Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Jawaharlal Nehru are the three Indians most likely to feature in commemorative stamps released by other countries. While empirical evidence for this would be difficult to find, this is what one of Kolkata’s preeminent philatelists has to say. Sekhar Chakrabarti
PThe Dark Goddess Kali is not just another idol depicting a religious fervor --- rather it is all about meeting of cosmic energy of the universe sending her divine power and blessings. That’s why this aggressive feminine form was popular even in 19th century Kolkata,
PHe has long been involved in researching the connection between the immune system in the human body and various diseases, from cancer to sepsis to diabetes and more. He has a deep interest in deciphering the complexities of transcriptional regulation—the ways by which a cell
Carron Where does the word ‘bungalow’ actually come from? From the Hindi ‘bangla’, actually, meaning ‘belonging to Bengal’, to describe a house built in a certain style, presumably originating in this part of the country. The first recorded usage of the word in English dates back
The oldest operating port in India, Kolkata Port Trust has recorded the highest ever net surplus this year post Lockdown compared to any other Indian ports. This port was constructed by the British and was originally set up as “Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta”
What combines acting, singing, and also a bit of dancing? A Bollywood or Tollywood film, you may well answer. But the art form we are talking about is far more ancient, a true all-in-one package with its home in what is today Bengal’s Malda district,
IIcche Gaon seems a name straight out of a poem (‘icche’ means wish in Bengali, and ‘gaon’ is village), and the ‘wish fulfilment’ component here could be the absolutely picture perfect view of Mt Kanchenjunga that the village offers. But the original Lepcha name for
Lost love has often been celebrated in history through poetry, stories or paintings. But here is the tale of a lost love that has been immortalized through a recipe. Bakarkhani is a recipe cooked up by Aga Bakar Khan, an aristocrat from Bengal for the
What exactly does one do in Diamond Harbour? You may well ask if you have never been there. As is fairly common with people in general, we often end up ignoring attractions to which we have easy access. And since Diamond Harbour is a mere
While the world of Bengali sweets is expansive, there are few that have attained ‘cult’ status not only among Bengalis, but in other parts of the country and the world as well. The ‘mishti’ (sweetmeat) that made Bengal famous on the global map, was created