No other language group reveres a writer as 250 million Bengali-speakers do Tagore. Shakespeare and Dickens don't come into the picture; the popularity of Burns in Scotland 100 years ago may be his nearest equivalent in Britain.” The above is an excerpt from a 2011 article in the widely
Imagine opening the pages of a book and seeing the strange sight of a 'Hansjaru', a creature that's a mix of a duck and a porcupine, or a ‘Bokochchhop, a mix of heron and tortoise, or a 'Hatimi', a fusion of elephant and whale, popping
Imagine opening the pages of a book and seeing the strange sight of a 'Hansjaru', a creature that's a mix of a duck and a porcupine, or a ‘Bokochchhop, a mix of heron and tortoise, or a 'Hatimi', a fusion of elephant and whale, popping
Late autumn heralds the arrival of winter in Bengal; dew gathers on the blades of grass; mist darkens the morning; and as icy wind from the north blows and penetrates the land, homemakers take out mothball-scented woollens and quilts from cupboards to protect themselves from
Book cover of Sultana’s Dream, Begum Rokeya I stumbled upon a short animated film called Sultana's Dream, 2022, on a streaming platform, and intrigued by the art and synopsis, I gave it a watch. I have not been able to stop thinking about it. A three-part series
Mother Goddess Durga channels positive energy to combat evil, thereby establishing harmony. This is why every year, the entire state of Bengal comes together to celebrate her arrival on Martyalok. As the Asuravinashini (demon slayer), she has always symbolized matriarchy. Sometimes she is portrayed as
The year was 1957. Norman McLaren and Claude Jutra collaborated on a short film, A Chairy Tale, for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). McLaren directed the film starring Jutra, which portrays a dissonant relationship between a man and a chair. The quirky 9-minute,
For those who have read Jibansmriti, the memoirs of his childhood by Rabindranath Tagore, it is easy to see why Tagore became the kind of teacher that he did. Homeschooled as a little boy, the youngster resented the hours spent under the harsh guidance of
Bengali shukto is a mild, comforting stew packed with a variety of vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, karela, green bananas, raw papaya, brinjal, and drumsticks. This dish has recently garnered attention for its medicinal properties. Although the dish is not as popular as other Bengali
“It’s a graveyard of hope; this old railway line; ancestors thought it would last; the rigours of time will test our design; though whatever man makes will decay.” (‘The Old Railway Line’ by Jimhl) In the heart of the Habibpur area of Malda district, bifurcating the