Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

When I've read first 'Pather Panchali' child edition in school in early 70s, I came to know that a film also made baaed on this book. 'Aam Antir Bhepu' (আম আঁটির ভেঁপু) was also a chapter of this book we had to study in school. I had a scope soon to watch the film 'Pather Panchali'. But, the original novel was yet to come to me. .    I've read the original 'Pather Panchali' book borrowing from library. We had a vast library in school and I used to love the story books of that library instead my books for studies. Every Saturday, after the leave, the teacher used to call the names and gave us a book to brought it to home to read on Sunday. By this way, I've read many popular story books written for children. .   Gradually, I became fan of author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, not only for his 'Pather Panchali', but 'Aparajito' and many other novels including his famous short story books. I could relate me with Apu -

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

Poet Shakti Chattopadhyay was died on this day, in the year 1995 in Kolkata at the age of 61. He was one of the powerful and popular poet of Bengal, contemporary of Sunil Gangopadhyay.            Shakti Chattopadhyay was a bohemian poet. He loved to travel hills, forests and villages of Bengal with friends, and sometimes, alone.            He was born on 25 November, 1933 at Jaynagar of South 24-Parganas.              He was very strong in Bengali language. His poems are literally gems of Bengali literature. The admirer of Bengali poems can never forget his immortal poems - "Abani, Bari Achcho?" (অবনী বাড়ি আছো) and "Jete Pari, Kintu Keno Jabo" (যেতে পারি, কিন্তু কেন যাবো)             In my college life, in late 70s, I had a scope to listen his poems by the poet himself, when he physically attended a literary function at Sisir Mancha, Kolkata. It was an unforgettable experience.             Here are some poems of Shakti Chattopadhyay I love to recite:

Oh Calcutta: Daab Chingri, Gandhoraj Bhetki. Aheli: Postor Bora, Bhapa Chhanar Utsav. Cupiz: Chingri Macher Khichuri, Bhetki Macher Dom. 6 Ballygunge Place: Kankra Sorshe, Chitol Macher Muithya. Prince: Taki Macher Bhorta, Bhapa Ilish. Sonar Gaon: Run Sonar Gaon, Pabdar Jhol. Tero Parbon: Ilish Harogouri, Chingri Kobiraji. Bohemian: Kolmi Shaak Mutton, Gandhoraj Sufle. Jadab Chandra Das: Chocolate Doi, Chandrapuli. K. C. Das: Rossogolla, Labangalatika. Mrityunjoy Ghosh: Rosomundi, Koraishutir Kochuri. Nabakrishna Guin: Chanar Jilipi, Daler Bonde. -- A. B.

Poila Boishakh, the first day of Bengali new year. Bengalees traditionally celebrate the day with pure Bengali foods. And today's Bengalee use to taste the most attractive foods of Bengali restaurants on this day. Aheli of Peerless Inn is one of those rare hotels where special thali of Bangla meals can be tasted in exchange of only Rs 1200, in an atmosphere of ancient Kolkata. Aheli Restaurant in Kolkata is well known for authentic Bengali cuisine. Besides Kewpie's Restaurant, which is also known for the local Bengali cuisine, Aheli Restaurant of kolkata stands as its stiff competitor. To the epicurean, Aheli restaurant in kolkata, West Bengal, comes as a blessing because the city house plenty other multicuisine restaurant and their own culture is getting subverted. Kolkata is the melting pot of culture. Nonetheless its own store of delicacies is quiet rich and nobody can deny that the Bengali cuisines are a must- have. The Location of Aheli Restaurant in

Detective Bomkesh Bokshi will again unravel the mystery, 'Chitrachor' this time. The investigation, I mean the story will say at the end, who would be the thief of picture. Abir Chatterjee is playing the role of Bomkesh and the others like Shashwata Chatterjee as Ajit, Ushashi as Satyabati . The director Anjan Dutta went this time to north Bengal with his team to shoot in jungle. The Bengali crime thriller movie is slated for release on 23 March 2012.-- A. B.

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

In the year 1899, on this day, the all-time modern poet lived in twentieth century - Jibanananda Das was born in Borishal in Bangladesh. Later he came to Calcutta for education. He was the student of Presidency College. After M.A. in English, he took the profession of professor and taught in various colleges. He always loved to write poems in Bengali. But never tried to imitate Rabindranath. His Bangla poems are the milestone of modern Bangla poetry. His poems are "Chitraroopmoy" (images through words) as Rabindranath said. Alongwith Bengal, his collection of poems also published in Bangladesh. Loneliness, sadness, helplessness of modern age, deep love for the soil and nature, feelings of history, geography - all the modern aspects of human tenderness are inside his poems, similar to the contents and forms of contemporary poets W B Yeats and Erich Maria Rilke. -- A. B.

The cultural and commercial capital of East India is Kolkata; it is also the capital town of West Bengal. Bengalis are very festive in their nature as there are 13 occasions in the 12 months as they say: it called in Bengali language that "BARO MASE… Click here to read the full story --

On this day, in the year 1801 printing of the last page of first Bengali New Testament "Susamachar" written by William Carey was completed at Serampore Mission Press.-- A. B.