Tag: West Bengal

History/India/Travel

Chandraketugarh: A Lost Civilisation

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 17 Comments

What connects Bengal and the Indus Valley Civilisation? A 2,500-year-old archaeological site, suffering from neglect might have the answer. A thriving settlement between the 4th century BCE and 12th century CE, Chandraketugarh is often thought to be the kingdom of Gangaridai as referred to by ancient Greek and Roman writers. Apart from its historical significance, Chandraketugarh is of great cultural importance, associated with Bengali poet and astrologer Khana, the daughter-in-law of Varahamihira, the famed astronomer and mathematician who was part of Chandragupta Vikramaditya’s court.

Culture/India

UNESCO Heritage Status for Durga Puja

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 16 Comments

Kolkata’s Durga Puja is India’s official nomination for the 2020 edition of the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Durga Puja is not only a religious festival, it is the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengal. Though predominantly originated in the Hindu ritual and legends, the Durga Puja celebration cross cuts the communal divide in many of its attributes. It is an epitome of harmony across caste, class, creed and religion.

Bhutan/Food/India/Travel

Jaldapara & Phuentsholing

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 13 Comments

In the morning, we decided to go to Phuentsholing from Lataguri with our stay at Jaldapara. We had nice breakfast in Lataguri and then drove to Jaldapara. The best part of this trip was that we didn’t have any prior plan and reservations. We just decided and moved ahead. The drive to Jaldapara from Lataguri was very smooth and nice through forests, tea gardens with huge mountain range bordering the horizon.

Event/India

Kolkata Book Fair

Judhajit Roychoudhury 3 Comments

International Kolkata Book Fair is a late winter fair in Kolkata. It is a unique book fair in the sense of not being a trade fair – the book fair is primarily for the general public rather than whole-sale distributors. It celebrates international literature and reflects India’s much-loved reading tradition. The Kolkata Book Fair, recognised by International Publishers Association, Geneva, is also the largest Book Fair of the world in terms of visitors.