Hope- A world where it should never hurt to be a child

 

It is a heart-breaking sight-seeing children picking up rags and working, instead of being into school, enjoying their childhood, being loved and cared the way they should be. They are forced into work and a life not worth living just for the sake of surviving.

The question still lingers in my mind.

- Who is responsible for all this?

- Still nobody has even come up with a single answer.

People just debate over whose fault it is while the number of unprivileged children who are the future of India still rises.

As quoted by Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi-“If we are to teach real peace in this world and if we are to carry real war against war, we shall have to begin with children”

But wait, there is still some humanity left in this selfish and unjustified world.

The History

Hope foundation was setup in 1999 and is a registered Irish charity with its branches worldwide. It has 14 branches in Kolkata itself.

The idea behind setting up of HOPE in Kolkata is a couple tourist had come up to visit India but after witnessing such agony and the miserable condition of children they decided to set it up here. Initially HOPE provided night shelter for the children who spent their day at Howrah. Later on HOPE took over responsibility of funding home for 25 boys who wished to reside in the home with some basic amenities.

What does HOPE do?

There are in-numerous numbers of children who work in the most avoidable situations just to keep their stomachs filled.

Kolkata itself has around 2, 50,000 children who are forced to starve on the streets because they have nowhere to go, no proper guidance and no resources available. They suffer from diseases as they have no protection, they do not have clean water to drink, they don’t have roofs above their heads, they don’t have proper clothes to cover their body from the unforgiving weather circumstances.

HOPE takes initiative in providing the basic amenities and most important EDUCATION because if they are not aware and informed they might not know things that they should know then they become most vulnerable in this cut-throat world.

HOPE has carried out various foundation projects, like

- Child Protection- Many parents who can’t afford to feed their children leave them on the streets. On their destiny whether they survive or die in this who gives a damn world. HOPE reaches out to the kids and provides them with the care and guidance to become a better in this world. The NGO still runs this project and brings back the abandoned children to their care unit.

- Education- HOPE provides a decent education service to the slum and abandoned children. They teach them about awareness, to respect their rights about keeping themselves healthy and clean.

HOPE carries 3 areas of Educational Intervention

- Holistic Education Programme

- Nabadisha non-formal education centre with the co-operation of Kolkata police for slum and street children.

- 5 Education sponsorship projects around 500 children

- Health Care- The main aim of HOPE is to provide health care to slum children who cannot afford to have it.

Traditionally most of the times only the Upper class and middle class can avail health care services but HOPE aims to bring equality giving people chance to survive. It also has an emergency response team which surveys the town 365 days a year providing proper attention to children who would otherwise die without.

- Vocational Training and Income Generation- HOPE not only provides care for the children but for the adolescents even, it is currently running tailoring centres for the women and girls from the streets and slums to make them independent and to live a life with their heads high.

HOPE has proven to be a success in the past 12 years in Kolkata and is still trying to make it better so that the world becomes liveable and equal to all without any barriers.

“Love and Compassion are necessities not luxuries. Without them the humanity cannot survive”

-Dalai Lama

 

Apurv Joseph

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

“ Sobure Mewa Phole ’’

We wait and we wait, after 360 days comes the day...those 5 days when we go mad, people around us be as its their last 5 days.

Bengalis are famous for its festivals, and one of them, just not one of them, the largest is Durga Puja, and very obviously.

Today mahalaya acts as an early calling of durga puja, something which tells us “party starts in just another week”…

When we were even kid mahalaya meant 4am, mahalaya meant all india radio, mahalaya meant Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s voice, good old days, good old memories.
Dida used to say, “ Aj Maa’er chokkhu daan ’’, meant nothing to me back then, actually never understood what she meant. But now when I know what “ Chokkhu daan ’’ means, mahalaya’s importance raised a lot for me.
On the day of mahalaya people reach to different Ghats around the city, mainly Princep and Sova bazaar ghat for performing the ritual of “ Tarpan ’’.

We talk about shoshti’s “kola bou snan ’’
We have heard stories from our seniors about the same.
It is a ritual where we are supposed to rise in the wee hours, take the “ kola bou ” to the nearest water body, Ganges preferably, bathe her, and have fun doing it. I personally like that part. The City looks so beautiful during the Pujo and mainly the early mornings. The fresh air, the smell of wet soil is just amazing.

Mahashthami’s anjali is bengali’s all-time favourite has lost some shine at some point. It is the most romantic moment. Anjali with my beloved meant a lot. Anjali means the best panjabi, the best sari. Anjali is…. ANJALI… if u know at I mean.

Talking about SANDHIPUJA & DHUNUCHI NACH of mahanabami, it is my day of showing my exceptional talent of dancing like I will die in minutes.
The Sandhipuja happens in the first hour of nabami, shifting of baton takes place. Ashtami ends with a high, a literal one while nabami takes over, these days do we even check our time, do we even anticipate this change of baton. Do we even celebrate? No we don’t. Its just partying. Well what else do we want right other than partying, right ?

Mahadashami is a sad day for me. Not only me for all. And then the bhashan. Dancing with the procession, the fireworks, journey to the ganges is of immense fun. Hopefully bhashan has stayed the way it is, or has it? Nowadays it more like the last day to party.

Its about celebrating durga puja, not any 5 days of no work and only play. Its not only about long drives, high heads, loud music, coffee shops, dance floors, dinner at X. All of this can stay but not only this, durga pujo only becomes grand with the bangaliana tag intact. we don’t know how to resurrect the situation, therefore the mathematics of my emotions say the wait is better. The counting of days, or rather the countdown, the shopping, the planning, the kashphul, the smell in the air. And as those 5 days go by we start preparing.. not to work but to start waiting, again.

 

Aritra Saha

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

The NATIONAL LIBRARY

Being the largest and among the oldest libraries in India , the National Library stands as a symbol of Calcutta’s heritage and Kolkata’s pride .

The national library not only aims to acquire and conserve all significant national production of printed material but also collects printed material concerning the country no matter where it was published and the acquisition of photographic records of such material that is not available within the country.

The purpose with which the library was formed so that the poor students and the others could use it for studying and collecting information for a longer period of time .

The history of The national library began with the formation of the Calcutta Public Library in 1836. Lord Metcalfe , the then Governor General transferred 4675 from the library of the College Of fort William, Calcutta to the Calcutta Public Library . This and donations from individuals formed the nucleus of the library . This made Calcutta Public Library had a unique position as the first public library in this part of the world .

The Metcalfe Hall.

Such a well organized and efficiently run library was rare even in Europe in the first half of the 19^th century. And because of these efforts of the Calcutta Public Library , the present National Library has many extremely rare books and journals on its collection.

The National Library Of India stands as not only a symbol of heritage but also as a symbol for our intellectually rich culture. It houses newspapers which were available since the beginning of the 19^th century as well as foreign publication. It not only has an extensive collection of global newspapers and periodicals, it also has an extensive collection of maps from 17^th century onwards.

Bengal has, through times been tested by various internal and external onslaughts ,political and even domestic violence have been rampant in this part of the country, heritage has been tampered and also destroyed, few have survived the perils of time , National Library is one such witness to stand its ground ,and with it ,beholds a history of Bengal, preserved in its palatial corridors ,in forms of books ,periodicals , manuscripts and newspapers . The national library which has been one of the pioneer institutions of India much to the pride of Bengal.

It not only boasts of the largest collections of books but also of a guardian of a rich history and culture of India, and the rest of the world.

Changes in governments have always has it in their stride to maintain and guard the heritage structure and special care and funds are allotted to safeguard its interests which primarily is to serve the humanity.It has stood the test of time and in all its capabilities the National Library has been able to successfully preserve the intellectual treasures and as yet the preservation has been remarkable.

The National Library was, is and will always be a Jewel in Kolkata’s Crown.

 

Ria Singh

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Spandan of Kolkata.

Address: 1/1, Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani, AJC Bose Rd, Maidan, Kolkata, WB 700020

Opened: September 2, 1985

Phone: 033 2223 1210

Hours:

Monday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm  

Architectural style: Modern architecture

Architect: Amitabha Sengupta

The scene of Kolkat’s filmcultre is practiced over here by thousands of cinema lovers.Nandan is the ideal place of cinema lovers.The hall is the film and cultural centre in Kolkata, India.The primary aim of the cultural hub is to encourage and facilitate cinematic awareness in society. It includes a few comparatively large screens housed in an impressively architectured building.

The foundation stone of Nandan was laid by former Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and was officially inaugurated on 2 September 1985 by film-maker Satyajit Ray. The complex, besides being a modern cinema and cultural complex, is a popular destination for the young and the aged alike.

Inside the compound,there are "Rabindra Sadan",where cultural programs are held. And if you want to watch stage drama,then visit "Shisir Mancho",which is beside Nandan,ticket prices are 20,40,50,though may vary depending on natok. I watched "Bhuloswargo" & "Ghughu" yesterday here,1st time in my life I watched a natok! 2 hrs full entertainment for rs 20,it was a great experience!So the main attraction towards this hall is that its a fantastic, mind blowing hall where the value for money is top class. A royal cinema hall and with out of the world Dolby and luxurious seats is undoubtedly the best in Kolkata.

I have been to this place many times with friends and family.This place has got something different and special thing in it,which attracts me a lot.Many talented people come over here and like to spend some time along with there friends.The topic of discussions are limited but are interconnected,no one talks rubbish and has their own point of view towards the socity and the topics they choose for their discussion.The topics move around music,cinema,politics and society.Many food stalls are there outside the compound where many people hangaround. Few talanted artists also sit their one person curves out tiny idols out of rice grains,which is really unbeliveable,another person is there who scetches the face of his customer who comes for painting.In short Nandan is a plce for thinkers,belivers,lovers and mad people.

 

Avirup Chatterjee

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

BOIPARA, COLLEGE STREET

College Street, It houses many centre’s of intellectual activity especially Indian Coffee House, a cafe that has attracted the city's intelligentsia for decades. the Presidency College, the Hindu School, Paramount, Medical College, the College Square Swimming Pool and many more. The College Street is most famous for its small and big bookstores, which gives it the nickname Boi Para People from whole city and different parts of the state gathers here for their book. Many bigwigs of the Bengal publication industry are situated here. The street is also dotted with countless very small book kiosks which sell new and old books.An article in the journal Smithsonian described College Street as a “ half-mile of bookshops and bookstalls spilling over onto the pavement, carrying first editions, pamphlets, paperbacks in every Indian language, with more than a fair smattering of books in and out of print from France, Germany, Russia and England.^” It is the largest second-hand book market in the world and largest book market in India and collectively boasts of a collection of almost any title ever sold at Kolkata. One can buy rare books at throw-away prices and extensive bargaining take place.

In 2007, College Street featured among the famous landmarks of India which have made it to Time Magazines “Best of Asia” list.

· The Houses of intellectual activity

Presidency University, established in 1817

University of Calcutta, established in 1857

Sanskrit College, established in 1824

Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, established in 1953

Hare School, established in 1818

Hindu School, established in 1817

Paramount Sharbat Shop.

 

Kanad Mukherjee

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Diamond Harbour

Diamond Harbour is in the southern suburbs of Kolkata, on the banks of the Hooghly River quite near where the river meets the Bay of Bengal. This small town is a popular weekend tourist spot located in South 24 Parganas district.

Earlier known as Hajipur, this charming place was named Diamond Harbour by the British. It was considered a safe resting spot for ocean going ships and offered a spectacular view of the river. After the Rupnarayan River joins the Hughli, the river bends south and widens out to a form a huge expanse of water. A little further down, the Haldi river joins it.

In earlier days Diamond Harbour used to be a stronghold of Portuguese pirates. The ruins of the fort of Chingrikhali(Locally known as Purano Kella) can still be seen. It is believed to be linked with the Portuguese but some opine that the East India Company built it before they could establish themselves in Kolkata. There is an old lighthouse nearby. Diamond Harbour is well connected with Kolkata by road and rail. The tourist lodge, Sagarika, located on the riverbank, has been popular for many years. It also has a number of private hotels. As Diamond Harbour is within easy reach of Kolkata, just around 50 km, it is generally a day out picnic spot for city dwellers.

November to January is the best time to visit Diamond Harbour. In these time temperature of the city in between 12 to 27 degrees, it is pleasant weather which is comfortable for enjoying tourism places
Local Dances: Rava Dance, Baishar Bidhan, Larsi Lunji and Noila Broto Dance
Handicrafts: Stoned-carved artifacts, clay dolls, pottery and shell crafts, College: Fakir Chand College,

The area being in the proximity of the Bay of Bengal, there is scope for development of ports and shipping activity. The special economic zone at Falta is one of the eight such zones of the Government of India. It has container-handling jetty. The Government of West Bengal proposes to construct a minor port at Kulpiwith facilities for handling containers.

As large ocean going ships with full load of goods cannot enter the river ports at Kolkata and Haldia, the need for a seaport in the area has been felt for a long time. Such a future port would obviously be located south of Diamond Harbour but would enhance the importance of the place as a base for the port. Raichak is also pretty near by.

Kolkata Port Trust is considering construction of cargo handling jetties at Diamond harbour.

This small town with a picturesque setting is the gateway to the south-western part of the district leading to such places as Gangasagar, Kakdwip, Namkhana and Bakkhali. Gangasagar is a popular pilgrimage centre where people go to have bath to wash their sins. Bakkhali is gaining in popularity as a beach resort. There is a five star hotel with a magnificent panoramic view of the river at Raichak. Jetties at Diamond Harbour, Raichak and Mirpur provide steamer service to the other bank of the wide river estuary.

 

Mayank Verma

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

HOWRAH BRIDGE-THE WAY OF CONNECTION.

Pont de Qubec Cantilever Collision Corrision

“I am too popular in all over the world,tourists visit to see me.I am also known as “RABINDRA SETU” .

Howrah bridge was constructed in 1939 and the bridge was opened to traffic in 1943.Essentially it has two portion s for convenient plying of man and traffic .The bridge was constructed as a whole.Everyday thousands of people used the bridge for crossing because the Howrah Bridge is the only way which connects Howrah station and Kolkata.Howrah Bridge is known as the oldest bridge and it is the 3^rd longest cantilever bridge in the world behind Pont de Quebec (549m)in Canada and the forth bridge (521m)in Scotland.

Whenever we heard the name ‘HOWRAH’ultimately we think of ‘HOWRAH BRIDGE’.Thousands of people from all over the world visit Kolkata to see the city and also visit some historical places like Victoria,Museum e.t.c.but the first preferrence to see ‘HOWRAH BRIDGE’.

Howrah Bridge is a unique symbol of Kolkata,we Indians are proud of it because we are still maintaining its image and popularity as it was in older days,for next generation.Tourists from foreign countries love to visit Kolkata city and also eager to know its history.

The Howrah Bridge serves as the gateway to Kolkata,connecting it to the howrah station,which one of the four intercity train stations serving howrah and Kolkata.As such it carries the nearly entirely the traffic to and from the station taking it average daily traffic close to nearly 1.5million vehicles.In The bridge used to carry trams also.Trams departed from terminus at howrah station towards Rajabazar,Sealdah,Highcourt,Dalhousie square,parkcircus and shyambazar,from 1993 the tram services on the bridge were discountinous due to increasing load on the bridge.The maintenance of the bridge is done by The Kolkata Port Trust,the bridge has been subject to damage from vehicles due to rush driving and corrosion due to atmospheric pressure and biological wastes.On October 2008,surveillance cameras were placed to monitor the entire 705meter long and 30meter wide structure from control room.Two of the cameras were placed under the floor of the bridge to track the movement of the barges,steamers and boats on the river,while the other fixed to the first layer of beams one at each and two in the middle to monitor the vehicle movements.This was in response to substantial damage caused to the bridge from collision with vehicles.Corrision has been caused by bird dropping and human spitting.

Howrah bridge is one of the most oldest and popular bridge in the world.Still,its maintain its popularity.As Howrah bridge is not only the way that connects Howrah station to Kolkata but also connects peoples.

 

Durgesh Nandini Yadav

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

THE DELICIOUS KOLKATA

Kolkata, the city of Joy has a lot to offer in terms of its cultural diversity, its rich heritage and its ever so welcome hospitality and joyous rituals. Another of its highlights is its street food - amazingly yummy and cheap, probably the cheapest in the world.

When people talk about scrumptious street food, one cannot forget mentioning Kolkata. A variety of gastronomic delights are available on the streets of the capital city of West Bengal, and that too, for cheap. The city displays a special attitude towards food, attracting tourists at a large scale to try out the variety it offers. Every nook and corner of the city has stalls serving lip-smacking dishes. Despite the mushrooming of lavish restaurants and food courts, Kolkatans, ranging from poor daily-wage labourers to MNC executives, take pleasure in trying out the road-side delicacies. No one is embarrassed of picking up a quick bite on the streets.

One cannot afford to miss out the puchkas or jhaal-muri by the side of the busy crowded roads of Kolkata. Sometimes even Bengali cine-stars and celebrities are seen enjoying the roadside food. It's part of Kolkata's traditional culture to eat out on the streets. Be it egg rolls to momos, you name it and the streets of Kolkata have it. Street vendors with tasty delicacies to serve can be easily encountered in and around the schools, colleges, office areas, and at other places where people congregate. But, how they manage to sell food so cheap is still very much a mystery.

The street food is of a wide range. Students and office-goers get bread-butter toast, omelette and puri sabji as breakfast. And for lunch, one can start with vegetable soup, and end a four to five course meal, with sweets. There is a variety of rotis with delicious vegetarian and meat preparations to have them with. Food served between the traditional meal hours - chowmien, idli, dosa, uttapaam, ghoogni, bhelpuri, puchkas, jhaal muri and pakodas- is also high in demand. A friend of mine, an avid lover of puchka says, “My day is incomplete without puchkas! I can’t imagine a single day in my life without munching it...it’s just so yummy!!”

With Kolkata being an amalgamation of many cultures, city dwellers have shown a remarkable trait of accepting up alien culinary habits with open arms. Be it Chinese food or Tibetan cuisine, there is no prejudice in the City of Joy.

How can one forget the sweet tooth, which the Bengalis have? From mishti doi to sandesh to softy ice creams to cakes the city has a whole wide range of sweets at very affordable rates to compliment the various street food delicacies, which it offers.

All in all if one is in Calcutta one simply can’t sit back and eat out at the high end restaurants. It just won’t do justice to the rich and magnanimous food culture of Kolkata. So get up and explore the lanes of Kolkata. One will be amazed by what this entire city has in store for us.

 

Dipti Shah

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Maa Durga Stall

“Durga puja comes with light and fire

It brings back the yearly desire”

Durga puja is known as the biggest festival in West Bengal.Every year it comes with joy, laughter, and wipes away the tears of sorrow. Kolkata people awaits for this for the whole year just to enjoy this four days.

People in Kolkata never hesitates in spending thousands and thousands of money in this. Spending crores of rupees in the name of worshipping maa Durga is quite usual these days .In Durga pandels people invests crores of rupees just to make their puja better than the other.

Now, the question is this a wastage? As Durga maa comes as a ray of hope for those who work as light man, idol makers, mike man, priests as well as food stall workers. As their yearly income depend on this festival. Kolkata Durga puja is famous for making beautiful and innovative Unique pandals, making of it is done by small budget artists, those who are not yet that much successful in life but they earn their living and come in limelight and get appreciated from the viewers. As Kolkata is known as the city that never sleeps, people of Kolkata highly maintains it and a very effective role in it takes place by the Durga puja and making Kolkata beautiful in this four days is hugely done the light man dadas. They work day and night just to make some money as their entire yearly income depends on this. They come from all sorts of small villages to the city just to earn some money and without Durga puja festival and high budget in it this would have been not possible. Without an idol the puja makes no sense, so the idol makers stay in huge demand for those days. Places like Kumartuli, etc is famous for making idols. The makers depend and look forward to this festival every year. Not only the idol makers the dholaks, the priests share the same emotions. These are all fine as this certain range of people’s income depends on this festival. But the still the question rises how come the puja committee people invests so much of money? Well its because the money is raised through sponsorships.

.This sponsorship is the new trend which is extremely common in todays time .Rajat Das, a puja committee member of Narkelbagan Sarbojanin Durga Utsav said,”the front gate to the Durga maa pratima hoardings and banners will cost one lakh fifty thousand, the left gate will range eighty thousand and the right seventy five thousand, the front tower will range three lakhs and the second one two lakhs respectively.”Not only this is happening in Narkel bagan puja but in the total city. The more famous puja will be it will get more sponsorships.

The mouth watering foods phuchka, chicken rolls, Biriyani, icecreams without all this the puja is incomplete. As Bengalis are notably love eating especially street foods and sweets. So, Durga puja is a pure bliss to everyone how much we try to avoid it but we really can’t.

 

Sancharini Chakrabarti

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

STRATEGY OF APPLE

Coming off the heels of yet another successful Apple launch debut, it’s increasingly clear that Apple is on top of their game in a way like no other. Which other company could turn an ordinary press conference into a live global event?

The secret lies beyond their product line and design standards; it lies beyond even Steve Jobs’ emphatic adherence to Apple’s core philosophy, which is that the user doesn’t always know what they want.

Looking at the company’s latest product lines and revenue models, I’d be a fool to call them anything less than what they are, which is:

• A design firm

• A media platform

• A publishing company

• A software powerhouse

• A computer builder

• A movement

IGNORE YOUR CRITICS As an entrepreneur, you’ll hear a lot of people tell you that you need to reach out and figure out what people want, which means listening to your critics, often times more patiently than you’d like.

TURN ORDINARY INTO EXTRA ORDINARY For quite some time, PC fans enjoyed the work of buying their own parts and building their own tower systems. At the same time, PC makers were building standard hardware for standard applications.

JUSTIFY YOUR PRICE We’re in a time when pricing strategies are all over the place. People don’t know what to charge, and in many cases, prefer to race to the bottom instead of pricing strategically to a market that can bear the cost.Once more, Apple ignores the standard by not only pricing their technology more than 2x what their competitors charge, but doing so without blinking. How can they get away with it?

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE It makes no sense to talk about things like megabytes, gigahertz, and processing power to customers that simply don’t care about technical jargon.Take a look at any Apple product page and you’ll find that though they do discuss product specifications and technical information, it’s hidden behind the benefits that their audience is truly after.

EXTEND THE EXPERIENCE Have you ever heard of an unboxing? I hadn’t either until recently, when I learned that not only was I not the only one keeping Apple packaging post-sale, but that there are legions of people that record the actual process of unwrapping their newly purchased Apple products.

BUILD A TRIBE It’s no secret that Apple has built one of the most hardcore fan bases of any product and of any time. There’s a reason they’re called “fanboys.” Most of the chatter is out of jealousy more than anything, but Apple doesn’t really care. They know that they serve an elite audience, and rather than back away from that fact, they embrace it.

BECOME “THE NAME” You don’t buy tissues, you buy Kleenex.You don’t buy MP3 players, you buy an iPod.You don’t buy a smartphone, you buy an iPhone.Have you noticed what they’re doing here? Apple isn’t content with being a leader in sales alone, they want to own the market itself, which explains why they’ve engineered iTunes as the major music provider that it is, and why the iPad, having the luxury of being the first, has now set the trend for future tablet devices.

BRAND LOYALTY Apple Inc. was founded only a year after Microsoft, at the moment it is on the pinnacle of its popularity and success. Unlike most of its rivals, Apple especially is not known to care for the budget of a commoner. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that Apple, ever since it’s foundation only targeted a certain brand conscious class. For that very reason, none of the products of Apple are meant to fall within the budget of a normal man but more and more people are covetous of Apple products than ever before, since it is established to represent a certain ‘class’

 

Subhodeep Roy

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

The History of Durga Pujo

Durga Puja - the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals entails ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion.

The first grand worship of Goddess Durga in recorded history is said to have been celebrated in the late 1500s. Folklores say the landlords or zamindar of Dinajpur and Malda initiated the first Durga Puja in Bengal. According to another source, Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur or Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya organized the first Sharadiya or Autumn Durga Puja in Bengal in the year 1606.

The origin of the community puja can be credited to the twelve friends of Guptipara in Hoogly, West Bengal, who collaborated and collected contributions from local residents to conduct the first community puja called the 'baro-yaari' puja or the 'twelve-pal' puja in 1790. The baro-yaari puja was brought to Kolkata in 1832 by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar, who performed the Durga Puja at his ancestral home in Murshidabad from 1824 to 1831, notes Somendra Chandra Nandy in 'Durga Puja: A Rational Approach' published in The Statesman Festival, 1991.

"The baro-yaari puja gave way to the sarbajanin or community puja in and around 1910, when the Sanatan Dharmotsahini Sabha organized the first truly community puja in Baghbazar in Kolkata with full public contribution, public control and public participation. Now the dominant mode of Bengali Durga Puja is the 'public' version," write M. D. Muthukumaraswamy and Molly Kaushal in Folklore, Public Sphere, and Civil Society. The institution of the community Durga Puja in the 18th and the 19th century Bengal contributed vigorously to the development of Hindu Bengali culture.

There are two kinds of embellishments that are used on clay - sholar saaj and daker saaj. In the former, the pratima is traditionally decorated with the white core of the shola reed which grows within marshlands.

The huge temporary canopies - held by a framework of bamboo poles and draped with colorful fabric - that house the icons are called 'pandals'. Modern pandals are innovative, artistic and decorative at the same time, offering a visual spectacle for the numerous visitors who go 'pandal-hopping' during the four days of Durga Puja.

 

Ushnak Basu

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

For Whom The Bell Tolls

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral of the Church of North India - a united church which is part of the Anglican Communion - in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta, and the incumbent bishop is the Rt. Revd. Ashoke Biswas.

The building itself stands on the "island of attractions" beside the Victoria Memorial,Nandan, Rabindra Sadantheatre complex, and the Birla Planetarium.

St Paul’s Cathedral is considered to be the holy grail of churches in Kolkata, being the largest and the biggest church in the city , it attracts the tourists as well as the city people. A beautiful structure that stands tall ,is resposnsible for increasing the beauty of the city.

Even though the church got destroyed due to the earthquake of 1897 and then it was renovated. But, the earthquake of 1934 led to the collapse of the tower and eventually it was rebuilt on the lines of the Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Cathedral. The main hall of the cathedral is very large containing splendid carved wooden pews and chairs. The awesome construction leaves you dumb-struck, and makes you realize the architectural masterpiece of the constructors

The largest Christmas mass is held every year in St paul’s cathedral . This mass is followed by a charity drive and a carnival which takes place over two days . Peole come here not only to pray but by spending time here , they get mental peace . The architecture itself dumbfounds the onlooker.

When I talk about St Pauls cathedral , the things that comes in my mind , is the numerous candle marches, the choir on Sunday’s , the Christmas carols, the hymms .The walls that are adorned with quotes from the Holy Bible , pictures and scriptures beautifully paint the church’s walls. I can go read the bible in peace or just sit there and communicate with god and nature .

St Pauls Cathedral is considered to be a symbol of art and architecture in Kolkata . It s architectural structure symbolises the British reign in Kolkata . The place where Queen Victoria came to pray .

“ Whenever I feel low, I come here , just by sitting on these benches I feel calm . The lush green lawns , the tall towers of the church overwhelms me . ”

 

Alok Prasad

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

BRIGHTENING LIVES

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a type of non-profit organization that works to promote human good while operating separately from any national government. The NGOs maintains its non-governmental status by excluding government representatives from membership in the organization.
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An ngo based in Chetla, Kolkata , Mohor Foundation focuses on providing education for the children from families of the low income group for whom education is curtailed for the limited opportunities they have . With the two coaching centres , the one in Kolkata and another in Khajurdaha , (Hooghly) their aim is to reach out and provide them with the educational support they need. They do go to government schools but are unable to provide themselves their educational needs such as the tutorial classes. Their main focus is to support these children in the above areas. They not only educate them but also counsel them regularly to build a healthy platform for their better future; they plan to promote each student according to their potential. They also wish to provide a separate institution where various departments could cater to the willing student. In the last 9 months the children have been actively involved in various activity programs such as Cleanliness drives and Sapling Plantation.

Along with educational support, Mohor Foundation is responsible for providing day care hostel facilities for the students as well as Medical facilities and Family Counselling . Their main aim is to inculcate healthy atmosphere in the minds so that they do not astray . Local clubs, residential co operatives do come forward in their own minimum way and help support these initiatives.

Ngo’s such as this one have a team of dedicated members who help reach their goal inspite of all odds and scrutiny .It definitely seems like a long order but if more likeminded ngos join hands and dedicate themselves for these deprived children and then we can say the society will definitely be a better place to live in. Education will deter juvenile crimes and sex related offences, addictions will considerably go down.

At present, including the two centres Mohor Foundation has a total strength of about 121 students with strength of 8 volunteer teaching staff. They give hope to children from families that are truly needy and who have little or no means to help them survive. Their main purpose and responsibility is to serve the society by serving its children. Hence this foundation might just brighten up their lives and give them some joy.

Keywords:- Mohor Foundation Education Children NGO

 

Zufishan Khan

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

THE STATESMAN, KOLKATA, VINTAGE CAR RALLEY 2013

 

Standing outside the gate of Fort William at 6:30 am on a chilly winter morning in Kolkata, you wonder whether this is worth it all when a cruel breeze from the Ganges opposite stings your face, making you shiver.

But there is hardly any allowance for thinking because it is about time for the Statesman Vintage Car Rally Kolkata, 2013 to kick off and when you see the colourful gorgeous cars flash past you on their way to the starting line-up, you cannot think of anything except following them in. The space which looked enormous at 6:30 looks tiny half an hour later as about 150 cars and bikes, their owners, the viewers and the photographers jostled with each other to be a part of the grand mayhem.

Well, one look at the car owners and you feel this is how life should be! Thoughts of class equality go out of your head as you see cars straight from the royal garages along with their royal owners descend on the common man’s path and make them stare with open-mouthed awe! The cars and the people in them make you go back to years bygone when these cars were the emblem of the families they belonged to. The charisma still remains; the ‘zamindari’ attitude shines through, what with the dazzling dresses, huge sunglasses and high heeled leather boots that the traditional ‘benarasi’ has given way to. You see the Fords, Fiats, Buicks, BMWs, Austins, Rolls, Pontiacs, Chevrolets and envy their chiseled bodies, stunning you with the reflections in the early sun.

As the day dawns to a close you feel a bit reflective…the day has given a glimpse of the old-world charm that characterized Bengal of the British era, the lives of the rich and the famous. I gaze with reverence at the wings of a Pontiac as it slowly exits the ground with a huge trophy. The elated smile on the winner’s face of the Seagram’s Royal Stag award reflects the mood of the day… a perfect winter carnival.

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE EVENT:

 

Vedang Singhania

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

The Cool Cat of Kolkata

“Aah...!” ; Perhaps that’s the most appropriate word to express your happiness and delight after you come out of such a fantastic restaurant of Kolkata. Located in Park Street (Mother Teresa Sarani), ‘Peter Cat’ is one of the most unique restaurant which has mesmerized it’s visitors since it opened in the 60’s.It’s a restaurant where cocktails are cheaper than the food and it has been a favourite for locals and visitors since decades.

Well, Peter Cat is inexpensive, it is centrally located, it serves excellent Indian and Continental food and it has a soothing and unique atmosphere. Well, there is one drawback of being so popular is that, in peak times, such as during festivals, Peter Cat gets cramped with people, so you have to wait a bit to get your table. But is that a problem for a foodie? Naahh ! I mean they can wait for long to grab their delicacies.

Yeah, food. I have to mention the Chelo kebab. Two minced mutton kebabs and one chicken kebab, served with rice and an egg, it's legendary amongst the residents of Kolkata. However, if you feel like a break from Indian food, you'll welcome the sizzlers. They're just as sought after. I ordered the chicken sizzler (chicken breast, vegetables, egg, and sauce) and it was cooked to perfection. Both meals are priced at around 300 rupees ($5-6).

Peter Cat's warm and dimly lit interior speaks of history. Waiters look resplendent in crisp Rajasthani white and red costumes, which match the colours of the restaurant's interior but curiously contrast with its name -- a name that doesn't give away much at all. If you dig around though, you'll discover it’s the namesake of a famous cat who lived in Lords cricket ground in London from 1952 to 1964 (and Kolkata is a city addicted to cricket).

If the restaurant isn't busy, you'll find the service to be incredibly prompt and efficient. My table was surrounded by waiters, and the meals were served fresh and piping hot in a mere five minutes.

This Peter Cat is a cool cat indeed.

 

Unmesh Ganguly

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Chamber of Treasure

NATIONAL LIBRARY

The National Library, India is the largest library in the country. It is an institution of national importance under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The library is designated to collect, disseminate and preserve the printed material produced in the country. The library is situated on a scenic 30 acres Belvedere Estate, in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta

· The history of the National Library began with the formation of Calcutta Public Library in 1836. That was a non-governmental institution and was run on a proprietary basis. People contributing INR 300 in subscription became the proprietors. Prince “Dwarkanath Tagore” was the first proprietor of that Library. The Calcutta Public Library had a unique position as the first public library in this part of the world. Such a well-organized and efficiently run library was rare even in Europe during the first half of the 19th century.

· The Imperial Library (Built after the model of the Town Hall at Ypres. A fine example of the Public Buildings in Calcutta) was formed in 1891 by combining a number of Secretariat libraries in Calcutta.

In 1903, Lord Curzon, the Governor-General of India, conceived the idea of opening a library for the use of the public. He noticed both the libraries—Imperial Library and Calcutta Public Library were under-utilized because of limited access and lack of amenities. He decided to amalgamate the rich collection of both of these libraries.

Ø The new amalgamated library, called Imperial Library, was formally opened to the public on 30 January 1903 at Metcalfe Hall, Kolkata. Metcalfe Hall had earlier been the residence of the Governor-Generals Wellington, Cornwallis and Warren Hastings.

“ "It is intended that it should be a library of reference, a working place for students and a repository of material for the future historians of India, in which, so far as possible, every work written about India, at any time, can be seen and read." ”

— The Gazette of India

After Independence the Government of India changed the name of the Imperial Library to the National Library, with the enactment of the Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act, 1948, and the collection was shifted from the Esplanade to the present Belvedere Estate. On 1 February 1953, the National Library was opened to the public, inaugurated by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. B. S. Kesavan was appointed the first Librarian of the National Library.

Aims of the National Library, India

v Acquisition and conservation of all significant national production of printed material, excluding ephemera.

v Collection of printed material concerning the country, no matter where it is published, and as a corollary, the acquisition of photographic records of such material that is not available with in the country

v Acquisition and conservation of foreign material required by the country.

v Rendering of bibliographical and documents services of current and retrospective material, both general and specialised.

v Acting as a referral centre purveying full and accurate knowledge.

 

Swarnendu Bose

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Tangra Chinatown : Kolkata's very own China

Amidst our urban Kolkata, the city of joy, there lies a small locality which was once home to 20,000 ethnic Chinese in the eastern part of the city. Interestingly, it is the only Chinatown in India. Sadly, now the population of Chinatown has ceased down to approximately 2,000. The traditional occupation of the Chinese community here was to work in the nearby Chinese restaurants and in the tanning industry.

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The area is still noted for its Chinese restaurants where many people come to taste real Chinese foods and Indo-Chinese cuisines. Bustling with energy, Tangra Chinatown is Kolkata's very own mini-China. Chinatown still tries to preserve old Chinese traditions and customs with much pride. This mini town has a distinct culture of its own and is a favourite amongst locals and tourists alike for the food it has to offer – the foods that make our tongues droll. Fusions of Chinese and Indian traditions have given birth to a widely available form, Indian Chinese cuisine.

If this is your first visit here, it would be wiser decision to explore the narrow, crowded lanes before you step inside a restaurant to have a wonderful meal. Take a walk by these lanes and soothe your eyes by the views of numerous Pagoda like temples, take snaps of the dangling paper lamps and take an approximate-journey into the mystic lands of China even when you are in Kolkata. One can rediscover the charms of the Chinese society, culture and heritage in Chinatown, with Buddhist temples and an age-old Chinese pastry shop.

The Chinese today work as tannery-owners, sauce manufacturers, shoe-shop owners, and restaurateurs. A number of Chinese women run beauty parlours in the city.

The Chinese New Year still is celebrated by the Calcutta Chinese community. Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year is the most important festival in the Chinese calendar. In Calcutta, Chinese New Year cannot be detached from Chinese sausages and the fish and prawn wafers.

Sadly, the once prosperous Calcutta Chinese community is now clearly in decline. Under direction from the Supreme Court, the West Bengal Government recently moved all tanneries of Chinatown to Bantala, a suburb in the eastern Kolkata. However, Tangra has been an integral part of the Chinese community in India.

Kolkata’s Chinese community has been a key part of the city’s culture for more than 200 years. But now the Chinese community is disappearing rapidly. However, Tangra's unique Indian-Chinese food is attracting a lot of attention these days and the cuisine will probably live on in Kolkata.

A visit to Chinatown is certainly a wonderful experience in itself.

 

Swarnabha Bose

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Back to the old

We all heard and read of the majestic Victoria memorial. Which is located in Kolkata at maidan. It has a pretty well maintained garden and lake. If people want to saw the prettiness offcource need to buy tickets for the entrance. Many foreigners come here and tickets are not same for Indian and foreigner.

Architect sir William Emerson laid down the actual plan of the memorial. The design of the structure represents the fusion of British and Mughal architecture. White macrana marvels use in the construction of Victoria Memorial Hall and the building was inaugurated in the year 1921.The massive hall is 338 feet and rises to height of 184 feet. After India gained independence in the year 1947, certain additions were made to the Victoria Memorial. These additions formed National Leader’s Gallary, containing the portraits and relics relating to the Indian independence.

In the Royal Gallery there are oil paintings depicting scenes of Queen Victoria receiving the sacrament at her coronation on the day of her marrige.Becide the paintings showing the entry of prince walls into joyful is display here.

The Calcutta Gallery, India’s first city gallery was visualised by Lord Curzon, at the turn of 20^th century. The Calcutta Gallery displayed the history and development of Calcutta from Job Charnoc and of the British rule up to 1911, when the capital was sifted to Delhi. The gallery has also a life size diorama of the view of the Chitpur road in the late 19^th century.

There are some rare books in the library with date back to the 1870s.Some of the books worth maintaining are the collection of plays by William Shakespeare. The Arabian Nights, Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. It has a good collection of books on kathak and thumri written by Nawab Wazid Ali Saha.

The garden of the memorial was designed on a total area of 64 acres with the building covering the area .On way to the north gate is a bronze statue of Queen Victoria. The Queen is seated on her throne, wearing the robes of the star of India. There are twenty one gardeners to maintain the garden and the morning walkers have four associations.

Victoria memorial looked very nice at the night when it was light up majestically taken in the sights.

 

Sushmita Saha

UG-BMS

3rd Semester

Sharodotsab

Durga Puja festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. Thus, Durga Puja festival epitomises the victory of Good over Evil. While references to Durga Puja in Bengal can be found back to the middle ages, it did not become popular among the zamindars, or wealthy landowners of Bengal. In 1757, an elaborate puja was even held in honor of Rober Clive by Raja Nabakrishna Deb of Calcutta. Lord Clive wished to thank for his victory in the Battle of Plassey. By the early 20th century, these festivities had evolved into Sarbojanin ("involving all") pujas, in which people from all creed, castes and religions participate. These pujas further helped to create a feeling of unity during independence. Over the years, both the icons and the pandals have gotten more and more elaborate, and each year many competitions are held among Pujo clubs for the best pandals and puja themes.

Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal, where it is a five-day annual holiday. And as in Kolkata, people eagerly and anxiously wait for Durga Puja to come.

Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal, where it is a five-day annual holiday. And as in Kolkata, people eagerly and anxiously wait for Durga Puja to come.

Durga puja mood starts off with the Mahishasuramardini – a two-hour radio programme that has been popular with the community since the 1950s. While earlier it used to be conducted live, later a recorded version began to be broadcast. Bengalis traditionally wake up at 4 in the morning on Mahalaya day to listen to the enchanting voice of the late Birendra Krishna Bhadra and the late Pankaj Kumar Mullick on All India Radio. During the week of Durga Puja, in the entire state of West Bengal, especially Kolkata. Comes to a standstill. . In playgrounds, traffic circles, ponds—wherever space may be available—elaborate structures called pandals are set up, many with nearly a year's worth of planning behind them. Durga Puja is celebrated for six days. People get busy in pandal hoppings, eating their favourite food, fancying their new dresses, living live to their fullest. Oshtomi, the eighth day of devi Durga’s stay at her abode, is d day when all get dressed up in their traditional dresses and gathers to offer flower worship or pushpanjali to her.

Durga Puja is one of the most important events in the Bengali society's calendar. In Kolkata alone more than two thousand pandals are set up, all clamouring for the admiration and praise of the populace. The whole city is decorated with lights. People all across the country visit Kolkata during this time, and every night seems like a carnival where thousands of people go pandal hopping. All the traffic comes to a standstill and the government introduces a special task force to control the law and order. Durga Puja in Kolkata is often referred to as the Rio Carnival of the Eastern Hemisphere.

 

Sumit Roy

UG-BMS

3rd Semester