In the neighbourhood of Simla Para off Beadon Street, great Mughal poet Mirza Ghalib lived during his stay in Kolkata. His love for the city can be traced in Safar-e-Kalkattah, where he writes about his stay at Haveli No. 133. Ghalib praised the city, saying no
Burra Bazar has a distinct chaotic outlook all day long, that rings a chord with the chaos and warmth of Kolkata. But how did this trading district of Kolkata look in the British era? When most of us these days, trace the architectural splendours of
In today’s era of glamorous cafeterias, the cabin nostalgia has still not perished. The cabin restaurants which date back to almost the time of the British Raj, came into existence to promote the concept of urban dining. The Indian society was way more orthodox and
Around two and a half centuries ago, one of the most picturesque streets of ‘Calcutta’ ran from the north-east corner of B. B. D. Bag to Bowbazar. Termed by the British as the ‘Best Street in Kolkata,’ it was styled like the streets of London.
Mirza Abu Talib, better known as Shaista Khan was a Subehdar and a general in the Mughal army. He was a maternal uncle to the emperor Aurangzeb and acted as a key figure during his reign. He ruled Bengal for 24 years (1664-1688) with great
The 48th International Kolkata Book Fair is set to take place from January 28 to February 9, 2025, and this year marks a historic milestone as Germany participates as the theme country for the first time in the fair's 48-year history. Germany will present its
How is a quaint shop opened in 1848, by Pyary Mohan Soor in Calcutta’s China Town, doing? By general perception, one would assume it has shut down or sold off. After all a Bengali entrepreneur hardly sustains in the industry more than two generations! Well, that
If Sudder Street has always opened up the view of budget hotels and a primary hub for foreign students who come on back-packing tours, then think twice. This was also the street where Rabindranath Tagore penned down one of his famous poems ‘Nirjharer Shopnobhongo’ (The Awakening of the Fountain). This
The earliest evidence of wheeled vehicles was somewhere between 3500–3350 BC. The invention was quickly adopted across parts of Europe and Asia. It was after James Watt’s steam engine in 1705 that the concept of powered vehicle was considered. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot of France developed a
See brother! The wretched victims of tyranny! The Crown Court was not surely established before it was needed. I trust it will not have been in operation six months before we shall see all these poor creatures comfortably clothed in shoes and stockings.” Thus reportedly