Outside the Sphere
Kolkata, the City of Joy, is known for its cultural significance. The 350-year old metropolis boasts of a rich heritage and several popular landmarks that exude a distinct charm. As the sun sets, painting an evening sky with a hundred shades of red and orange, the cruise sails through the Hooghly river.
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.
Chandpur is best for spending your weekend in serenity by the sea. It is a secluded getaway near Kolkata for those who want a serene beach destination far away from the hullabaloo of the cities and the popular beaches nearby.
I was travelling to Ranchi from Kolkata. I saw traditional Bengali masks were being displayed at the departure terminal of the Kolkata airport. It’s a nice way to promote the ancient craft of mask-making in Bengal. Throughout the world, masks are used for their expressive power as a feature of masked performance — both ritually and in various theatre traditions.
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.
Dooars are the alluvial floodplains in northeastern India that lie south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas and north of the Brahmaputra River basin stretching from the Teesta River in West Bengal to the Dhanshiri River in Assam. Dooars is famous for tea, tourism, timber, elephants and rhinoceros.
Although far apart, Mutanabbi Street and College Street have striking similarities — some crowd bookstalls on the street; others watch poets reciting to their friends as they sip tea in a coffeehouse.
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.
