piece of clean cloth, and with a twinkle in her eyes, she would say, “Go, now make something beautiful!” I would then sit and make the rangoli (or “Alpona,” as we call it in Bengali). Often this would continue till midnight. I would be accompanied by my Thamma, who would lie on the cot right next to me and narrate the stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata while I worked. Amidst the quietness of the night, she hummed through and the room would turn into a magical place with her vivid descriptions.

Also Read: The scroll painters of Naya – the village of myths and lores

Rangoli in South India

A few years later, when I was in college, I happened to visit Kerala and Kanyakumari for college excursions. The train was late, we reached the hotel at the crack of dawn. While on the way to the hotel, my curiosity was aroused again when I noticed ladies making rangolis at their thresholds. It was not wet; on the contrary, they were using some kind of a white powder. The rangolis looked very different too. There were no floral patterns, but an intricate pattern of dots and lines. The receptionist later explained that these were traditionally called Kolam in Tamil Nadu and Muggulu Rangoli in Andhra Pradesh. Rice flour was used to make these so that the ants and the birds didn’t have to go elsewhere looking for food. I was fascinated!

Kolams are still made at the thresholds of houses after the floor is wet wiped. In rural areas, much like that in Bengal, the floor is first smeared with cowdung. It is believed to have antiseptic properties.

Across India, special occasions are celebrated by laying down beautiful and colourful rangolis. In Bengal, we call it Alpona. It is called Aripana in Bihar, Kolam in Tamil Nadu, Muggulu rangoli in Andhra, Chouk Purna in Chattisgarh, Joti in Odhisha and so on.

But how did it all start?

To assign this practice to the recent past would be an anachronism. There are myriad stories and anecdotes to support the creation of such rangolis.

Thamma once told me that the first Rangoli ever was made by Lopamudra, the wife of Agastya Muni. She wanted to help her husband in his daily rituals and decided to decorate the Yajnakunda. So, she invoked all the five elements from nature and, therefore, derived red colour from the fire, white from the wind, black from the soil, green from the water and blue from the sky. That’s how the first-ever rangoli was created.

One more story from Mithila, Bihar, mentions that King Dhrupad was ecstatic when Ram wed Sita and commanded the royal servants to decorate the whole palace with ‘Aripanas.’

Another story from Southern India mentions how the Gopis drew kolams to drown their sorrows when Lord Krishna left Vrindavan.

Some of the common motifs used in such rangolis are also very riveting. Considering the fact that during ancient times, the means of communication were very limited. Yet, there were many similarities in the Vedic symbols used in the designs pan India.

Such designs became absorbed into tribal households as well. One could find evidence of these symbols on the walls of the mud houses in many tribal villages across the country as well.

The practice of drawing threshold rangolis resonates with the idea of “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”- the entire universe is a single family. The designs are primarily symmetrical, which portrays the idea of Shiva and Shakti and idealizes universal balance. Rangolis are made to drive away evil spirits and channelize positive energy to promote a sense of unity and peace.

I genuinely feel that we all should realize the significance of these traditional practices. And arise from “me and you” to “us.”

Trivia

In several Asian cultures, we find a prevalent spiritual symbol called ‘Mandala.’ It is also found in several monasteries in Sikkim. Mandala directly translates in Sanskrit to a round object. It is believed that as one progresses from the outer core of the mandala towards the centre, all his sufferings transform into joy.

About Ria S. Mazumdar

Based in Bangalore, Ria is an educator by profession, artist and singer by passion. A true Bong at heart- that kind of a person who would choose fuchka over panipuri, polau over biryani and ‘mamlet’ over “omlette”!

The post History and Significance of Rangoli appeared first on KolkataFusion.

একটা ছোট কামরা । না রেলগাড়ির কামরা নয় ।এটা বড়ো মাপের একটা ঘরের অংশ ।ঘরটার মাঝে একটা দেয়াল দিয়ে বারো আনা আর চার আনা দুটি অংশে ভাগ করা । আমরা চার আনার অংশটা কে কামরা বলছি । ঘরটাকে এইভাবে ভাগ করার কারণ, বারো আনার ঘরটাকে ভাড়া দেওয়া । ভাড়া খুবই কম ।তবে ভাড়ার অর্থ মালিকের একটি আয়ের উৎস।

ঘরের মালিক লোকটার বয়স প্রায় ছাব্বিশ । রোগা রোগা হাত পা । মুখটা  শীর্ণ । পকেটে থাকা ওয়ালেটের অবস্থা আরো করুন । চার আনার কামরার সিলিংএর কিছুটা চোকলা উঠে গেছে । ঘরের কোনের বেসিনের পাইপ এ  কিছু সমস্যা আছে । জল পড়ছে টপ-টপ করে । শব্দও হচ্ছে ।

লোকটা পাঁচ তারা হোটেলে বেহালা বাজায় । ছ’ বছরের হতাশা ওর মুখে জুটিয়েছে লম্বাটে সিগেরেট । আর যৌবন পরিণত হয়েছে সিগেরেটের ছাই তে । ক্যালেন্ডারের ক্রুশবিদ্ধ যীশুর মতো সেও আটকে পড়েছে । রোজ রোজ হোটেলে সস্তা হিন্দি সুর বাজাতে বাজাতে হাঁফিয়ে গেছে  ও । এ যেন এক চক্রব্যূহ , সাজানো হয়েছে  তাকে ঘিরে । স্বপ্নের কাছে পরাজয় অবশ্য তার গা-সওয়া হয়ে গেছে । গা-সওয়া হয়ে গেছে  এই আলো-আঁধারি নির্বাসন ।

To read more interesting Bengali articles, click

লোকটা ঘরে বসে কিছু একটা পড়ছে । অবশ্য কাছে থেকে লক্ষ্য করলে দেখা যাবে যে ওই  ‘কিছু ‘ টা উল্টো করে ধরা আর চোখের দৃষ্টি শূণ্য । অর্থাৎ আমাদের শিল্পী মশাই কিছু ভাবছেন ।

কাগজের ঠান্ডা বিজ্ঞাপন শিল্প-সত্ত্বায় উষ্ণতা এনেছে। বিজ্ঞাপনটা একটা প্রতিযোগিতার ।  লোকটা তড়াক করে লাফিয়ে উঠেছিল বিজ্ঞাপনটা দেখে । এতে একটা সংগীত -প্রতিষ্ঠান একটা বেহালা বাজানোর প্রতিযোগিতার প্রচার করেছে । এতে যেকোনো ব্যাক্তি প্রতিষ্ঠানের নিজস্ব রেকর্ডিং ষ্টুডিওতে নিজের সৃষ্টি করা বেহালার সুরের রেকর্ডিং করতে পারবে । তাও নাম মাত্র মূল্যে। পরে সেই রেকর্ডিং করা কপি জমা দেওয়া যাবে সেই প্রতিষ্ঠানে ।

বেহালা থেকে বিমর্ষতার সুর ধ্বনিত হয় । কিছু দিনের মধ্যেই সে রেকর্ডিং স্টুডিওর সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করলো । আরো কিছু দিনের মধ্যেই সুরের প্রাথমিক পর্যায় তৈরী হয়ে গেলো । এরপর কিছু এডিট ও ফিল্টার  করে সে তার বেহালার সুরের কপি জমা দিয়ে দেয় প্রতিষ্ঠানটিতে ।

আস্তে আস্তে ফলপ্রকাশের দিন চলে আসে। শিল্পী মশাই মনে মনে বেশ উত্তেজিত। এই কয়েকদিনে তার শারীরিক ও মানসিক  অবস্থার বেশ পরিবর্তন এসেছে ।পাঁচতারা হোটেলে বাজনা বাজাতে যায়নি সে প্রায় দু সপ্তাহ । সিগেরেট খাওয়ায় নিয়ন্ত্রণ আনতে হয়েছে । গলায় খুব যন্ত্রনা আর ঘড়ঘড়ে কাশি , তার কণ্ঠরোধ করছে ।

জীবনে প্রথমবার ট্যাক্সি ডেকে শিল্পী মশাই চললেন সংগীত প্রতিষ্ঠানে । অডিটোরিয়ামে বেশ কিছুক্ষন বিভিন্ন বক্তার বক্তৃতার পর, ফলাফল ঘোষণা শুরু হয় । বক্তৃতা শোনার মতো অবস্থা তার ছিলোনা । চোখ ঘোলাটে হয়ে আসছিলো । গলায় অসম্ভব জ্বালা করছিলো । ফলাফল ঘোষণার সময় প্রথমেই নিজের নাম শুনে কোনো মতে মঞ্চে ওঠে । প্রতিষ্ঠানের সম্পাদক তার হাতে পদকটা তুলে দেওয়ার প্রায় সঙ্গে সঙ্গেই ধড়াস করে মঞ্চে পড়ে  যায় ।  একটু হুড়োহুড়ি । একটু হইচই। তখন শিল্পী মশাই এর চোখে জল । কিন্তু মুখে হাসি । কিছুক্ষনের মধ্যেই ডাক্তার আসেন । হাতে পালস পান না ।  আর হ্যাঁ, চার আনার ছোটো কামরার বেসিনের পাইপ থেকে জল পড়ার টপ-টপ  শব্দ আর কোনো দিনও পাওয়া যায় নি ।

About Sarasij Basu Mallick

Sarasij comes from Sheakhala, a small town in the Hooghly district. He is a Mathematics geek studying at Serampore College.
Books have always fascinated him from his early childhood and they drive him to ‘think’ differently. In his words, “Yes any form of art requires thinking. But, while writing, I have to realize that thinking is not the key to good stories. Good stories go much beyond writing – It needs to explore culture – politics – history and much more! I try to encapsulate some of my thought through my writings. And, I have an irrefragable idea that one day my pen will help me to explore myself.”

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of www.kolkatafusion.wordpress.com. Any omissions or errors are the author’s and KolkataFusion does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.

The post চার আনার কামরা appeared first on KolkataFusion.

-Guest Post

With technological advancement and artificial intelligence, we are now in a threshold of the concept of IoT or the Internet of Things. Our guest blogger, as well as our website developer, Sayantan Basu Mallick, explains his project using Arduino technology.

To contact him or to know more about his work, leave your message in the comment box.

What is IoT?

The IoT refers to devices’ connection (other than typical fares such as computers and smartphones) to the Internet without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. The interconnection using the Internet of computing devices is embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.

Organizations have to find out a way to store, track and analyze vast amounts of data generated every moment, or else it’s all in vain.

So, what is the use of IoT?

Let’s see the implications of IoT here. Imagine a smart car and a smart city grid start talking to each other! It means traffic flow optimization because instead of just having stoplights on fixed timers, we’ll have smart stoplights responding to traffic flow changes. Drives can get informed about traffic and street conditions and reroute around congested or blocked areas.

We have sensors keeping an eye on and tracking all sorts of data. The cloud-based apps translate that data into valuable intelligence and pass it on to machines on the ground, enabling flexible and real-time responses. And thus, we see smart bridges, smart cars.

How does the Internet of Things function?

A sensor is not a machine. It doesn’t do anything in the same sense that a device does. It gathers, gauges, and evaluates data. The Internet of Things comes together with the connection of sensors and machines. So, we can say the actual value that the Internet of Things generates is at the intersection of gathering data and leveraging it. All the information collected by all the world sensors isn’t worth very much if there isn’t an infrastructure to analyze it in real-time.

Using Internet transfer protocols, IoT devices connect with each other and transmit information. So, the Internet of Things serves as the bridge between the devices’ sensors and the data networks.

Some of the top IoT platforms on the market today:

Amazon Web Services

Microsoft Azure

ThingWorx IoT Platforms

Watson

Cisco IoT Cloud ConnectSalesforce IoT Cloud

Oracle Integrated Cloud

GE Predix

Without cloud-based applications to interpret and transfer data acquired from all sensors, the Internet of Things cannot function. Cloud computing makes the apps work for you anytime, anywhere app.

IoT in everyday things

At Home

IoT can help in building an efficient house, programmed to save energy and make your lives more convenient. Imagine alarm clocks synced with traffic apps; heating systems with external temperature sensors – all will add up to your cost benefits.

Radical effect on waste management

You can save on utility bills with the seamless integration of light, heat, and air conditioning that reacts. You can understand your food consumption pattern and plan accordingly. How? Anything that your keep in your fridge for long will be recorded, helping you examine the trends and patterns.

Daily commutation

When intelligent traffic detectors inform us of the route, we can select the shortest route to work/ home and so on. To keep us safe, sensors around our city can alert us of any potential dangers, like accidents, proximity alerts around the vehicle, terrible weather, etc.

For personal health

A long list of wearables is now available in the market. We can track a lot about ourselves like our sleeping patterns, nutritional balance, doctor’s appointments, check-up schedules, exercise programmes, etc. Furthermore, 3d-printed wristbands for reading vital signs are in development.

In sport

The Internet of Things devices and wearables will be all about performance efficiency. Using these hands-free devices, you can track your progress, errors, power, agility, overall cardiovascular fitness level and any other variable that you can think of.

The above examples speak volumes about the Internet of Things’ potentials. The more creative we can be with sensors, the more valuable the information it will provide us. If trends in development are anything to go by, then just wait, as the best is yet to come!

We are still at the nascent stage of the transformational journey. But, very soon, every device that you own and nearly every gadget you can see will be connected to the Internet. Be it through your mobile, wearable devices, or household objects; the IoT will connect us in ways we yet to find out.

Better management of energy, water, transportation, and safety will bring us closer to our surroundings and capture our imaginations for urban bliss – a fully integrated, smart, sustainable city.

Challenges of the Internet of Things

If one thing that can come in the way of the Internet of things from transforming our way of living and working, it is a threat to security.

While the IoT opens up the doors to endless opportunities, it certainly doesn’t come without challenges. But, don’t you think it depends on us? Only time will say how we use it for the betterment of mankind!

Now Let Us Understand Arduino and see Sayantan’s Project

About Arduino technology

Arduino is an open-source electronic platform to build electronic projects for our daily life like smart homes, smart drawers, smart soap dispensers, etc. Also, you can build smart toys for you kids and help to build toys like self-driven, obstacle sensing car.

Things used to make an Arduino Car

Arduino UNO

Arduino Uno Rev3 is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P, an 8-bit microcontroller with 32KB of Flash memory and 2KB of RAM. It has all that you need to support the microcontroller; just connect it to a computer or laptop with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery and it’ll start.

L298 2A Dual Motor Driver Module with PWM Control 

The Motor Shield is a driver module for motors. It helps you to use Arduino to control the motor’s speed and direction. Based on the Dual Full-Bridge Drive Chip L298, it can drive two DC motors or a step motor.

Ultrasonic Distance Sensor Module – HC-SR04    

Just like bats, the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor uses SONAR to ascertain the distance of an object. It offers great non-contact range detection with precise accuracy and steady readings in an easy-to-use package starting from 2 to 400 cm or 1 to 13 feet.

Servo Motor

A Servo Motor is a small device with an output shaft that can be placed at specific angular points by sending the servo a coded signal. As long as the coded signal lives on the input line, the servo will maintain the angular position of the shaft.           

DC Motors 4 pcs       

You can control a DC motor by attaching a L298 bridge IC to an Arduino. And a direct current (DC) motor is the most common type of motor. If you want to control the direction in which the DC motor spins without affecting the way that the leads are connected, you can use a circuit called an H-Bridge.     

Breadboard, Battery, power bank some jumper wires

About Sayantan Basu Mallick

Sayantan is an IT enthusiast by passion and profession. He loves to do Computer Programming building new automated projects. His thirst for learning new solutions is never-ending. He also has a keen interest in photography and music. So, if you want to know more about him, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of www.kolkatafusion.com. Any omissions or errors are the author’s and KolkataFusion does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.

The post Internet of Things Application on Arduino Projects appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Creativity thrives when it openly welcomes novel ideas and encourages growth through constant debates and discussions of the higher-order.

This section is for our guests, our readers, who want to share their personal experiences, stories or events related to Bengalis, Kolkata, and Bengal with all of us. The write-ups can be on Bengali culture, fashion, lifestyle, food, Adda and travel. Send in your entries with corresponding images (should ideally be of high quality) that adds value to your words, and we will publish them with your name. Please don’t forget to add your brief bio along with your blog link or youtube link, along with the article. 

Once you publish more than 2 blogs with us, you can be assigned individual login credentials, and then you will be free to update your expressions on the Guest Posts section of KolkataFusion, using the same.

We will also be more than happy to share your words, paintings, sketches, photographs – in short anything that captures the essence of life, particularly life in Bengal or a Bengali life anywhere on this earth.

Let’s brew in some stories together. Your collaborations are our prized possessions.

The post Welcome_Guest Bloggers appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Animals always excite me. I love all animals. That was the reason my parents decided to take me on a safari tour to Madhya Pradesh.

One fine morning we reached Nagpur by train. From Nagpur, we took a cab to Pench National Park. The resort was just near the entrance gate of the Pench National Park. There were different types of trees everywhere. I was thrilled.

The next morning, at dawn, we started for our safari. A jeep was waiting for us at the resort gate.

Related: A weekend destination near Kolkata – Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Odisha (Part 1)

I was very excited. As we entered the national park, first, we saw many langurs eating leaves of trees and jumping from one tree to another. There were many spotted deers too. I also saw a few jackals, sambars and a barking deer. The most surprising and exciting part was when we spotted the tigress “Collarwali” just after entering the park. I think I was very lucky. I saw thousands of deers. The guide uncle told us that the deers and the langurs are friends. They help each other by supplying food and warning when the tigers approach.

The animal that thrilled me the most was a spider. The spider’s size, I think, was that of a sparrow. I saw many birds like Black Drongo, White-throated Kingfisher, Indian Scops Owls, Indian Roller, Peacocks, Parakeets, Orioles, Oriental Magpie Robin, Common Hoopoe and Cormorants. Definitely, this safari was amazing.

From Pench, we went to the Kanha National Park. In the Kanha National Park, we saw a Sambar running fast. It was so quick that my father could not take a picture of it. I think it got scared by the roaring of our jeep. I saw a barking deer eating grass quietly. Oh! I saw a few Barasinghas. They had magnificent antlers.

Related: A weekend destination near Kolkata – Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Odisha (Part 2)

From Kanha, we further went to Bandhavgarh. The vegetation in Bandhavgarh was much different. Here it was mostly grassland and the area was hilly. On this safari, I saw very few animals. I saw a herd of bisons and very beautiful butterflies. I saw a huge statue of Lord Vishnu in a sleeping position. The statue was so big that my mother was unable to take a proper picture of it. I also saw a horse stable used by kings on our way to the statue of Vishnu.

The day before our safari in Bandhavgarh, we went to visit the Palace of Maharaja of Rewa. I saw a stuffed tiger and tigress shot by the Maharaja. The armour of Maharaja was on display. We were allowed to lift the guns, swords and spears used by the Maharajas. I took a spear, which was much lighter than the gun used for hunting. The gun was so so heavy that my mother could not carry it even for a minute. Well, for me, I could not hold it without help more than a second. I cannot imagine how Kings hunted for hours with it.

The safaris in Madhya Pradesh were blissful and I loved doing them. And I also dream of doing more in the future.

About Edaan Ghosh

Edaan is an 8-year-old kid. Stays in Kolkata with his parents. An avid travel enthusiast. Already travelled to Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and loves to be to Goa. Loves to play with dinosaurs and has a strong belief that dinosaurs will surely return to Earth once again. Also a voracious reader. Favourite author is Roald Dahl.

The post MY FIRST JUNGLE SAFARI EXPERIENCE appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Guest Post

বহু বছর পর এবার পুজোতে বাড়ি মানে বেলুনগ্রামে যেতে পারিনি।ভীষণ খারাপ লাগছিল।যদিও ভাই এর অকাল প্রয়াণে পুজোয় গ্রামের বাড়ি যাওয়ার আগের সে আনন্দ, সে আবেগ সে আকুলতা আজ আর আসে না।বড় ফাঁকা লাগে ।

গ্রামে যেতে না পারাতে  আমার বৌয়ের কয়েকশো কান্নাকাটি হয়ে গেল।প্যাণ্ডেল ঘুরে পুজো দেখার অভ্যেস আমার নেই।তারপর মৌসুমীর শিরদাঁড়ায় চোট।সব মিলিয়ে পূজো প্রায় ঘরে বসে কাটলো।

“সপ্তমি অষ্টমী তিথি তুমি গত হয়ো না

কানছে রানি ধুলায় পড়ে প্রাণে বাঁচে না

বিজয়া দশমী তিথি তুমি গত হয়ো না

গৌরী গেল কৈলাসে সম্বৎসর আসবে না…….. ।”

For the lyrics of this song, read The legacy of the Bengali Agomoni Songs

ভাসানের পরে এই গানের টান ছোটো ভাই মারা যাওয়ার পর আগের মতো আর অনুভব না করলেও এই গানের চিরন্তন এক আকর্ষণ আছে যা আমাকে আজও টানে।ছোটো থেকে বাবা  কাকার গলায় এই ‘চিরন্তনী’ শুনে এসেছি।গৌরীর বিদায়ের গান।চারদিনের আনন্দ মুখর দিনগুলি কাটিয়ে আমাদেরও ফেরার গান।বৎসর কাল পরে গৌরী আবার আসবে এই আশা নিয়ে যে যার কর্মজীবনে ফিরে যাওয়ার গান।

প্রতিমা নিরঞ্জনের পর এটা ছিল আমাদের ঘরে ফেরার গান।সেই কোন কাল থেকে এক ভাবে চলে আসছে।ভাসান হয়ে গেলে কালীতলায় চলো।সেখানে কাঁচা হলুদ মুখে দেওয়া ও গেলা। কামড়ানো চলবে না।তারপর উপস্থিত গুরুজনদের সবাইকে প্রণাম করার ধূম।সমবয়সীদের সাথে কোলাকুলি।শেষে ঢাকের তালে তালে এই গান গাইতে গাইতে ভগবতী তলায় ফেরা।এই সেদিনও মনে হতো ভগবতীতলা যেন এখনি না আসে।গান যেন শেষ না হয়।গান শেষ হলে ভগবতীতলায় পৌঁছে গেলে মনে হতো সব শেষ।

বিভিন্ন সময় ছোটো কাকা, বাবা, লিচুকাকা ছিলেন সূত্র ধারক।মনপ্রাণ দিয়ে এই গানের বোল ধরতেন।তারা আজ আর কেউ নেই।
একবার প্রচণ্ড বৃষ্টিতে কালীতলা থেকে ভগবতী ঘর পর্য্যন্ত প্রচণ্ড কাদাময়। মামা, বড়দা, বাবুদা, বাবা, কাকারা সবাই একসঙ্গে গান গাইছে।হঠাৎ বাবুদা গেয়ে উঠলো “এই কানছে রানি কাদায় পড়ে প্রাণে বাঁচে না”। ধুলা হয়ে গেল কাদা। সে সব দিন কি ভোলার।সেই বুড়হ্যা কালীতলার ঘাট থেকে বোলপুকুরের পার দিয়ে, মিত্তি(মিত্র) তলার ভগবতী ঘর হয়ে,’মাহানঠাকরান আর দুর্গেশনন্দিনীর’ নাছ(পাশের রাস্তা) দিয়ে গাইতে গাইতে আমাদের ভগবতী তলায় পৌঁছাতাম।উর্দ্ধবাহু সে নৃত্য আর গান – এক অনাবিল আনন্দে মন ভরে উঠতো।সময়ের সঙ্গে সঙ্গে নানা ঘাত প্রতিঘাতে মনের দ্বার আজ রুদ্ধ। সেই আনন্দের অংশীদার আর হতে পারি না।

আমাদের প্রজন্মে হারু, আমার ছোটো ভাই অরূপ এক নিষ্ঠ সূত্র ধারক ছিল।গ্রামের আরো অনেকের সঙ্গে আমার খুড়তুতো মামাতো ভাইবোন – সব একসঙ্গে সূত্র বা বোল ধারকের সঙ্গে গাইতাম আর আনন্দে নাচতাম, করতালি দিতাম। ভগবতীতলায় এসে গান শেষ হলে শান্তি জল নেওয়ার হুড়োহুড়ি। ‘আমার পড়েনি আমার পড়েনি’, বলে চিৎকার ।পুরুত মশাই, বাবাদের তিনকড়ি জ্যাঠা, শেষে হাঁড়ি উল্টে এক মাথা জল ঢেলে দিতেন কারো কারো মাথায়। তিনকড়িদাদুর ছেলে তামুদা একই ভাবে আনন্দ রসিকতায় এই ধারাবাহিকতা আজও ধরে রেখেছে।শান্তি জল পর্ব শেষ হলে শুরু হতো দিদার কাছ থেকে নাড়কেল নাড়ু আর বাতাসার প্রসাদের জন্য হুড়োহুড়ি কাড়াকাড়ি -একবার পেলে হবে না।আবার চাই।প্রায় নারকেলবিহীন নাড়কেল নাড়ু আর ভাঙা বাতাসা-তাই নিয়ে কাড়াকাড়ি।তখন ওটাই আমাদের কাছে ছিল ‘মজামৃত’।

এরপর বাড়ির কালীতলায় প্রণাম সেরে বাড়ি ফেরা।মনটা একটা কি রকম দুঃখানন্দে ভরে উঠতো।বাড়ি ফিরে ধান-কলাই-সিঁদুর-টাকা-মাছ ছুঁয়ে গুরুজনদের প্রণাম করা। ঠাকুরদাদার ফটো দিয়ে প্রণাম শুরু হতো।
এই রীতি আজও চলে আসছে।আমার খুড়তুতো মেজদি, ভাষাদি, স্নেহ মায়া মমতা সব কিছু দিয়ে বাড়ির এই ট্রাডিশন ধরে রেখেছে।

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