Bengal in the 19th century was a place with great intellectual excitement. Accepted values were closely questioned as part of the reaction to changes brought about by the imposition of colonial rule. There was heated debate among men on matters such as widow burning, child
Jibanananda Das’s most popular poem, Bonolota Sen, has captured the imagination of generations—from his contemporaries to the present, from the common reader to the literary connoisseur. In the hearts of Bengalis, Bonolota Sen appears sometimes as mysterious as Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and sometimes as the proclamation of
Bibi Wince is not a name familiar to many Kolkatans today, but had it not been for her, Bengal’s women may have had a far tougher time laying their hands on a camera. On World Photography Day today, Bengal’s women photographers at any rate ought to remind
“Bhautik bhitir mul shudhu pratyakkher agochar bastabkayahin sattar astitwa kalpanar hoyni. Praner nissongo ekakittwer moulik asohay bhitir moddhei er bij royechhe. …Nisshahay ekakittwer ahetuk bhiti ei-i bhuter bhoy prabriti anirdeshya atonker bij.” (Golper Bhut / Sukumar Sen) Bengali is a born chatterbox. When these three traits meet,
In social analysis, there is a term that connects data with temporal memory, known as ethnography. By bringing together people’s history, their context, and experiences, a narrative is created. This narrative is mainly analytical, observed neutrally as an outsider. At least in Western sociology (and as
‘Rabindranath turned me into a thief,’ claims octogenarian lyricist, poet, author, screenwriter, and film director Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar with a chuckle and says the story has become a part of his life now. Born on August 18, 1934 in Deena, in the Jhelum
When winter arrives, the look of Bengal’s fields, countryside, and forests changes. Many villages and rural areas turn into safe shelters for birds. Although winter is still a long way off, without talking about birds, Bengal’s biodiversity feels incomplete. Hearing their chirping when you wake makes the morning feel peaceful, and the
According to fresh data from the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the companies registered in West Bengal have surged by 82.5% between 2011 and 2025. The figures challenge the long-standing political narrative of large-scale industrial flight from the state. In 2011, Bengal had 1,37,156 registered companies.
Among Indian deities, perhaps none is as widely worshipped, admired, and adored as Lord Krishna. Krishna’s worship takes many forms, and he is encountered in numerous distinct regional traditions, either as the ‘historical’ or the ‘mythical’ one. Interestingly, Lord Krishna has come up in Bengali
Not every freedom fighter needs armour—some carried law books and spoke with courage inside the courtroom. Birendranath Sasmal is one of the courtroom warriors, also known as the “Uncrowned King of Midnapore”. He leveraged his legal skills to fight against British rule and stand by the Indian revolutionaries. Born on 26