In 2000 I joined the Agriculture and Training Centre in Phulia that was established in 1952. Everything was in place as per infrastructure, from training to village community service. Unfortunately, nothing worked. I was taken aback to realise that neither any training took place, nor
While Bengal and India mourns the death of our beloved Soumitra Chatterjee, here is one reason for the whole of Bengal’s film fraternity to rejoice. A new feature film made by Bengali director, Amartya Bhattacharyya is all set for a world premiere at Canada’s premiere
Where the world makes its home in a single nest… That’s what best describes Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan and Visva Bharati. The University is not just another temple of learning, rather it is Tagore’s world vision that gets reflected, and not his own name. It is not
LPP programme at Bishnupur Tourism propoerty A few years ago, the West Bengal government had announced a unique project titled Lok Prasar Prakalpa (LPP), designed to showcase the various traditional performing folk arts of Bengal, primarily in the field of music and dance. As part of
Kolkatans of a certain age and beyond will recall a large emporium at Exide crossing, filled to the brim with exciting merchandise ranging from food to exquisite handwoven saris to decorative items to home furnishings – with one common thread running through them – each
The extravagant Jagaddhatri Puja will no more be the same in Chandannagar. Thanks to COVID-19, for the first time in the century old history of this erstwhile French colony, the Heritage Jagaddhatri Pujas have been reduced in their opulence and splendour to a large extent.
The reports indicate that British India was carved into separate regions such Bengal, Madras, Burma, Punjab etc as per their importance with a sanitation team led by a Sanitary Commissioner and supported by a staff of superintendents, inspectors and vaccinators to carry out this vaccination
Imagine a Bengali woman translating world literature from French to English, that too in early 19th century! Considered to be one of the founding figures of Indo-Anglian literature, Toru Dutta alongside Henry Louis Vivian Derozio brought a revolution in English and French literature, yet how
If the British gave Kolkata its erstwhile colonial architecture, it is often believed the Portuguese much prior to the British, left a sweet trail for Bengal. None can deny the Portuguese influence in a variety of Bengal’s sweets. Better to say they taught our moiras
The first time I worked with Soumitrada was in 2007, while making a film for a television channel. The film was called ‘Dronacharya’, and alongside Soumitrada, it featured Dhritiman Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh, and Aparajita Ghosh Das. That was the first time I interacted with him,