June 4, 1855. Sambad Prabhakar, a widely circulated Bengali publication of the day run by Ishwar Gupta, published a report which, loosely translated, read: “The pious Rani Rashmoni of Janbazar has established an idol of the goddess on the occasion of purnima in the month
Dacoit or dacoity are not words you will find in any standard English dictionary, even today. They are a peculiarly British-Indian coinage, originally intended for legal use only, from the Hindi/Urdu ‘dakait’ (robber or bandit), also the origin of the Bengali word ‘dakat’. So pervasive
Diwali doll has its origin around the Diwali festival and its purpose is to provide illumination with lamps. Made of terracotta, the lower part of this doll is produced in a round mould and is hollow. Although it has the appearance of a skirt, it
GB celebrates the man and his music and brings the nostalgia of lost beats. Though many Bengali bands have made folk songs their forte in recent times, no one can forget the contribution of Nirmalendu Chowdhury and how for the first time he made Bangla
Babu Baisnab Charan Adhya, or ‘Bustomchurn Addy’ as the British called him, is not a name many Bengalis remember. Or even know. But over the course of August and September 1848, this Calcutta babu pulled off a most remarkable if short-lived achievement, which ought to
To most Bengalis, Debabrata Biswas’ style of singing Rabindrasangeet is a class apart. Be it Je raat mor or Tomar Pujar Chhole, Debabrata Biswas had presented songs in such a soulful rendition, that it touched us all. Yet, dictatorial fatwas from the Visva Bharati Music
Titas Ekti Nodir Naam (1956) Written by: Advaita Mallabarman Publisher: Various Four surviving stories, and three novels. That is all that we have of Advaita Mallabarman (1914-51). And that is all that is needed to justify his reputation as one of the brightest stars of Bengali literature, a
He was the man who was known as Chand Kobi, a name that was given by none other than Rabindranath Tagore himself. But who was this poet who was loved by even Tagore? He was Nishikanto Roychowdhury. Born in 1909, he lost his mother at
Ever since an announcement made public by the Nobel website (nobelprize.org) brought to the fore that Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, arguably one of the most influential novelists of Bengali literature was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1971, a pall of gloom has descended on
Munshiganj previously known as Bikrampur (till 1986), is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka district. Bikrampur was the political and cultural centre of ancient Bengal. During the Sena dynasty, Vikramapura was the second capital of the