Fort William in 1828 The British knew two things about Calcutta, the city they helped create from a cluster of villages for which they had obtained leases from the Mughal empire. One, it was a city built on trade, where merchants were VIPs. Two, Calcutta and
The old palatial houses (Raj-Bari) of erstwhile landlords (zamindars) of Kolkata have long attracted much attention, especially the time-worn icons at Sobhabazaar, Jorasanko and the Marble Palace on Muktaram Babu Street. However, the stately homes of the districts still have surprises in store for the
‘Nobody conquers a poor country. There is not enough return on investment.’ Can’t remember who said this, but it applies perfectly to the British and their conquest of India. When they arrived, India was among the world’s wealthiest countries. When they left, it was among
Our last walk before Durga Puja had ended at the Rameswar Shiva temple on Nandaram Sen Street, off Chitpur Road. We now head back in the direction of Chittaranjan Avenue, and to temples of another kind - those dedicated to education and learning, many of
October will remain a special month in the history of India’s struggle for freedom. In 1943, it was in October that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose established the Provisional Government of Free India (Arzī Hukumat-e-Azad Hind) or simply Azad Hind, a provisional Indian government, in Japanese-occupied
When most of the Western nations have shown reluctance in taking the COVID-19 vaccines, with the governments having a tough time convincing the masses to be vaccinated against the deadly virus, we saw a different scene in West Bengal. Long queues, people literally waiting since
It was the year of Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India movement. 1942. It was also the year when poet Jibanananda Das created the ultimate mystery woman – Banalata Sen, the poem that ruled romantics down generations. Natorer Banalata Sen became the emblem of feminine charm and
