My KOLKATA BLOG

In old Kolkata, Rath Yatra celebration was very gorgeous. It was the British Raaj in India, the aristocrats used to observe Rath Yatra in Kolkata with pomp and grandeur. Sheth and Basak family of Bowbazar used to organise rally of Rath on the road with their Kul Devta Govind ji. The Rath was 70 feet high. The Rath used to pull on Bowbazar Street upto Laldighi of Dalhousie.  A gorgeous Rath used to run at Posta area of Kolkata. People of all ages used to enjoy the rally with colourful flags in hand, khol kartal were the musical instruments used to play throughout the rally. Some used to spray atar, keora, aguru and sandalwood water among the devotees.  Batasa was the prasad used to throw from the chariot amongst devotees and they used to pick those. Ramkanai Adhikary's Rath of Bowbazar was very famous in old Kolkata. It was almost 150 years old. But now a small chariot use to pull within family.  A silver Rath was very famous in old Kolkata.  Its owner was Rajchandr...

  Kadambari Devi was born on 5 July, 1859 at Jorasanko Thakur Bari. Her father was one of the 'Bazar Sarkar' of Debendranath Tagore's family. Debendranath wanted to arrange marriage of his son Jyotirindranath with this nine years old child Kadambari. At that time, Jyoti dada of Rabindranath was 19 years old. It was not the suitable age of marriage for Kadambari, but, as the then society of Bengal did not allow aged unmarried girls, it was the custom of Hindu samaj to arrange for an early marriage of the girl /> But, why they choose a girl who used to live inside the Tagore house of Jorasanko? It is not an enigma, but a bare fact that, they were Pirali Brahmin and none of the father of girl child in Bengal was ready to arrange marriage of his girl child with a Pirali Brahmin. The fact was bitter, but it was true. Therefore, the marriage took place on 5th July, 1868 when Kadambari was only nine. Many people believe that, one should never get married on the same date of...

Holi or Dol Utsav is a festival of Kolkata since the time of Job Charnock. It was the beginning of British colonialism. A society called neo "Babu samaj" was emerging. At that time, poet Iswar Gupta wrote a poem "ক্রমেতে হোলির খেলা, নবীনা নাগরী মেলা, ছুটে মুটে যায় এক ঠাই। যার ইচ্ছা হয় যারে, আবির কুমকুম মারে, পিচকারি কেহ দেয় কায়।" Historians have written, at that time, all the persons and houses becomes red by the abir and red colour. Irrespective of castes and creeds, all the persons used to observe this Dol utsav with fun and frolic. They have energy, enthusiasm to participate in this festival by dint of their emotions and sincerity.          Balthazar Solviens has wrote in his 'Le Hindous' book about this Dol Utsav in Kolkata - "alongwith Hindus, Christians and Muslims too used to participate in this festival. The exiled Nawab of Lucknow Nawab Wajed Ali Shah with his parishad, used to participate in this Holi and penned a new song.   On this da...

Wishing you all near & dear friends of India and abroad - a very auspicious Bengali New Year 1428.                     "SHUBHO NOBOBORSHO"