The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration partially opened a tourist site that had been lying abandoned for three years, at Jamuni, approximately 15 km from Darjeeling. Perhaps understandably for a region that relies so heavily on tourism for a livelihood, the reopening was driven by locals, who
Close to Santiniketan in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, the village of Mahishdal has rail tracks running along one of its boundaries. Nearly two decades ago, as maintenance work began on the rail bridge over the river Kopai, a little digging revealed a treasure trove of
It was a summer evening in 2002. I received a frantic call from my wife, Ruma. I was rehearsing for a stage production then. She asked me to rush back home. But she did not say why. All she said, ‘Come immediately.’ I rushed back
When the North Indian states of Haryana, Delhi and Punjab are grappling with severe air pollution this winter, like every year, thanks to stubble burning, it seems Bengal is showing the way to an innovative way to tackle this menace. With the COVID-19 looming large
Just a river separates Gadiara from Geonkhali, the first in Howrah district, the second in Purba Medinipur. When we say 'a river', however, we actually mean three. Because three rivers - Hooghly, Rupnarayan, and Damodar - meet here, at two different points, and then flow
I did not meet Soumitra Chatterjee on stage. My first tryst with the actor was as Feluda in Sonar Kella, and despite being a die-hard Uttam Kumar fan, I could not but fall in love with the slim and tall young Feluda, whose sharp eyes
A group of Bengali scientists of IIT Kharagpur has been conferred the prestigious ‘Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards 2020’ last week for developing a mechanism for generating electricity from wet clothes left under sunlight to dry. This path-breaking innovation will address the problem of energy
The world’s largest democracy, India has suddenly come under the loom of intolerance and what else but art and theatre, have always preached peaceful coexistence! In turbulent times, across any country in the world, we have always banked upon art when it comes to addressing
Bhaiphonta, Bhratri Dwitiya, Bhai Dooj, Yama Dwitiya (if you are in South India), whichever name you choose to give it, this traditional celebration of the bond between brother and sister has long been an integral part of India's festive calendar. And since a picture does
Nearly two decades ago, as a nervous young reporter, I was assigned to do an interview with Soumitra Chattopadhyay, my first meeting with him. Because he had very little time to spare, he asked me to ride in his car, so we could finish the