When the British first arrived in India, they had to adapt themselves to a lot of unfamiliar things, such as the climate, the blood sucking mosquitos, the spicy food, the language. But the one thing they couldn’t get used to was the stifling heat. Summer
The fact is known to all that if Maharishi Debendranath Tagore had not come to Bolpur, Santiniketan would never have been established. In 1863, he acquired a lease of twenty bighas of land in Bhubandanga village from Bhubanmohan Singh of Raipur. That same year, a guesthouse was built amid that
Kazi Nazrul Islam was not just a poet and that too a protest poet, but he also participated regularly in stage dramas and in radio programmes. In 1934, he joined movies. The first movie he enacted in was based on the story Bhakta Dhruv, written
Rosogolla – Whose Is It Really? Bengal and Odisha have been locked in a loud tug-of-war over this sweet delicacy for years. Finally, Bengal won the battle. In November 2018, Rosogolla received the GI (Geographical Indication) tag under the name “Banglar Rosogolla”. Since then, Rosgolla Day has
We are all familiar with the famous clay dolls of Kathalia village in Murshidabad. The red-and-black striped dolls from this place have been crafted since ancient times. Among the many types of dolls made in Kathalia, the Gowalini doll (milkmaid), Ukuntolani doll (nitpicker), baby-oiling doll,
Does the name Dhakai Paratha transport you straight to Bangladesh, or perhaps to your college street days in Kolkata? For many, it recalls the bustling roadside eateries near colleges and the parar tele-bhaja dokan that once fried these crisp golden delights every winter morning. There was a time when North Kolkata’s winter
With the rhythm of the monsoon, memories of Bengal’s most cherished fish, Ilish (Hilsa), come alive on the plate through timeless recipes. The hilsa catch in Bengal and Bangladesh reaches its peak as the skies get darker and the rivers rise. From Kolkata to Khulna, every Bengali family
Bharatpur is a small village in Galsi, on the left bank of the Damodar River, seven kilometres southwest of Panagarh railway station in the East Burdwan district. The area is surrounded by undulating plains and elevated mounds. Recently, the Kolkata Circle of the Archaeological Survey
Sombhu Mitra, an eminent Bengali theatre personality I still remember that particular day. It was a time when I had just completed my Masters in English. My friend, philosopher, guide and teacher Samik Bandopadhyay wanted me to join Bohurupee Theatre Group. Inspired by him, I went
Je raate mor duarguli bhanglo jhorey… Only Debabrata Biswas could bring out the pain and the spirituality of this song through that god-gifted voice that is still the best seller. Biswas’ music was notable for its exceptional depth of emotional expression combined with an exploration