Old Calcutta has been the city of many ‘firsts.’ From science and technology to literature and revolution, the old city was witness to several milestones. The year was 1822 when the first Native Medical Institution was established in Calcutta and Dr Madhushudan Goopta, a Bengali
Our indigenous range of ‘chops’ has failed miserably to make its mark in the international market. While elbowing our way to the counter of renowned roadside stalls like Kalika and Laxminarayan Sau and then devouring our favorite ‘aloo chop or Kashmiri chop,’ we dream of
It was an event with a difference, and why not? Everything related to Kolkata International Book Fair is always different. A mecca of book lovers with events on the anvil that help in creating the best place where intellectual minds meet. One such event was
The City of Joy stays forever etched in a person’s mind with its unique attributes, be it the famous yellow taxis or the grand Victoria Memorial, or the iconic trams that criss-cross the city on iron tramways, wheels rumbling and bells ringing. It is with
‘Who is my Personal God?’ ‘How did mortality evolve?’ ‘Who conditioned the mind?’ ‘What are the pillars of religion?’ ‘Can we see the infinite through finite lens?’ Many such questions have probably rocked your mind often, as the close call of death during Pandemic times
Once considered the very best publishing house in Bengal, 'Gurudas Chattopadhyay & Sons' was a pioneer in the printing and publishing world. In the first half of the 20th century, major authors of Bengal made a beeline for this house and it was an honor
Kolkata and Bengal have always been the hotbed of book lovers, probably the only city that can boast of the oldest book fair, that too more than a century ago. This fair was organized in 1918 by the National Council of Education. Publishers like Basumati
TThe photograph has grown fuzzy with age, but the smiles of the confident young women are hard to ignore. Published in Bengali daily Jugantar on November 6, 1968, the photograph shows a group of 11 Bengali women who had returned to Kolkata from mountaineering training
'Mess Bari' refers to the numerous boarding houses that sprang up like mushrooms in and around North Kolkata between late 19th century and mid-20th century and catered to young men who flocked to the city, looking for jobs and education. These boarding houses were once an
Letters from Russia by Rabindranath Tagore written in 1930 is not just a treasure trove of memories but a detailed explanation of a country’s psyche, a nation that blended socialism with violence and radical ideologies that Tagore felt might not bear fruit in the future.