On January 29, 1795, a “gang of white dacoits led by a Bengali guide” invaded the home of wealthy Bengali shop owner Chaitan Sil in Calcutta. Sil was also later known as the father of ‘Mutty Lall Seal’ (Motilal Sil), the famed philanthropist who went
Despite the short span of spring in the Indian climate, the blazing blossoms of "Palash" offer themselves as the sole indicator of the blooming season ahead in Bengal. While Bengal is covered in red "Palash," a corner of Calcutta remains draped in pink trumpets akin
Imagine ladies running in a saree. And why not? If sprint challenges, short and long-distance runs are the order of the day and are being made popular in the urban circles with competitions thrown in, then why not a ‘Run in a Saree?’ The woman
The place looks like the eerie front courtyard of a haunted house. The dark, dimly lit tram shed of Nonapukur Tram Depot is a story just opposite to the bustling locality of Gariahat around. But this Sunday it was abuzz with activities as one after
Since childhood, most Bengali children are taught the pronunciation of the Bengali alphabet ‘Sh” by referring to a limerick that goes like this: ‘Syam Bajarer Sossi Babu/ Sombar sokaale,/Sorsoriye cycle chepe/ Salir sathe sosa khete khete/ Sosorire swarge jaan’. Throughout the poem, the alphabet Sh
Slow-moving, financially unviable, waste of space. In a nutshell, that is how most modern Kolkatans have been conditioned to view trams. Why ‘conditioned’? Well the popular perception of trams in Kolkata has been shaped by the policies of successive governments, but primarily those of the
While taking a walk down the hustling and bustling stretch of Raja Basanta Roy Road, I hardly ever realized this road hid vignettes of a revolutionary past. After all, we always relate North Kolkata to the Old Kolkata and a South Kolkata road that is
In the good old days, not so long ago, a number of letter boxes painted in red or otherwise made their presence felt by hanging on a tree or on a pole or on old doors of Kolkata to be filled with letters. But in
The British East India Company was making considerable profits in Calcutta in the early 1850s. Calcutta was still being controlled by the company and did not require the troops from the British administration. The profits made by the British often lured others from other foreign
While walking past the central business district of Kolkata, have you noticed a non-descriptive building of a hotel standing on the side of the road just opposite the Telephone Bhawan? Spence’s Hotel, the first ever hotel of Asia was opened to public in 1830 by