Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

At the Millennium Park Ferry Ghat, on the bank of river Ganga, a small structure of an idol lying for many days. When I snapped it, a Jalpipi (water-bird) was right there and a crow just came to sit on the structure.-- A. B.

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150 years old Motilal Ghat (bathing ghat of Kolkata) needs renovation. The "richest and most virtuous baboo of Calcutta" Mutty Lall Seal or Moti Lal Seal established this bathing ghat on the bank of River Hooghly (Ganga) in the middle of nineteenth century alongwith other benevolent activities for Calcutta. The bathing ghat is now being neglected, under dilapidation. Alongwith other older ghats, this century-old Motilal Ghat should also be declared as heritage monument and conserved as well. -- A. B.

The festival of colours 'Holi' on 9 March. So, the preparation of colours are going on in Kolkata. -- A. B.

A man was cleaning up the heap of flowers from the bathing ghat of Mallick Ghat phool bazar (flower market) early morning in Kolkata today.-- A. B.

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It was dawn today, when the sun was rising in Kolkata and I was on the Howrah Bridge.-- A. B.

I was watching the day-break from Howrah Bridge today when the old ghats of Kolkata, with the people bathing there, and the lights of night still glittering on the river Ganga. -- A. B.

The 4-day long Vasant Utsav at Shantiniketan this year would be more tourist-friendly. One of the problem the tourists with family usually face is the drinking water. Inside the premises of Viswa-Bharati, there are not so many sources of drinking water. So, for the first time, pouch pack of drinking water (like Book Fair of Kolkata) will be supplied mainly to the childrens and women. The drinking water supply car of municipality shall also be there. -- A. B.

Yesterday, a businessman arrived from Bhagalpur of Bihar and boarded on a taxi in Kolkata. He left the taxi near Prince Anwar Shah Road. But after some time, the taxi driver Lal Bahadur alias Shastri heard ringing of a cell phone. He discovered the phone in the back seat of the car. The caller was none other than the businessman. He told the taxi driver that he missed the mobile phone in the taxi. The taxi driver dropped a passenger at Park Circus and went to Prince Anwar Shah Road to return back the phone. The businessman became astonished to see the honesty of taxi driver and said, it is really a matter of joy. -- A. B.

Legendary footballer Sailen Manna passes away this afternoon in Kolkata at the age of 87. Sports lovers of the city expressed deep grief to hear the sad news. He was born on 1 September, 1924 in Howrah and educated from Surendranath College. He started his football career early and played from 1940-42 for Howrah Union. Then played for Mohun Bagan from 1942 to 1960 till his retirement. He was included in the list of 10 best captains of the world by English FA in the year 1953. He was awarded Padmashree in 1971 by the Government of India. Awarded the prestigious 'Footballer Of The Millennium' by the Football Federation of India in the year 2000. Awarded 'Mohun Bagan Ratna' in 2001 and awarded 'Bangabibhushan' by the Government of West Bengal last year. He played many international matches for India. And he will be ever remembered as an Olympian and 1951 Asian Games gold medal winning football captain. Sailen Manna was the best defender India ever produ

The city of joy witnessed display of real EURO Cup at South City Mall yesterday. The Carlsberg India earlier selected Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai on the basis of public opinion to show the real EURO Cup for the campaign of EURO-2012. The cup was displayed in Delhi last Saturday. Yesterday Baichung Bhutia unveiled the cup. Poland and Ucraine jointly organising the EURO Cup 2012. The tournament will start on 8 June and the final will play on 1 July. Baichung said, I'm very happy with the effort of Carlsberg. The most popular tournament of the world after World Cup is EURO Cup. Kolkata loves football. So it is obviously joy of the city to witness the EURO Cup. -- A. B.

Poet Joydeb Basu died on 23 February at the age of 50 in his Dum Dum residence of Kolkata. The poet was famous for his strong pen. The cultural circle of the city was shocked to hear the untimely demise of this popular poet. His first wide-acclaimed long poem 'Meghdoot' published on the periodical 'Pratikshan' in the year 1988 and then he created many poems which later published as collections named 'Bhobishyat' 'Jeerno Pata Jhorar Belai' etc. He wrote a novel named 'Uttar Purbo' also. Last year a long poem of him published on a Puja collection. The poet was born in Kolkata on 12 May, 1962. He spent his childhood at Darjeeling and educated from Shantiniketan. He had the knack to create literary works in Bangla since childhood and later admitted to Presidency College in Kolkata with Bangla as his favourite subject. After graduation, the poet went for higher studies at Jadavpur University. He continued his writings in little magazines. Later, he

Today is Sunday. The school is closed. So, the students are passing their time with the ice-cream vendor while the seniors are preparing the stage on the play-ground for a cultural function. -- A. B.

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Sujoy Ghosh's thriller 'Kahaani' slated for release on 9 March 2012 in Kolkata also. It is the story of a young and 7 month's pregnant Bengali woman named Vidya Bagchi, who comes from London to Kolkata in search of her husband. The story revolves with her continuous search in the city. The common people of Kolkata calling her Bidya instead of Vidya. And the mystery of her missing husband goes on with the unique lanes and by-lanes of Kolkata, with the festivities like Durga Puja and affection and indifference of the city-dwellers. So, the city Kolkata is playing a major role in the film. The song "Ami shotti bolchi" totally dedicated to Kolkata. Hence, Sujoy Ghosh, the director said in an interview: Kolkata is not only Howrah Bridge or Victoria memorial. It's the people which you meet in Kolkata which makes it special. We shot everywhere in Kolkata. I don't think we've left a single by-lane of Kolkata where we didn't shoot the fi

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Tannishtha Chatterjee, the Bengali actress of international fame, now playing the role of Masha of famous Anna Karenina - director Joe Wright's magnum opus and now busy with the shooting of this film in Russia under unfavourable weather. She is giving her best to make her role look as authentic as possible. Tannishtha had to shoot at -40 degrees in Petrozavodsk, a small town 500 kms north of St. Petersburg. She recalled her experience as "surreal". "Everything turns into ice within seconds. People in this village don't drink water because it turns into ice. The sun rises at around 10am and sets by 4pm. In some of the shots I was just able to expose my lips and nose somehow. It seems like a miracle that we could shoot in that condition. I had no imagination of how it would be like." Petrozavodsk is a place in Khizi Island on lake Onega. The lake, one of the biggest in the world is completely frozen at this time of the year and the temperature r

The nascent cake buffet in the city of joy introduces the idea of more dessert options that comprises some of the best cakes in the city. The French Loaf offers desserts with a whole range of flavours and textures. After established in Bengaluru and Chennai, they are now in Kolkata for the dessert lovers. Cakes on the buffet menu include Black Forest, croquembouche, gateau, St. Honore mille feuille, gooey brownies, blueberry gateaux, German chocolate cake, carrot cake, chocolate fudge, opera, strawberry fantasy. The French Loaf will host the buffet once a month and wants to break the dull dessert style. There are eggless cakes for vegetarians and sugar-free cakes for diabetics also. What is the best? My choice, genuine Black Forest cake which one can find in Austria. The ingredients such as frozen fruits, raspberry, cranberry and cream cheese used in the cakes, are imported. And the chocolates? Direct from Belgium. So, The French Loaf not in a state to compromise with the

Today is the 177 birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. On this occasion, a huge rally was organised yesterday from Dakshineswar temple to Belur Math, where people from all the corners of society participated alongwith the residents of Math. The rally started at 8am from Dakshineswar temple and crossed the river Ganga by Vivekananda Setu (Bally Bridge). The rally reached Belur Math at 10am where a function was organised to address the rally with praise of Sri Ramakrishna. The rally was a very colourful one. Thousands of pilgrims joined it. Tribal artists of Purulia demonstrated dances with Ran-pa, sehnai etc. Hundreds of women walked with Kalas on head. In front of the rally, there were decorated elephants and horses alongwith tableaus on matador and lorries. The admirers and pilgrims shouted in praise of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada and Swami Vivekananda all along the road. -- A. B.

This is the last book by Sister Nivedita, published only 75 copies in the year 1913 by George G. Harrap & Company of London. At that time, photolithography was just started, yet, the excellence of print of the paintings are amazing. Based on the stories of Indian Puranas, eminent painters of that time like Nandalal Basu, K Venkatappa, Khshitindra Nath Majumdar, Asit Kumar Haldar and Surendranath Kar contributed their paintings under the supervision of Abanindra Nath Tagore. Sister Nivedita, the disciple of Swami Vivekananda was interested in Indian philosophy, Vedas and Puranas which were reflected on her writings. She wrote three priceless books on Hindu Mother concept and society - 'The Web Of Indian Life', 'Kali The Mother' and 'Kali Worship'. Her last book 'Myths Of The Hindus And Buddhists' remained incomplete due to her untimely death. Later, renowned historian and philosopher Ananda K. Coomarswamy gave the book a full form and wro

Pilgrims gathered yesterday at Bhu-kailash temple of Khiddirpur to worship Lord Shiva, due to Maha Shivaratri. -- A. B.