Jesuit Father Christian Mignon, a Belgian missionary who translated the Bible into Bengali died recently in Kolkata. He was 93. Father Mignon translated the Bengali Catholic Bible, popularly known as the Mangalbarta Bible. This Bengali Bible was widely read by Bengali Catholics, both from West
Night (Jibanananda’s poem on night in Calcutta) Lepers open the hydrant and lap some water. Or maybe that hydrant was already broken. Now at midnight they descend upon the city in droves, Scattering sloshing petrol. Though ever careful, Someone seems to have taken a serious spill in the water. Three rickshaws trot
British film institute’s National Archive has restored the 1928 silent movie Shiraz, based on the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, his queen Mumtaz and construction of Taj Mahal. But this movie had a Kolkata connect. Himanshu Rai who plays Shiraz and follows his childhood sweetheart when
Those small pockets of steaming happiness as you gobble the ever hot and sizzling momos, standing at some bustling street corner of Kolkata. Isn’t that much better than having those cabbage or minced meat laden steamed or fried momos in some AC restaurant that comes
Spinach Omlette: Spinach is full of iron and is a great veggie. Just toss it in your omlette batter and make a yummy omlette, topped with some chopped coriander leaves. Serve it as a great snack to guests. Bhindi and mushrooms: Just stir fry chopped bhindis
Maa Kali is the “Dark Mother”. The name Kali means: She, who is Beyond Time and simultaneously portrayed as the giver and destroyer of life. She is considered as the primordial mass from which all life arouse. Here are some mantras to please Kali Maa” 1. Bija
Isn’t Kali pujo all about meat? Even a decade back Pantha Boli or goat sacrifice was common. However, with time animal sacrifice has been barred in most places. Yet, Bengalis’ love for their Kochi Panthar Jhol hasn’t gone down a bit and most Bengalis still
Written in the end of the nineteenth century, Swami Vivekananda’s poem, Kali the Mother, evokes the Night of Kali as a time of pitch darkness that blots out stars, while on every side, ‘a thousand, thousand shades of Death begrimed and black’ scatters plagues and
While on a customary Bijoya visit, artist Partha Dasgupta spoke to famous artist Jogen Chowdhury to find out his take on the city’s Durga Puja and his association with this carnival. Here is an excerpt of the interview that Jogen Chowdhury gave to GB. • Partha
How do we define Kishore Kumar? His larger-than-life entity cannot be fitted in a single frame. He was a genius, a man of myriad moods, an enigmatic, crazy, romantic, brilliant singer/actor nay, a total packaged performer -- in short, God’s precious gift to mankind. He