Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

The heritage of ancient Bengal is the theme of Dum Dum Mall Pally Sarbojanin Durga Puja. This year they're trying to grab the past by adorning pieces of colourful clothes. The idol of goddess Durga is of traditional daaker saaj, but something new on it will be the target of organisers. They're not using 'shola', but their endeavor is to create effect of 'daaker saaj' through pieces of coloured clothes. The traditional puppet culture would be depicted here through ancient days of heritage and custom. Somnath Mukhopadhyay is the theme-maker. -- A. B.

It is the picture of one of the oldest building of Kolkata - Clive House, otherwise known as 'Barakothi', located at 91 Rastraguru Avenue, Dum Dum erected before the seizure of Kolkata by Siraj-ud-daullah. It was also known as 'Dum Dum House', once upon a time - a well built house, standing on an artificial mound, surrounded by a moat. The history and origin of the building is obscured yet it is presumed to be a Portuguese or Dutch factory or godown of cotton and saltpeter. It is also presumed that the building of the late Mughal period was sometimes owned by Nawab Alivardi Khan and his grandson Nawab Siraj-ud-daullah and later on passed to the hands of Lord Clive who used it as his country seat (1757-60). The present double-storyed brick built building with number of small windows and supporting buttresses looks like a small fort. It was originally single storyed and in subsequent period additions and alterations have been done and converted to be a dou...