My ancestors are from Barishal, Bangladesh, and we shifted to Kolkata in the ’40s. My grandfather and grandmother started to live in Hooghly district. They had a family of four sons and three daughters. They all grew up in a South Kolkata locality. When I
If rural Bengal has been practising alpona designing for decades, they have their roots in the first civilisation of India --- Indus Valley Civilisation. Parallel in motifs seen on pots and vases of Mohenjodaro and Harappa made historians and archaelogists believe Bengal’s alpona art has
Beginning this week, we will be looking back at a few groundbreaking Bengali films and books for review, and we start the journey with Saptapadi, one of the most memorable films of Uttam Kumar’s glittering career. Aconservative Hindu boy falls in love with an Anglo-Indian Christian
Was there really a Portuguese traveller named Diego Alvarez as depicted in Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s "Chander Pahar"? Well, this Portuguese explorer who was also thought to be a gold and diamond prospector and befriended protagonist Shankar, was in reality, afictional character. The way Bandopadhyay ropes the two men and sets them on to explore
Remember the gramophone pin fired that used to be fired from a bicycle bell, in Byomkesh series Pather Kanta? This story is a popular Sarandindu story that had mesmerised readers because of the unusual weapon used when most people would think Gramophone is only used to listen
For fast and effective relief from headache and body pain, most Indians trust in the efficacy of Amrutanjan, that yellow aromatic balm packed in a small glass container. The packaging may look unimpressive but the balm sure packs a punch and has been an essential
The earliest evidence of wheeled vehicles was somewhere between 3500–3350 BC. The invention was quickly adopted across parts of Europe and Asia. It was after James Watt’s steam engine in 1705 that the concept of powered vehicle was considered. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot of France developed a
‘Imambara’, meaning ‘abode of the angels’, a congregation hall of Shia Muslims which is mostly in use during the holy Muharram days. There is a century old Imambara located on the northern bank of Hooghly River near Bandel, whose sun dial gives correct time even
Bengal has always had a rich legacy of musical forms since ancient times but one classical form introduced in Bengal had its roots in the musical journey of caravan travelers of north and northwestern India. An extremely niche form of music that found its place in
Palanquins (Palki) being used as a medium of travel was a new concept to the British when they landed in Bengal. The palanquin was a covered mode for the transportation of one passenger inside it. There was a bed or a seat, it had curtains so