Tumbling bridges and troubled waters
A little over a fortnight ago, a bridge collapsed in Kolkata. It was a bridge that connected my home in the southern…
Cityscapes
Durga Puja: separating plebeians from the elites
‘Old Kolkata Pujo’! What’s that anyway? With more and more tour operators pressing into action during the Puja days in Kolkata, peculiar…
When the Sahibs and Memsahibs joined the Durga Puja festivities
The Baboos believed that the presence of European guests would elevate their social standing.
Four cafés in Kolkata where the marginalised are finding their feet
What can you find at cafés beyond good coffee, sandwiches, quiches, and cupcakes? In Kolkata, you’ll find some cafés that not only…
When the Goddess arrived in colonial Calcutta
Why the Deb family of Sovabazar began worshipping the mother goddess in 1757.
The Bengali of Bengaluru
A few days back, we were on one of the busiest roads of Koramangala, a once leafy residential part of Bangalore, but…