Culture

Remembering and honoring Vidyasagar Haimanti Banerjee   The 19th century was a very important one among so many before that because it gifted the world with innumerable great personalities from Bharat, particularly from Bengal. To take a few names: Bharat Pathik, a great social reformer; Raja Ram Mohan Roy, a giant spiritual leader; Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and his disciple Vivekananda; Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, a genius and a pioneering scientist; Jagadish Chandra Basu, Kobiguru Rabindranath Thakur, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, CV Raman, Srinivasa Ramanujam and so many others in and outside of Bengal who will be remembered as stalwarts in ...

The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the annual overseas Indians’ gathering — “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” — will be held from Jan. 7-9 in Bengaluru.”The Pravasi Divas had traditionally been held on Jan. 9 every year to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi as ‘Pravasi’ from South Africa to India.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Jan. 8 in the presence of Prime Minister of Portugal Dr. Antonio Costa, the chief guest at the convention. Minister Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to address youth PBD delegates on Jan. 7 and President Pranab Mukherjee is to ...

This Thanks Giving Day As North America and many other parts of the world celebrate the Thanks Giving Day (though on different dates), we are simply reminded to be grateful for what we have. Virtually all our possessions are gifts from others. It begins with our own parents who gave birth to us, sacrificed their comfort, and offered everything they could to let us become who we are today. The teachers, who gave us both material and spiritual knowledge, set the foundation of our lives and they are directly adjacent to our parents’ contributions. So, paying respect by doing something ...

Us and Them For months I debated, dissuaded and deliberated on the US elections. Watched in awe, how this country went through the same rhetoric that marred the political scenario in India. Here in the Silicon Valley, we cater to a certain mindset of political correctness – much so, as we come from varied countries and cultures. We try to even it out by appreciating all that is new and unfamiliar – making them a part of our new life in a new land. Most of us, who live in the Valley, studied very hard all our lives, competed with ...

Boston and Bharat In the late 1700s and early 1800s, ships from Boston and nearby Salem used to sail up and down the Atlantic, mostly with Ice blocks. These were preserved using saw-dusts and missionaries went to preach to the ‘heathens’ of Bharat, that is India. In those hay days of British colonialism, many exotic items including tea, spices, and artifacts filled the ships in the return journey. The city of Boston and the surroundings in the state of Massachusetts have much historical imprints both for the Americans and the Indians. First of all, the American Revolution took birth here. The Boston ...

I was inside a mall today, when suddenly a fragrance from one of the stores struck me. No, it is not a famous brand of perfume! It was the smell of new clothes, which momentarily transported me back in time, to a store in my hometown in Bengal, where I grew up. The same smell, the same feeling – sitting on a chair next to my father – it seems like yesterday! It was only few days away from the pujo. While purchasing cloth, some worrisome thoughts came to mind – will the tailors take the order for our pants ...

Nigeria, an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, is known for its natural landmarks. One of its most recognizable sites is Zuma Rock, a 725m-tall monolith outside the capital of Abuja that’s pictured on the national currency. Abuja, the country’s capital and the most developed city in Nigeria. Safari destinations such as Cross River National Park and Yankari National Park showcase waterfalls, dense rainforest, savanna and rare primate habitats. Indians came to Nigeria long ago on various missions. India established a diplomatic mission in Nigeria in 1958, even before Nigeria became independent in 1960. The former capital Lagos has ...

By Ravi Daga Indians preserve their culture and traditions no matter which part of the world they move to. Indians moved to different parts of world and have always mixed well with the different cultures. They maintain their culture, food, traditions & rituals in foreign lands and they also mix up very well with the locals. Indians are known for the skills they possess and their hard work – all over the world. They contribute hugely to many big economics of the world. Italy is no exception, there are many Indians living and working here. In search of a better ...

Somanjana Chatterjee reports about a unique NRB initiative in the United States that helps socio-culturally inclined Bengalis to bond on the worldwide web A few vibrant young men and women once got together to indulge in a progressive initiative. They blended technology with cultural consciousness, and thus emerged one of the very first platforms for Bengali interaction on the worldwide web. It was called soc.culture.bengali. All the core members of this group were born in India, but were living in different parts of the United States like Massachusetts, Ohio, California and New Jersey. Their academic backgrounds were in engineering and sciences. ...

Cultural exuberance is wafting across West Bengal eliciting fervent tourism. Ratnadeep Banerji shares some vignettes of this rhapsody that enticed 11 nations in the days of yore. Bengal is imbued with art and culture. The Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee herself is a poet, painter and writer proving herself an embodiment of the state. The state is ideal for tourism from both its cultural legacy as well as geographical bounty. The government initiatives on the tourism front live up to the Chief Minister’s apperception. A robust infrastructure for tourism is on the cards. In the current fiscal year, Bengal has earmarked ...