The history of Bengal goes long back archaeologically, wherein tools from the Stone Age era dating back to almost 20,000 years have been found from various excavated sites. In historical texts, we find that the epic Mahabharata talks of this area as divided into different kingdoms: Magadha, Banga, Pundra, Anga, and Suhma. Each part was…
Tag: IncredibleIndia
In the Land of Pilgrimage ~ Haridwar
Escaping the cycle of life and death In India, the tradition of pilgrimage is deeply rooted within the realms of its religious consciousness. Owing to large number of pilgrim spots spread all across this sub continent, the entire region can be labelled as one vast sacred space. There are early mentions of pilgrim spots or…
Gone Fishing ~ A Bengali’s undying love for fish, and the history of Bengali food
Khai khai koro keno, esho bosho ahare, Khaobo ajob khaoa, bhoj koi jahare. ~ Sukumar Roy A seven course menu? No sir. Ours is a 9, 10, or even better, an 11 course service! A Bengali meal is a fine balance of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. A complete lunch menu would ideally start with…
Calcutta- The Colonial City
Calcutta, once the city of palaces, so beloved of the British, has various interesting theories regarding its name and origin. The name Kolikata first appeared in the 15th century writings of the Bengali poet, Bipradas Pipilai, and later in the 16th century, on the payroll list maintained by Akbar’s court. Some contend that it is this name…
The History of Bengali Sarees
Modernity and urbanisation has led to the decline of traditional form of clothing, however the saree continues to remain an eternal favourite. While means of production, style of draping, and designs, may have changed markedly over times, one factor remains unchanged: the love for sarees among Indian women. From a fragment of cotton found on a…
Himalayan temples in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh
Growing up in Darjeeling and Kolkata, and being a regular visitor to the neighbouring state of Sikkim, as a child I invariably associated the Himalayas with gaily painted Buddhist monasteries or gompas, fluttering colourful flags that kept away evil spirits, and maroon robed monks. It was much later when I travelled to Uttarakhand and Himachal…
Finding Shravasti (Savatthi)
In my growing up years I had often heard recitations of the poem Bonolota Sen, written by Jibonananda Das in 1942. In this poem the poet beautifully describes his muse, painting her with various attributes from ancient India. One of the most enigmatic poems that I have read, the words cut deep into the reader’s…
Moni Gāthā 