Tomorrow marks the end of 29-day Pous, the Bengali calendar month. Also called Pous Sankranti, it’ll be a day when mothers and grandmothers will prepare homemade sweets to everyone’s delight. Most common delicacies include patisapta, dudh pithe and payesh. And they taste so good that even the most diehard sweet-hater will find it difficult to […]
Merry Christmas
Happy time is here again
Leaving the autumn festivities (Durga Puja, Kali Puja, et al), the only time Kolkata dresses up is during the week from Christmas to New Year. Strange it may sound, but many people are so nostalgic about Christmas in Kolkata that they just cannot think of spending time elsewhere. As it happens during Durga Puja, so […]
Kolkata Film Festival
Strictly speaking, the 12th Kolkata Film Festival was not an international event, for it was not allowed the ‘international film festival’ tag by the central government. There appears a conflict here. The I&B ministry at the center has its own international film festival, the IFFI (International Film Festival of India), which it organizes mostly in […]
Dreading silent diwali
This is that time of the year when the sound-control watchdogs come out in the open. Police prise open ‘suspicious-looking’ cargo, follow trails and generally keep a wary watch on all the roadside stalls that sell fireworks. The wholesale markets teem with sleuths, and some say there are incentives to earn if targeted numbers are […]
Pujo with different hues
I’ve with me a nice ‘what-pujo-means’ from Sanyal da of Ongc. He’s an ardent probasi bangali with perhaps a tinge of nostalgic feelings during pujo days. Do enjoy his classic piece. Here’s a renewed subho bijoya to you all.
Subho Bijoya
[Picture source: Top, Bottom]Leaving for her heavenly abode last evening, Maa Durga has assured that she will come back again this time next year. She is happy that no untoward incident has happened during her earthly stay. She gives an indulgent smile at Barundev‘s tantrums on all 4 days. “Well”, she says, “you call me […]
Mahashtami
[picture source]|| ya devi sarvabhutesu buddhirupena samsthitanamas-tasyai namas-tasyai namas-tasyai namo namah || || ya devi sarvabhutesu sakti rupena samsthitanamas-tasyai namas-tasyai namas-tasyai namo namah || || ya devi sarvabhutesu trisna rupena samsthitanamas-tasyai namas-tasyai namas-tasyai namo namah || || ya devi sarvabhutesu santi rupena samsthitanamas-tasyai namas-tasyai namas-tasyai namo namah || || ya devi sarvabhutesu sraddha rupena samsthitanamas-tasyai […]
Finally, Maa comes amid us
Last night, as the melodious hymns of Birendrakishore Bhadra’s immortal Mahishasuramardini floated in from the para puja, I kept a weary eye on the TV screen. Star Ananda’s sprightly newsreader didn’t disappoint. We would have Barundev’s company on the puja days, what with a ‘depression’ forming in the Bay. This morning’s bright sunlight is welcome. […]
Voices of Bengal
In an earlier post I briefly mentioned about making of Durga protima in London’s British Museum. The idol – now complete – is for London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee, to be worshipped at Camden Center. The high point is extra-ordinary interest among visitors to British Museum to see ‘live’ manufacturing of the protima from mid-August […]