There’s a reason why Jagannath Ghat in Kolkata is called what it is. Practically at the base of Howrah Bridge, the ghat, built by millionaire Bengali businessman Sobharam Basak in the latter half of the 18th century (approximately between 1758 and 1773), took its name
With the COVID-19 second wave, we have seen death at its diabolical worst, when all allegories of life appeared to be devoured by the sheer annihilation of human life, dreadful spectacles of which kept circulating in the media, mainstream and alternative. Political pundits continue to
OWhen was India’s National Anthem first sung in British India? Rabindranath Tagore’s poem/song “Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka” was sung publicly at the 26th annual national convention of Indian National Congress, held in Calcutta between December 26 and 28, 1911. The song became mired in controversy
The history of Indian cinema has created many films dealing with the sex worker who lives on the fringes of mainstream society and belongs to a marginalised ghetto. Among the memorable examples are Shyam Benegal’s Mandi (1983), Gulzar’s Mausam (1975), T.S. Ranga’s Giddh (1984), B.R.
Ranjini Guha is an academician and passionate food blogger Rum Balls have been pure intoxication over years. Gooey, chocolaty, boozy Rum Balls are beautiful memories of childhood. Though I do not like the sweetness of Rum Balls anymore, yet I dream of a box of Rum
Being a scholar student of Amity School of Films and Drama, Rishav Ghosh has written and directed several films, the most notable being ‘Synthetic Sati’ recently streaming on Amazon Prime UK and four leading national OTT platforms. His ‘Agamani’ is streaming in Bangladesh OTT, marking
When Bengal braces romantic Kalbaishakhis or Norwesters in summer and pre monsoon, the thunderstorms bring along with them the fun of falling mangoes in orchards dotting the landscape of Bengal, famous for its mangoes and sweets alike. If Satyajit Ray’s Apu and Durga epitomized the
Walking or driving through Kolkata’s BBD Bagh area, the magnificent General Post Office (GPO) building is hard to miss. It has been part of the city landscape forever, or so it seems. In reality, the GPO was only designed in 1864 by Walter Grenville, but
The ancient settlement of Jaynagar-Mojilpur stands at the gateway of the Adi Ganga in the Sunderbans. Most Bengalis know the twin towns for ‘Joynagarer Moa’, a seasonal sweet made of date-palm jaggery and Kanakchur ‘khoi’ (popped rice, akin to popcorn). That apart, Joynagar-Mojilpur is also
Who else but Rabindranath Tagore can come to the rescue of our battered mental health in these times of crisis? And why not? After all, he himself witnessed deaths of near ones over and over again to diseases that do have a cure today. His