“If you offer sweets at Zahra Pal’s Durga Puja, your son-in-law will come home” – such is the local belief in Nandakishoreganj, under the Majhiyali Gram Panchayat in Uttar Dinajpur district. Exactly eight days after Devi Paksha, a one-day Durga Puja (Zahra Mela) is held in
Can you believe it? Kolkata’s bus service is almost two hundred years old! Just like trams, the look and infrastructure of buses in the city have gone through many changes over time. Naturally, alongside trams, buses too have become an inseparable part of Bengali nostalgia. Keeping that
Bhai Phonta, also referred to as Bhai Dooj in other areas of India, is one of the most sentimental festivals of Bengal. It honors the genuine connection that exists between brothers and sisters, a connection based on love, laughter, concern, and, of course, a plethora
Owning a garden house by the Ganges had become a “trend” among the affluent classes of the 19th and 20th centuries. One such house was Peneti’s Gobinda Home or Gobinda Kumar Home. Initially established as a leisure retreat, this house has, over time, transcended its
Kali — the name reflects the strength of the divine power. Her dark and fierce presence embodies the utmost divinity and devotion. Every idol of Kali is either Black, Grey, or Blue (Shyama Kali). However, very few people know about Shwet Kali or White Kali. This
Bengal’s spiritual history has always been marked by a powerful feminine current—a culture where the Divine Mother is both feared and adored. Kali Puja is celebrated on the new moon night of Dipanita Amavasya in Kartik (October–November). Kali Puja symbolizes both the worship of destruction and the understanding
Her hair is messy in the wind, her tongue is ready, and her eyes sparkle with enough energy to set the world on fire. This woman is Maa Kali — fierce, unapologetic, wild, and powerful. For centuries, Maa Kali has commanded both worship and fear, a goddess who won't
There’s something about a plate of steaming rice and fish curry that defines who we are. For a Bengali, food is not just sustenance — it’s an emotion, a piece of home served on a steel plate. And maybe it is in their unassuming pice
Faith doesn't simply exist in temples in Bengal; it also moves through forests, rivers, and red earth. The divine feminine is not an abstract idea here; it is something that exists. Her breath lingers in the air, fierce and tender, eternal. This region is the land of the Shaktipeeths—sacred
As she looks out over the street from her single room apartment in Bengaluru, Rekha is positioned at the balcony and the city is waking. It is October 10, World Mental Health Day. But today will be another day: She will wake up, prepare breakfast,