Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

You must thinking it's a kite - I mean, bird, flying on the sky. But no, it's a kite - I mean, a kite, made of paper, about to fly. In collaboration with Japan, kite festival is now running at Kolkata Maidan. Various type of kites are flying there - just like this amazing one published on newspaper. -- A. B.

The legendary Prof Kajuo Ajuma of Japan passed away last Thursday in Tokyo. He loved India and himself was a specialist on Rabindranath Tagore. Major part of his 80 years he passed to cultivate India. And lion's share of that major part was occupied Tagore. He was dedicated to spread Tagore culture in Japan. And it was rare in world history. Shantiniketan was his second land. To cultivate Japanese culture and literature, he established 'Nippon Bhavan' at Viswabharati and India-Japan cultural centre 'Rabindra-Okakura Bhavan' in Kolkata. Rabindranath was his north star till the end of his life. A few years ago, he told in Kolkata in clear Bengali that, he was admirer of Bangla and Bengalee. And this admiration was grew centering Rabindranath. In his opinion, Tagore was not only for Bengalees, but for the entire world. Japanese reverence for Tagore is like Goutam Buddha. These two noble person enriched the cultural and spiritual fields of Japan. Ajuma tr...