Since long, flutes were just stout musical instruments used as accompaniment for folk music. But then came one Bengali musician who gave a makeover to the familiar flute and elevated it to another level altogether as an independent classical instrument. He is credited to have
Kojagori Lokhhi Puja that follows Durga Puja and is held on Kojagori Purnima is widely popular all over Bengal. However, for many of the older generation this is also a Puja that reminds them of the dark days of Partition, the blood bath that followed
A few days ago, we spoke about the ways of crime and punishment in old Calcutta. This may lead quite naturally to questions about famous trials and the justice system as it then was, and while today is not the day to talk about all
It was the year of 1877 when a teenager on the sprawling grounds of Hare School was seen playing with his classmates a game of football. The European teachers were amazed at his skills and that of his young team and thus was born the
It was the fag end of the 19th-century and the year was 1892 (some say 1894) when Binodbihari Pal and Kusumkumari Devi of Ghurni in the neighbourhood of Krishnagar in Nadia district were blessed with the birth of their third child, Gopeswar. Gopeswar displayed immense
GetBengal Autumnscape celebrates the sheer joy of being a Bangali -- anywhere on Earth. With contributions from some of Bengal’s most creative minds, from artists to historians, authors to film stars, and food historians, this year’s Autumnscape reflects the haunting beauty of a quiet, winding
A hollowed mango tree log about 2.5 to 3 feet long, covered at both ends with goatskin (now replaced by fibre or other synthetic materials) - that is a ‘dhaak’, the quintessential Bengali percussion instrument, inextricably associated with Durga Puja. One of many indigenous musical instruments
Not every Bengali will be on the streets this year pandal hopping, for there are many of us who love to spend a quiet Pujo, back home in the middle of books. GB recommends this particular book that features the man whose smile has swept
Far from the maddening crowds of Kolkata’s Puja revelers and dazzling pandals, lies Shyamdaspur, a tiny hamlet, tucked in Bankura’s hinterland. The Shali River flows gently by this idyllic village. Unending stretches of green fields sway in the gentle breeze and hurried barren feet of
In 1790 or thereabouts, 12 young men were denied entry to a private Durga Puja in Guptipara in Hooghly district, less than 100 km from Kolkata. Incensed and humiliated, they decided to start their own Puja. Only, it would not be a private event, as