Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

  This year, 11 January is the date when the International Kite Festival was inaugurated in Ahmedabad. Every year, ambassadors from around the world visit Gujarat to witness this kite festival. This year, ambassadors from 11 countries have come to Gujarat. Food stall and craft stall vendors earn lakhs of rupees during the festival. Moreover, over five and a half lakh people attended the International Kite Festival last year. Gujarat has gained global recognition as the state that manufactures the most kites. Ahmedabad, Nadiad, Khambhat, and Surat have become hubs for kite production. Today, Gujarat holds a 65 percent share of the country’s kite market. Kites are also exported annually from Gujarat to countries like the USA, UK, and Canada. 143 kite flyers from 47 countries and 52 kite flyers from 11 other states in India are participating in this year’s festival. Moreover, 417 kite flyers from 11 cities in Gujarat are also taking part.  International Kite Festival 2025 will fe...

On this day, in the year 1890, The Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya was established in Kolkata by the  Sadharan Brahmo Samaj  on the 12th anniversary of its foundation. The objective of the Shikshalaya was to give sound intellectual training to its students based upon religious and moral instruction. It was conceived to be not just an institution not to teach their students just to pass examinations but to make them proper citizens to serve society. Hence the motto as engraved in the emblem of this Shikshalaya : Shraddhya, Tapasya , Sevaya. It is situated on APC Road of Kolkata. The Managing Committee appointed by the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj consisted of the following members:- Babu Madhusudhan Sen, Babu Upendra Kishore Roychoudhuri, Babu Adinath Chatterjee, Babu Umesh Chandra Dutta-Secretary,Miss LabanyaPrabha Bose –Assistant Secretary , Pandit Sivnath Sastri, Dr. M.M.Bose and Babu Umapada Rai. 

 Near Darji Para of north Kolkata, about 177 years old Kali Mandir (temple) is situated at Brindaban Das Lane which is called Goho's Nistarini Kali temple.  When Rani Rasmani asked Nabin Bhaskar to make Ma Kali idol by a piece of 'Kashti pathar', Nabin made an idol, but it seemed too small for the 'Garv griha' erected inside Dakshineswar temple. So, Rasmani asked Nabin to make another Ma Kali idol for her Dakshineswar temple which is still worshipped. Later, Rani Rasmani asked other eminent residents of Kolkata to establish the said first idol made by Nabin Bhaskar.  Shib Charan Goho of Brindaban Das Lane, (Hedua area) established this first Kali mata idol made by Nabin in a temple, founded in the year 1850. Till then, the Kali mata idol is being worshipped in that temple as 'Nistarini' Kali Ma.  Special puja is performed there on the days of Phalgun sankranti and Dipanwita Kali puja.  Beside the main Kali temple, two small temples are there in the premises ...

On this day (20th April), in the year 1920, the noted singer Juthika Roy was born. She started singing at an early age. She has sung many songs for music directors including her first mentor Kazi Nazrul Islam (whom she called Kazi Da) and the great bengali music director Kamal Dasgupta. It is said that Kamal Das Gupta and Kumari Juthika Roy recorded a naat in the late 1930s that impressed Gupta so much that he embraced Islam. Her singing was liked by many including Mahatma Gandhi. She has sung for many Bengali and Hindi movies also but she is most popularly known for her Meera Bhajans. Some Juthika Roy songs * meri prem ki naiya (sung for Kamal Dasgupta) * darshan bina prabhuji * ghunghat ka pat khol * kanhaiya pe tan man * pag ghungharu bandh meera nachi * tore angse ang milake kanhaii * tulsi mira sur kabir * badal dekh rahi * bolre madhuban mein * chupke chupke bol maina * Roti Ankhiyan * aakash tale jab deep * aankhin mein mathura * Anjaan nagar anjaan dagar * Maine Chakrar rak...

16 April 2024 Ma Annapurna Puja. Joy Ma Annapurna 🙏🏻