Bibi Wince is not a name familiar to many Kolkatans today, but had it not been for her, Bengal’s women may have had a far tougher time laying their hands on a camera. On World Photography Day today, Bengal’s women photographers at any rate ought to remind
The rituals and offerings date back to late 19th century in the village of Keshiyari, District Medinipur , West Bengal, India.There is an interesting story about how this puja got started. On a summer evening, the Zaminder (landlord) of Keshiyari village, Mr. Padmolochon Dutta, was on his
TUSU or ‘Makar Parav’ is a very popular harvest festival that is celebrated in the rural district of Purulia by the ‘Kurmi’ community of West Bengal. The festival is mainly about the collection of songs sung by the unmarried girls during the nights, throughout the month
They change hands from one Rasik to the other since a tender age, forced to leave their impoverished homes in Purulia to be trained in vulgar dance shows. They are still the ‘cultural untouchables’ of India, yet the Nachnis of Bengal are a dancing community
They say ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. Since the pre-historic era, long before mankind found a way of expression through scripts, wall paintings were the only medium of expressing thoughts and ideas. In this context, the tribal wall art of the ‘Santhal’ community dwelling
In one room of an old, three-storey house in North Kolkata’s Shyam Chand Mitra Lane sits a unique, rare treasure trove of artefacts, nurtured lovingly by its 95-year-old guardian, Sushil Kumar Chattopadhyay, fondly known as Nokubabu. Freelance photographer Abhijit Chakraborty’s lens brilliantly captures both the
An ancient form of embroidery craft, ‘Kaantha’ or ‘patched cloth’ is traditionally made out of discarded garments and other worn out textiles. Although its origin can be traced back to the pre-vedic era of India (prior to 1500 BCE), however, it was Krishnadas Kaviraj’s 500-year-old
It has always been a dream for humans to be one with nature.Trekking in the mountains gives us an exciting opportunity to be in the midst of pristine pine forests, foggy causeways, chirping birds, creaking insects, picturesque view of faraway glistening White Mountain peaks &
Starting from iconic landmarks like the Victoria Memorial and Howrah Bridge to the iconic modes of transportation like the Electric Trams and the Hand-Pulled Rickshaws, Kolkata, the erstwhile capital of British India, boasts of glorious legacies that only few other cities can match. This traditional hand-pulled
Kolkata’s iconic Electric Tram system, now over 150 years old, celebrated its 143rd year of electric operation on December 22, 2023. The erstwhile capital of colonial India boasts a glorious past and is home to some of the most famous landmarks in the entire world.