In January of 1692 (1693 if we go by the modern calendar), Job Charnock died in Calcutta, a city of which many consider him the ‘founder’, if a city can actually have a single founder. That makes it 330 years since his death. Having arrived
Matryoshka fish, inspired by Russian Matryoshka dolls A beautiful sunset, brilliantly coloured birds, pouring rain, undersea miracles. All part of nature, all designed to evoke wonder. But what do we really see when we witness these marvels? Do we truly appreciate their elemental nature? Or is
Now that the Kolkata International Film Festival officially stands cancelled, despite a hurriedly convened press conference to announce it on January 3, we have learned that multiple members of the organising committee have tested positive for Covid-19, including actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhyay and committee chairman and
Nawab Alivardi Khan with grandson Siraj-ud-Daulah This Day in History. A popular phrase among history buffs, who take great pleasure in listing major historical events on particular days that have shaped the growth of nations and cultures. Not many of them, however, would be aware of
“The Bangladesh Liberation War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh, was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in what was then East Pakistan during the 1971
As rivers of the world go, the Bhagirathi-Hooghly has never really attained the iconic status accorded to the Indus, or Nile, or Amazon, or Ganges, or even the Mississippi. And yet, this vital arm of the Ganges has been no less critical in the shaping
Zoological Garden, Alipore As we near the end of our walking tour of Kolkata, it is now time to venture to the south and west, and heading to the centre. The best place to start is Rabindra Sadan, from where you can hop onto a bus
In 1907, Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar (1877-1956) compiled a number of Bengali folk tales and fairy tales he had been listening to since childhood, into a book he called ‘Thakumar Jhuli’ (also referred to as Thakurmar Jhuli). It was quite possibly the first time that the
Hastings Chapel As we near the end of our walking tour of Kolkata, it is now time to venture to the south and west, and heading to the centre. The best place to start is Rabindra Sadan, from where you can hop onto a bus for
He was known as Iron Man. Nothing terribly original here, plenty of male bodybuilders and weightlifters, not to mention a few men in other walks of life, have earned that sobriquet. No, that is not what makes Nilmoni Das unique. What does make the celebrated