Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

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 🙏🏻

 

 

 

>   In the year 1822, on this day, a weekly Bengali newspaper 'Samachar Chandrika' was founded from Calcutta.  It was first published by Babu Bhabani Charan Bandyopadhyay on 15th March, 1822.  It was an orthodox Hindu newspaper of the Dharma Sabha.  It campaigned against social reforms including the ban on Sati by Lord William Bentinck.  It was published for over 60 years. Pic: The first page of 'Samachar Chandrika' published on 14.2.1877

In the year 1812, on this day, Ishwar Chandra Gupta was born at Kanchrapara of West Bengal in a Baidya family. He was brought up in his uncle's house after the death of his mother. Gupta spent most of his childhood in Kolkata. At that time, poets were named  Kobiwala  and the  kobiwalas  were not so civilized in language. Sexual words and clashes were common. But Ishwar Chandra Gupta created a different style of poetry. He started the newspaper Samvad Prabhakar  with Jogendra Mohan Tagore on January 28, 1831, which finally became a daily on June 4, 1839. Many Bengali writers of the 19th century started their careers with that magazine. He reintroduced into Bengali poetry the mediaeval style with double meaning (already seen in Sandhyakar Nandi and Bharatchandra): কে বলে ঈশ্বর গুপ্ত, ব্যপ্ত চরাচর, যাহার প্রভায় প্রভা পায় প্রভাকর। Ke bole Ishwar Gupta, byapta charachar, Jahar prabhaye prabha paye Prabhakar. 'Ishwar' means God, 'Gupta' means hidden and 'Pra...

In the year 1895, on this day, Nibhanani Devi - the prominent actress of yesteryears who reigned Bengali drama stage and silver screen of both silent and talkie era, was born. She stepped on stage only when she was six years old, escorted by her mom's friend Chunibala Devi (the famous Indir Thakrun of Ray's 'Pather Panchali' movie). Nibhanani Devi's first popular drama was 'Balidan' (written by Girish Ghosh). She joined in Calcutta radio station in the year 1930. Gradually she became accomplished with songs and dances. She owned fame first in the movie 'Chirakumar Sabha' (written by Tagore). Within the span of 50 years of active film career, she acted in 350 movies. Her last movie was 'Rater Rajanigandha', a Bengali popular film (the photo here) with actress Aparna Sen, released in the year 1973. Five years later, she has died in the year 1978, at the age of 83. href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh...