durga puja 2009 (pdf, 5mb)

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Welcome

SAIKAT 2009 Executive Profile ...................................................................................... 5

Editorial ..................................................................................................................... 7

From the Presidents Desk ............................................................................................ 9

Vice Presidents Column ............................................................................................. 10

A Message from the Treasurer ..................................................................................... 12

SAIKAT 2009 Durga Puja Event Schedule ..................................................................... 14

Editors Picks

Durga PujaThe Akal Bodhan (Untimely Manifestation): article by Devalina Sen ............... 17

edbIbdna: pNb kmar imS-r rcna ...................................................................................... 18

The Immortals: book excerpt by Amit Chaudhuri (invited) ............................................... 21

oskt sit: rmapsad d-r rcna..................................................................................... 24

pbasI baalIr bsemln: sumna cbIr rcna .................................................................... 25

kibtar sar

maeyr VgmnI: iHmanI ecODurIr kibta .................................................................................. 27

pUejar AnuBUit: Ainidta esn-r rcna ............................................................................ 27

SardIya: bdna cbIr kibta ........................................................................................... 28

is paHaR: bdna cbIr kibta ...................................................................................... 28

VmN: jymalY ibSaesr kibta ................................................................................... 28

Literary Contributions

Neither Here Nor There!: article by Roshni Mitra Chintalapati .......................................... 30

A City for Ms. Biswas: article by Lopamudra Das (Biswas) .............................................. 31

Calcutta Calling: article by Chandreyee Mukhopadhyay .................................................. 32

Bengali Culture and Second Generation Bengalis: article by Auroni Gupta......................... 34

Take a break!

SCk: Sima VcaZY .......................................................................................................... 37

What is the Last Figure?: teaser by Hari Khatuya ........................................................... 37

Young Artists

Maa Durga: sketch by Tisha Chowdhury ....................................................................... 38

Maa Durga: sketch by Oishi Bhattacharya ..................................................................... 38

Maa Durga: sketch by Anushree Chaudhuri ................................................................... 38

Maa Durga: sketch by Darshan Jeganathan .................................................................. 38

Maa Durga: sketch by Debleena Sengupta .................................................................... 39

Maa Durga: sketch by Srijita Ghosh ............................................................................. 39

Forest: sketch by Sumana Mahata ............................................................................... 42

Peace: sketch by Rini Khatuya .................................................................................... 42

Village Temple: sketch by Shibangi Pal ......................................................................... 42

Train: sketch by Omraan Marzuk Khan ......................................................................... 43

Car: sketch by Ritam Mishra ....................................................................................... 43

Flower and Bee: sketch by Sattwik Chakraborty ............................................................ 43

My Family: sketch by Suvali Sengupta ......................................................................... 43

(Continued)

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Budding Authors

An Infinite Number of Infinites?: article by Robi Bhattacharjee ........................................ 45

My Dad and the Peepal Tree: story by Charulata Sinha .................................................. 46

My Yosemite Trip: travel diary by Shilpita Biswas .......................................................... 50

Roth Yatra: article by Vasundhara Sengupta ................................................................. 51

Books and Reading (The Magic and Mysteries): article by Sampreeti Chowdhuri ................ 52

My First RV Trip: travel diary by Sauhaarda Chowdhuri .................................................. 53

An Artistic Way of Life: article by Ahana Chakraborty ..................................................... 55

The City of Magic: poem by Ritobrita Mishra ................................................................. 55

Maa Durga: poem by Ankush Banerjee ........................................................................ 56

Kids Jokes: compilation by Anjuman Raha ................................................................... 57

Maa Durga: poem by Ayush Banerjee .......................................................................... 57

ma w eCel: sjn cbIr bala rcna ........................................................................... 58

Literary Contributions

Triage: short story by Madhumita Datta (invited) .......................................................... 60

Image: poem by Surya K. De ..................................................................................... 63

Know Your Nature through Your Date of Birth: article by Col. Saumya Datta ..................... 64

Bengali Women in Saris: poem by Hari Khatuya ............................................................ 66

Rakshabandhan for Education: article by Saugata Hazra (invited) ................................... 68

A Different Perspective: travelogue by Kaushik Chakraborty ........................................... 70

Conclusion

SAIKAT 2009 Events Summary ................................................................................... 73

Financial Support ...................................................................................................... 76

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 78

SAIKAT 2009 Member Directory .................................................................................. 80

The writing and artwork herein were produced by and for Saikat members and their dependents

and do not represent the opinion or position of any person other than the creator.

COPYRIGHT 2009 by Saikat

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information

storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher ([email protected])

Printed in the United States of America

Cover art: Sharmistha Acharya

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With Best Compliments from APEX MUSIC (Since 1952)

Apex is a family-owned, full line music store that has been serving the

greater San Diego Area for more than 52 years. Customer Service is what

we do! Whatever your musical & audio needs may be from rentals, pur-

chases, repairs, trade-in or even if you just have some questions you want

answered, Apex is the place to be.

We provide service for all event (concerts, weddings, birthdays, etc.) re-

lated musical equipment and lighting arrangements

Please contact:

Steven H. Olsher President

Apex Music Co.

6210 El Cajon Blvd. San Diego, CA 92115 Phone: (619) 583-1431

Toll Free: 1-866-APEX4ME (1-866-273-9463) Fax: (619) 583-3906

Email: [email protected] Visit: www.apex4me.com

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Best Wishes from the Executive Committee of Saikat

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2009 Executive Profile2009 Executive Profile2009 Executive Profile

Saikat website: http://www.saikat.org Join Saikat mailing list: http://www.saikat.org/join Saikat group email: [email protected]

Send your feedback to: [email protected]

Online color copy of this brochure:

http://www.saikat.org/documents/Saikat_2009_DurgaPuja.pdf

Executive Committee

President Gautam Bandyopadhyay [email protected]

Vice President Saswata Talukdar [email protected]

General Secretary Nandan Das [email protected]

Treasurer Rajib Sengupta [email protected]

Cultural Secretary Dipanjan Sengupta [email protected]

Food Coordinator Rudranil Deb Roy [email protected]

Technological Consultant Kaushik Chakraborty [email protected]

Members at large

Devalina Sen [email protected]

Shantanu Sinha [email protected]

Sudipa Bhattacharya [email protected]

Partha Chowdhury [email protected]

Gargi Chattopadhyaya [email protected]

Tie-Breaker (Ex-President) Easeeta Ray Chaudhuri [email protected]

Board of Advisors

Sushil Mahata [email protected] Joy Maitra [email protected]

Amiya Chatterjee [email protected] Kalyani Datta [email protected]

http://www.saikat.orghttp://www.saikat.org/joinmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.saikat.org/documents/Saikat_2009_DurgaPuja.pdfmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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EditorialEditorialEditorial

Dear Friends, On behalf of the Executive Committee of Saikat, I wel-come you to our 2009 Durga Puja celebrations. We have traveled many a mile in search of our respective livelihoods, and most of the time we are content with our prabasi lifestyle. However, this time of the year the heart invariably yearns for the homeland, where a magical transformation takes place in anticipation of Maa Durgas annual visit to her paternal abode. We may be far away from motherland, but we try to do the best we can within our limitations. Therefore, we hold this Sarbojanin Durgotsav where we arrange for pujo, anjali, bhog, sindur khela, and cultural programs. On the literary scene, how many of us can truthfully say that we dont love the Sharadiya magazines? Thanks to the internet, we can buy them online quite easily. In fact, you can buy a copy of your favorite magazines at the Muktadhara stall in our premises today! However, the pleasure of seeing your own con-tribution, in print in one such Pujo Shankhya, cannot be understated. This annual magazine by Saikat of-fers us our own chance to appear in the limelight, a distinctive stage to showcase our literary and artistic talent. Oh, and what wonderful talent does this community possess! Browse these pages to see creative artwork from young artists; devotional pieces celebrating the glory of Devi Durga; captivating short stories from chil-dren and adults; happy reminiscences of the good old days from nostalgic expatriates; insightful non-fictional compositions from community members, their parents and children; and lyrical poems from talented poets. It is impossible for me to acknowledge each and every contribution in this limited space. However, I want to thank our young contributors and parents of commu-nity members for their enthusiastic participation. A

special word of thanks goes to the guest contribu-tors, who have kindly responded to our solicitation for their articles. Our magazine has been graced by the following guest articles:

An excerpt from famous author and musician Amit Chaudhuris latest novel The Immortals, pub-lished by Knopf. This excerpt appears in page 21.

A short story titled Triage by promising young writer Madhumita Datta. This story appears in page 60.

A brief overview of Rakshabandhan for Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promo-tion of economically handicapped but academi-cally excellent students of West Bengal, by found-ing member Saugata Hazra. This article appears in page 68.

In case you have not noticed yet, our magazine has considerably increased in volume this year. This has been made possible by your enthusiastic participation as well as generous patronage of numerous busi-nesses and individual donors from near and far. We earnestly request you to patronize the services of local businesses whose advertisements appear here to the best of your abilities. A little effort from all of us goes a long way in sustaining a robust, symbiotic community. It is my great pleasure to bring this magazine to you. It has been quite a challenge to sort through the contri-butions, format the contents to fit within the limited space, and carefully proofread the text for errors and omissions. Despite best efforts, there are bound to be mistakes, and I hope that the reader will forgive the oversights. Last but not the least, I thank my wife Sharmistha Acharya for her invaluable help in design-ing, formatting and compiling this document. Best regards, Kaushik Chakraborty.

http://www.amitchaudhuri.com/http://www.amitchaudhuri.com/http://madhumitadattablogs.sulekha.com/http://www.rakshabandhanforeducation.org/

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With Best Compliments

from

Gautam & Nidhi Sathia

Amsterdam

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From the Presidents DeskFrom the Presidents DeskFrom the Presidents Desk

Friends, This fall, a section of Bengalis heard the eternal call in their heart, like they do every year. A call to shake away our lethargy and pettiness, breathe in the fall fragrance in the air, and tune our mind to a joyful cele-bration -- the home coming of the Holy Family of Maa Durga. This year Maa Durga is coming to visit us with her family amongst prevailing despair, agony, and uncer-tainty. Perhaps we need the blessings from this Holy Family more at this time, to assure us that this trying time will pass as the cycle of global events turns. Peo-ple and society always need tests of character to find out where they stand. To us, Devi Durga represents the embodiment of strength to fight and love to pro-tect. That is the symbol we fervently cherish this year. Saikat in San Diego represents a section of Bengalis that want to keep the spirit of community alive through celebrations like this. We invite all Bengalis to come and join together to celebrate, to rise above our earthly differences, man-made or natural, to ponder about the frailty and vulnerability of humanity, and reach out with an open heart. We can protect and ad-vance ourselves better with solidarity, humanity, knowledge, and care. What could be a better symbol of that than the Holy Family coming to us this fall? With that spirit in mind, Saikat is currently engaged in two charitable works that contribute to humanity in many ways. These also send a message to our next generation that, as an organization, Saikat is aware of its role in society and cares about people. Our kids someday will realize it and feel proud about it. As you know, a section of Bengal has been devas-tated by a cyclone, named Aila, in May 2009. Its rav-age left a paralyzing effect in the affected community from which they have not yet recovered. It takes a long time to recover from such a calamity as we learned from Katrina. The area desperately needs more help. Saikat wants to be a part of this recovery process and urges members of this community to do-nate to the Aila fund.

Saikat does not want to restrict its charitable work only to natural disasters or personal tragedies. Saikat wants to engage in some charitable work that will have a long lasting impact on an individual life. There-fore, we started a project named SHIELD (please see our website for details). In this project, we have spon-sored a 4 year old girl, Ananya Ghosh, in Bengal who comes from a very poor rural family that cannot en-sure her good health and a full education. With your help, Saikat would continue to support her well being until she graduates from school. This is a long term commitment. We urge our members to contribute to this noble commitment so that all costs are shared and the community as a whole can feel the pride of uplifting the life of a little girl in a remote Indian village. Please contact our booth for more information and donation. Our Executive Committee (EC) members are working enthusiastically to build a solid foundation for Saikat in terms of financial, charitable, cultural, and social mat-ters. At the same time, the EC wants Saikat members to feel comfortable in the homely environment of this Puja event where personal interactions and attentions are preserved and appreciated. We hope that mem-bers will enjoy all aspects of this event and can offer us constructive advice on issues where they feel we can improve. Thanks. Gautam Bandyopadhyay President, Saikat

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Vice Presidents ColumnVice Presidents ColumnVice Presidents Column

, .

Almost, but not quite. As Durga Puja approaches, we remember home in myriad subtle ways. Maybe the sight of the cumulus clouds, the whiff of an old fra-grance, the sound of an oldie on the radio. I find the immortal words of John Denver very relevant. The radio reminds me of my home far away, and driving down the road I get a feeling, that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday. Perhaps this cumulative and overwhelming sentiment of expatriates such as ourselves drive us to organize Pujas in our present home. SAIKAT is proud to present the 2009 Durgotsab. The current EC has inherited a very healthy SAIKAT, and we strive to set the bar higher. We have an excellent team, and I am happy to see the commitment and ef-fort of all members. Some of the notable accomplish-ments in the financial segment have been outlined by Rajib Sengupta, the Treasurer. As many of you know, since its inception, SAIKAT has been involved in phil-anthropic activity in terms of disaster fund relief on numerous occasions. SAIKAT has an impressive re-cord of fund raising for the super-cyclone victims of Orissa, floods in Bengal, 9/11, Katrina and such. SAIKATs continued growth has helped us enhance the philanthropic activity and provide consistent

means of outreach to the greater community. We are proud to have implemented project SHIELD, where we sponsor the education and well-being of children in impoverished areas of India. We are currently spon-soring Ananya Ghosh, a 4-year old girl, from Kolkata. For details, please visit the web at http://www.saikat.org. We propose a simple model for the continued support of this child. We request members and event attendees to donate one months worth of sponsorship ($22) to us or online via Paypal. I urge members of the community to donate for Ananya's cause to allow her access to basic living conditions, something that we are blessed to savor. Finally, nothing is possible without the unmitigated aid and benefaction of you; our members, event atten-dees and well-wishers. You give us the strength and means to take SAIKAT to newer heights and break new ground, building on our strong traditional and moral values. I seek your continued patronage, guid-ance and support. We can never replace home, the pandal hopping, the crisp new clothes, adda at Maddox Square, the furtive glance, sampling culinary delights from roadside vendors, the list is endless. But we are content in our ability to host and enjoy the Pujas in our home away from home. Here is to many, many years of Durga Puja hosted by SAIKAT. Warm regards, Saswata Talukdar.

Best Wishes and

Puja Greetings

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SAIKAT wishes Ananya Ghosh

and all her friends at School a very happy

Durga Puja 2009

SAIKAT needs your support

for project SHIELD

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A Message from The TreasurerA Message from The TreasurerA Message from The Treasurer

Dear Friends: At the outset, on behalf of the current Executive Com-mittee let me take the opportunity to wish you and your families, a very happy Durga Puja 2009. Over the past few years, along with all of you, I have had the opportunity to see our community grow. We may have grown in number but, the original ethos of preserving the Ghoroa Poribesh continues to be Sai-kats key propellant. My family and I have been in San Diego, for about six years. Over these years, we have had the opportunity of witnessing, 36 different individuals /their families (with their diverse backgrounds and varied skill sets) along with the support from the community; drive Sai-kat to attain higher and enhanced goals. To me, it is an unprecedented parallel of fairness in any forum congratulations to all of us. We are all aware of the current economic conditions. In these tumultuous times, I know some of you may be wondering how Saikat is faring financially! I want to assure you that Saikats financials remain Vibrant and Sturdy. In order to avoid raising annual member as-sessments (under these individually trying times), your Executive Committee has adopted a two pronged strategy:

identify : new sources of revenue and,

consolidate/improve: pre-existing relationships both within the community and, with the outside business world while, adding an element of per-sonal touch.

We have met with distinct success on both fronts. I am very hopeful, that our approach would help me bal-ance the budget and, may help us close the year with a healthier reserve position. A treasurers report can never be complete without a flavor of some numbers. Here are a few significant developments over the past few months: 1. 2009 Annual membership: 94 members, a new

benchmark, Saikats sustained growth continues. 2. Introduction of the web based event payment op-

tion (PayPal) : allowed us to collect over $1100 (during Krishti) from our event guests, while eas-ing the process of registration.

3. Advertisement revenue : we anticipate a signifi-cant increase in our advertisement revenue this year.

I take this opportunity, to personally thank all Saikat members and, well-wishers for their continued support & guidance. Your unfettered support, has given the current Executive Committee the courage to take on this huge financial task, of organizing this years Durga Puja, in one of the most economically trying years. We look forward to your continued patronage, support and guidance in all our endeavors, in the years to come. Last but the not the least, at my end, I am honored to be entrusted with this key role of being Saikats Treas-urer. Please feel free to contact me ([email protected]) if you have any questions. Thank you, Rajib Sengupta

mailto:[email protected]

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Best Wishes to

From

Shibaji, Guddi & Armaan Sengupta

Toronto

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Durga Puja Event ScheduleDurga Puja Event ScheduleDurga Puja Event Schedule

Friday, October 2nd

, 2009

5:00-8:00pm: Bodhan, Maha-Shashthi and Maha-Saptami Puja

7:30-8:30pm: Dinner (vegetarian and non-vegetarian)

8:30-10:30pm: Musical program, featuring noted Kolkata-based artist Subhamita Banerjee and her team.

Saturday, October 3rd

, 2009

9:00am-12:00noon: Maha-Ashtami Puja and Sandhi Puja

11:00am-12:00noon: Childrens Sit-and-Draw competition

11:00am-12:00noon: Devi-Vandana by local artists

12:00noon-1:00pm: Pushpanjali

1:00-2:00pm: Lunch (vegetarian)

2:00-6:00pm: Maha-Navami Puja, Hom, Dashami Puja, Shantijal

6:00-6:15pm: Sindoor daan and Sindoor khela

6:30-7:30pm: Cultural medley featuring Kolkatas versatile artist Satinath Mukhopadhyay

7:30-8:30pm: Dinner (vegetarian and non-vegetarian)

8:30-10:30pm: Rock to the tunes of Bangla band Krosswindz

This Devi-Vandana is a devotional offering to Mother Durga through Stotra Narration, original writing and songs by Saikat's members. This is a Saikat Creation that will deeply focus into the formation and evolution of Devi Durga while artistically blending Sri Sri Chandi, with songs and prayers of different forms. The script and many of the songs and their compositions came from Saikats pool of talented people. The program reflects into the di-verse coalesce of Ragas and blends them with Ramprosadi, Bhajan and Kirton styles of Bengali music and San-skrit Hymns. This indeed conveys once again the nature and style of Saikat Creations and easily helps to posi-tion Saikat on the diverse platform of cultural tradition of Bengali Durga Puja while defining a unique and won-derfully pleasing experience of sight and sound. We hope Mother Durga will be pleased at our rendition and bless us all. Please try to attend.

Saturday, Oct 3rd, 11:00am-12:00pm: Devi-Vandana by Local Artists

Text, lyrics and compilation: Pranab Kumar Mishra Music composition: Samaresh Mohanta, Aparna Mohanta, Siddhartha Ray Chaudhuri and

Amarnath Gupta Vocal rendition: Samaresh Mohanta, Aparna Mohanta, Siddhartha Ray Chaudhuri,

Amarnath Gupta, Chandana Sengupta, Radha Sen, Ananda (Simon Syed), Aloke Raj Banerjee and Sumana Mahata

Recitation: Aloke Raj Banerjee, Amarnath Gupta and Pranab Kumar Mishra Background music & composition: Purnendu Chakraborty Tabla & rhythm: Prasunpani Bhattacharya Music direction: Samaresh Mohanta and others Direction: Pranab Kumar Mishra

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Krosswindz is renowned for the musical dexterity and virtuoso skill of legendary guitar player Vikramjit Banerjee

(tuki) and the unique and mellifluous vocals and gayaki of Chandrani. Two of the most famous Bangla songs of

Krosswindz are "Prithibita Naki Choto Hote Hote" from the album Abar Bocchor Kuri Porey and "Jhiko Jhiko"

from the album Jhiko Jhiko Krosswindz.

For more information, visit http://www.krosswindz.com

Satinaths program is an absorbing session of spoken words, based on Bengali literature that comprises poetry, story and play interspersed at times with song, where music seems inevitable, making revelation of the text more meaningful. The items are chosen from literary works of legendary laureates and exceptional works of con-temporary authors. For more information, visit http://www.satinath.com

Krosswindz is primarily a classic rock/folk-fusion band, focusing on world mu-

sic with soulful, lyric-oriented songs. They have performed professional con-

certs all over the world for the last seventeen years. Krosswindz is the music

of Bengal and India with a blend of folk music traditions from around the

world. The result is a potpourri of sounds deeply rooted in the soil that

touches the heart and speaks the common language of humankind.

Satinath Mukhopadhyay is a very familiar and renowned face in West Bengal, India, who is always at the helm of cultural affairs. His deep resonant voice is familiar to most of us who grew up watching the Doordarshan news channel. Satinath is an outstanding versatile ac-tor, excels in recitation, is an exceptionally superlative anchor, and a compere of repute in musical and literary stage programs. He is the most acclaimed voice of Bengal, and the most sought after artist of All India Radio (drama).

Some of Subhamitas well-known audio albums are Abishkar (2001), Phire Dakha (2003), and Icche Pari (2004).

Many of her songs were composed by the famous composer and performer Nachiketa. Subhamita has per-

formed in numerous Tele-Serials and feature films, and has been invited to perform for audiences all over the

world.

For more information, visit http://www.subhamita.com

Subhamita Banerjee, a relatively new name in the field of Music, has gained immense

popularity for her Natun Bangla Gaan. Some of her songs have been rated among the top

ten popular New Bengali Songs of the City. Subhamita received National Scholarship from

Government of India in 1992. She stood first in the HMV Golden Talent Contest in 1993.

She became First Champion in "SA THEKE SA" - a musical based program in E-TV

Bangla.

Friday, Oct 2nd, 8:30-10:30pm: Musical performance by Subhamita

Saturday, Oct 3rd, 6:30pm-7:30pm: Cultural medley by Satinath Mukhopadhyay

Saturday, Oct 3rd, 8:30pm-10:30pm: Rocking performance by Krosswindz

http://www.krosswindz.comhttp://www.satinath.comhttp://www.krosswindz.com/http://www.satinath.com/http://www.subhamita.comhttp://www.subhamita.com/

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With Best Compliments

from

Amol Umranikar

Zurich

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Durga PujaDurga PujaThe Akal Bodhan The Akal Bodhan

(Untimely Manifestation)(Untimely Manifestation)

Devalina SenDevalina Sen

This coming weekend we will celebrate Durga Puja. This is her Akal Bodhan, her Untimely Manifesta-tion. Her real puja is the Basanti Puja. However, faced with possible defeat in his battle to reclaim his beauti-ful wife Sita, in an eons later epic battle of the Rama-yana, Prince Rama invokes the primal Shakti in the form of Durga-the warrior Goddess to help him . Durga, Durgatiharini (The Destroyer of Evil) had been created to vanquish the almost invincible Mahisha, a king of the dark world. Mahisha spent years praying for the boon of immortality, but eventually settled for a lesser boon that would allow him to die only at the hand of a woman. Satisfied that it was an im-possible event, Mahisha being an extraordinary warrior, began to tyr-annize all the three worlds. Thus, there was the creation of Durga or Devi, in the form of a woman. The metaphor for Durga's manifestation as a woman is that all are born of a mother, without whom life is not possible. Thus, the giver of Life is the the strongest force known. However Mahisha in his arrogance paid no attention to this, and scoffed at this beautiful woman who came riding on a roaring lion to fight him. He did not notice that she was symbolically gifted with every weapon known, including the ones symbolizing peace and mercythe necessary qualities of the greatest warri-ors. Over eight terrifying days the Demon fought the Mother, shattering the three worlds, and was slain on the eighth (Mahashtami the Great Eighth). Mahisha died at Her feet, but not before asking for Her forgive-ness as an errant son would ask of his mother. Of course like every mother, Durga tenderly forgave Her son. Traditionally, this event was commemorated in Ma

Durga's puja held in the spring time, and called Bas-anti Puja. But then how did we start celebrating Durga Puja in Autumn (Shorot kaal)? Well, The Mother came to us in the season in her Akaal BodhonUntimely Manifestation because of another great story of triumph of Good over Evil. In the time of Sri Rama, the heroic Prince and King elect of Ayodhya, the rich and powerful King Ravana of Lanka Dwip succumbed to lust and abducted Sita,

Rama's exquisitely beautiful wife Sita. Rama, Sita and Rama's younger brother Lakhsmana were then by circum-stances premeditated, serving an exile in the forest. Ram was honoring a debt of honor that he had to pay to his dying father and his stepmother Kaikeyi. Consider how it must have been. The brothers are hopelessly outdone in terms of armies and weapons against such an invin-cible foe; all they have is the power and courage of the Right Path. Rama invokes the power of Durga, to fight the mighty King Ravana, who has abducted Sita. His brother Lakshmana is mortally wounded and his allies are monkeys, and vultures. Rama is desperate. His puja must be com-pleted before dawn, when he will attack. It is the eighth day of prayer, just like the

eighth day of battle between Durga and Mahisha. His Sandhi Puja needs one hundred and eight blue lotuses, the rarest and the best, but he has only one hundred and seven lotuses. So he determines to sacrifice one of his eyes, as the hundred and eighth. Durga is touched. She blesses him. He goes on to victory. So we celebrate Rama's puja today and pray to Ma Durga as She ap-peared to Rama in an untimely and desperate situa-tion. After all, we feel we need the Mother's interven-tion at all those times when we are desperate. Wishing all readers of this account that they be blessed by their mothers, who are the representatives of the Divine Mother, on this earth.

(O Devi, All pervasive, Who appears in the form of Mother, we bow worshipfully, we bow worshipfully, we bow worshipfully)

ZZaa ddbbII ssbbBBUUeettxxuu mmaattrreeppNN ssiittaa||

nnmmEE,, nnmmEE,, nnmmEE,, nneemmaa nnmmHHWW^

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edbIbdnaedbIbdnaedbIbdna

pNb kmar imSpNb kmar imS

Vj puNY SardpBaet H dbI duga sm

ibSjgt tamar Velay Velaikt Vndpaben

met efeC sm Bubn| H iNaitMka jYaitmyI

dbI H sbsba I Vj Vmra sba

tamar duyaer esiC tamar jYait Vmaedr

sbar Aer jeg fuk tamar bgaen ibSiniKl

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icnMyI tuim jgjnnI, mnMyI tuim ma

mnMyI tuim ma, mnMyI tuim ma|

miHxmidnI tuim iSbdUtI nam

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mnMyI tuim ma, mnMyI tuim ma|

mHaibdYa DUmabtI tamaer pNam

sbBUet sita tamaer pNam

sbpapHra tuim VdYa iSbanI

kOmarI saib dbI mata BbanI

isHbaiHnI tuim ma mHakalI nam

dugajnnI tuim creN pNam|

H ibSbidnI jgnMata, igirHakder pTm Zidn

vixgN bdm carN keriCeln ba ibeSr

ArNYCayay pTm Zidn Zr Aig pilt

HeyiCl, sidn tamar VSIbaed ta sb

HeyiCl| H prmapkit pabtI, tuim ibeSr

kma cailkaSi, mHaibSpan jueR kbl

tamar mayar Kla tamar Ael H dbI

mrjgt BUim Hy H ibSaitHairNI dbI

Aaenr Akaer maHaC ssarget manux

tamar mayay VC Hey barbar jnMlaB ker

Vbar tamar dbaley nrnarI reK Zay taedr

sbeSx pNam| H jgidSrI jaega tuim jaega ma|

H dbI, ibScracerr ibpul itHaesr pmiNka-

gan tamaet r HeyiCl| H amrI, tamar

AmtDaray dbedbIra Daraan kern, iSb smaiHt

Hn, dpDarI Asur tar pirNamHIn jIbn Tek

icrmuilaB ker| H icr-VraDYa dbI tuim

Vmaedr pit psa Hw; Vmaedr pUja w b tuim

gHN kera :-

esC Hdey esC jnnI

leHa tuil breNr hala

gaiT Vena nbpuepr dl

Stcdn Birya

esC Hdey esC jnnI

Hdy Birya eniC Z Vj

mgaen Vij ikba kaj

nt Hey Vij pNim tamaer

maSkrI creN|

Vmar manbjIbn tamair Z vN

tamar psaed SaiBt

jIbnpdIp jel iniSidn

tamar paen Daibt

kpa kera Vij maBbanI

daw par kir trNI

esiC skel tamair duyaer

eniC Z baNI tamair

esC Hdey esC jnnI

H dbI, kKena tuim mHakalripNI kailka

Vbar ibpicibSIy Asuredr bD ker tuim HeyC

rcamua| Vbar tuim Anabikael jlSUNYa

piTbIet nIlbNa StaQI SakrI| Vbar s tuim

H dbI dugm naem mHasurek bD ker kKena ba HeyC

dugaedbI|

H jgairNI, kenapinxedr vix ZeQr rep s

tamaek ma ba oHmbtI rep dbI dugar pTm

rpbNna kern| barbar nbnb rep bQMae

tamar VibBab H dbI tamaek Vmra pNam

kir|

H bQMaNI aen, pem, kem, sOdeZY, saeH,

saPelY manuexr duWsH tpsYar meDY tamar

prmaSi, tamar VSIbad, tamar jYait

ibkIN Hy :-

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maega tamar pdIp jel

lQekaFI taray Cawya tamar dbaley

maega tamar pdIp jel

tamar w ViSsbaNI Saen Hajar kaFI paNI

AHiniS KujeC tara tamar eHr Dara

tamar dbaley, maega tamar pdIp jel

sueK duWeK mayay Gra b paeN kadeC tara

sarajIbn gaeC tara gan

sepeC Vj tamar paey, tamair dbaley

mueC Pel skl klux, Kaej tamar rp

tamar dbaley, maega tamar pdIp jel^

H bibdYaripNI kKena tuim Sa, kKena ba

lQMI Vbar mDarep tuim bagedbI| dbI tuim

sbeSa s, reja w temaeNr AiDkairNI sw

tuim| ibSiBubenr Vidm sDarar tuim

kma s inytpbaHman jRjgetr tuim

kma pirNamI iit| tuim GFman jIb w

jRjgetr kma mUlesat Vbar tamar

kareN cracerr Vela ineB igey cairidk Gn

Akaer zek Zet paer| nrjgetr jIbenr

pidt VkaS tuim s jIbenr rp sw tuim

Vbar s jIbenr crm w prm pirNam w mui sw

tuim dbI tamaek Vmra pNam kir|

Hrex brex mldIep esa Vij seb gaiHb gan

gaiHb skel tamar s nam dugajnnI kir pNam

jIbenr maeJ ml Vena

Sr buek dubar Haena

skel Vijek eseC creN jnnI krH ViSs dan|

dbedbI seb gay gaTa gan

ggen ggen tair VHan

kluxnaiSnI AmtripNI prmaSi krega dan

DYaenr me jYaitsIet esa Vij seb gaiHb gan

gaiHb skel tamar s nam dugajnnI kir pNam^

H prmapkit, tuim AinbcnIya, idbYa H

sbbYaipNI, paeNedr meDY tuim iHrNMyI paN,

miHxasurek bD ker tuim gek rQa keriCel,

mDs muinr VSem mHaraj surT tamar VraDna

keriCeln Vbar AkalebaDnkael SIramc tar

nIlpdMcQ tamaek sg keriCeln| H dbI,

tuim mHarairipNI mHaina Zagina dbI

pUbkp Absankael mDUEkFBek bD krar jnY ba

bme tamaek VHan keriCeln| H AitIya

Vmaedr skelr pUja tuim gHN kera|

rep w Arep pUejiC tamaer Pel cden pUejiC ma

AGY w eb pUejiC tamaer Hdey ekiC murit ma

jIben mreN reyC daRaey jIbndaI AiDaI

Bbparabaer tuim kaarI Vim ma ZaI tuim ma DaI

pUejiC tamaer lakacar men DYaen w me pUejiC ma

SKDinet pUejiC tamay ibpul Hrex pUejiC ma

pUejiC tamaer tIeT tIeT brddaI AiDaI

kKena deKiC manuexr maeJ sKaen pNam keriC ma

jIbenr Sex reyC daRaey baer baer hak eniC ma

rep w Arep pUejiC tamaer Pel cden pUejiC ma^

H mHamaya, kKena tuim pbl VGaet Vmaedr

Amainar inrsn kera, Vbar kKena ba

ibSjgek VSa w VkaKar DUmektur meDY

ineQp kera| H octnYripNI, tamar mayay

VC Hey kKn Hjgt duWeK Hy piran, Vbar

tuim taek SI, sOdZY w Seyabuir iSKer

pitit kera| tamar VndPreN ibSjg

ctnay enMaiTt Hy| ibiBtar meDY tuim kma

kY dbI obiceYr meDY tuim kma smny|

tamar CCayay iBubn duWeK, ibxaed,

ibeaeH, ibpeb, pkaeS, ApkaeS eaiDt w

jagt Hy| H jYaitmyI tamaek Vmra pNam

kir^

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Best Wishes to

From

Nirjhar & Shrabonti Goswami Dubai

212121

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The ImmortalsThe Immortals

Amit Chaudhuri Amit Chaudhuri

Book Excerpt

The notes of Bhimpalasi emerged from a corner of the

room. Panditji was singing again, impatient, as if he were

taking his mind off something else. But he grew quite im-

mersed: the piece was exquisite and difficult. Hed com-

posed it himself seven years ago.

From not far away came the sound of traffic; the round-

about, bewildering in its congestion. Bullocks and cars

ground around it. The bulls looked mired in their element;

the buses and dusty long-distance taxis were waiting to

move. The car horns created an anxious music, discordant

but not indifferent.

The Panditji wasnt there: hed

died two years ago, after his

third cardiac seizure. They had

rushed him to Jaslok Hospital;

on the way, in the car, hed

had his second heart attack. He

had died in Jaslok, to the utter

disbelief of his relatives: they

hadnt thought that hed been

admitted to a hospital to die.

Now, his presence, or his ab-

sence, persisted in the small

seven hundred square feet

house. The singing had come

from the tape recorder, from

the tape the grandson had played accidentally, thinking it

was a cassette of film songs.

Yeh to dadaji ke gaane hai, remarked the boy, recognising

his grandfathers singing; was he surprised or disappointed?

Next to him hung a portrait of his dadaji, enlarged from a

photograph taken when he was fifty seven. The face was an

austere one, bespectacled, the oiled hair combed back. It

was the face of by common consensus in the family a

great man. The large forehead had been smeared with a

tilak, as if someone had confused the portrait with a real

person.

*

Already, the Panditji was becoming a sort of myth. It was-

nt as if a large number of people knew him; but those who

did divulged their knowledge with satisfaction. How well

he sang Malkauns, for instance; how even Bade Ghulam Ali

hesitated to sing Malkauns at a conference in Calcutta after

Panditji had the previous day. How Panditji was a man of

stark simplicity, despite his weakness for the occasional peg

of whisky in the evening.

But it was certain that Panditji was proud, a man of prickly

sensitivity. He had been a man silently aware of the proto-

col between student and teacher, organiser and performer,

musician and musician. If slighted or rebuffed, he sealed off

that part of the world that rebuffed him.

This severity had probably cost him. There was a story of

how Lata Mangeshkar wanted a guru to train her in the finer

points of classical music, and of how she had thought of

Synopsis

(from http://www.barnesandnoble.com)

The award-winning author of A New World now gives us an

incantatory novelat once plaintive and comicabout the

powerful undercurrent of cultural and familial tradition in a

society enthralled with the future.

Bombay in the 1980s: Shyam Lal is a highly regarded voice

teacher, trained by his father in the classical idiom but hap-

pily engaged in teaching the more popular songs to well-to-

do women, whose modern way of life he covets. Sixteen-

year-old Nirmalya Sengupta is the romantically rebellious

scion of an affluent family who wants only to study Indian

classical music. With a little push from Nirmalyas mother

(Shyams prize pupil), Shyam agrees to accept Nirmalya as

his student, entering into a relationship that will have unex-

pected and lasting consequences in both their lives. As the

novel unfolds, we see how their two families come to chal-

lenge and change each other, and how student and teacher

slowly mesh their differing visions of the world, and what

place music holds in it.

With exquisite sensuous detail, with quiet humor, generos-

ity, and unsentimental poignancy, The Immortals gives us a

luminous portrait of the spiritual and emotional force of a

revered Indian tradition, of two fundamentally different but

intricately intertwined families, and of a society choosing

between the old and the new.

Editors Note: We are delighted to present in our Puja

Brochure a book excerpt from eminent author Amit Chaud-

huris latest novel, The Immortals, which was published by

Picador and Knopf this year.

http://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.amitchaudhuri.comhttp://www.amitchaudhuri.com

222222

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him, Ram Lal, having heard his abilities as a teacher praised highly. You must call her, Panditji, said a well-wisher.

She is waiting for your call. Panditji did not call. She

should call me, he said. If she wants to learn from me, she

will call me. The call did not come. In the meantime, Amir

Khan telephoned her and said that he was at her disposal.

Word spread quickly; Lata turned to the distinguished us-

tad; and Amir Khan became known as the man who had

taught Lata Mangeshkar the subtler intricacies of classical

music.

*

And yet, for all that, his reputation as a teacher had re-

mained intact when he died; like something small and per-

fect, it had neither been subtracted from nor added to. Peo-

ple outside the family remembered him less and less; if

asked, Where did you learn that beautiful bandish? they

might say in a tone of remembrance, Oh I had learnt that

from Pandit Ram Lal, for people used to drift in and out of

Panditjis life, and some became students for brief spells of

time.

Shyamjis life was to be different. This was a simple deter-

mination, but it was not a conscious plan. Consciously, Pan-

ditjis life was the ideal life; when Shyamji mentioned it, it

was as if he were speaking of a saint, and not of his father.

That was all very well; but it was a life that could not be

repeated.

*

Tonight was a night of upaas and jagran, an absurdity en-

forced ritually by the women. Shyamji succumbed meekly

to being a witness. The abstention from food by the women,

the singing of bhajans till dawn: these were necessary ob-

servances. Done repeatedly, they were meant to lead to bet-

terment. Instead, they led to acidity, and a grogginess and

lack of focus that lasted two days. But they were undertaken

in light-hearted camaraderie.

The children and the men were fed. Then night came; and

they began to sing the bhajans. The children had fallen

asleep without any prompting, as usual, in the midst of the

chatter, their eyes closed in the bright light of the tube-light.

The low, droning singing began; not tuneless, because this

was a family of musicians, but strangely soothing. Half-

asleep, Shyamji watched his wife and his sister and, with

them, an older daughter, Neha: they were about to lull him

to sleep. Nisha, his youngest daughter, had desperately

wanted to stay awake, and join the chorus; but she had

fallen asleep at a quarter to eleven. His mother sat in a cor-

ner, in a plain white sari, with an absent look, yet entirely

alert. Shyamji had a dream into which was woven the sound

of the chorus; in which his father was also present, both as a

living person and as a portrait, hanging in a reddish light.

This dream, about the vicissitudes of Shyamjis life, contin-

ued for a long time, taking one shape, then another. When

he woke briefly, it was dawn; the women had vanished:

they must have gone to bed, probably after having taken a

glass of milk to break the fast. The room was silent, except

for the noises coming in from outside.

*

Late one evening the door must have been left ajar early

evenings the doors were anyway wide open, to let in a con-

tinual trickle of visitors; people coming in and going out

but late one evening when the door was ajar, the rat must

have got in. No one had noticed. But it was Neha who saw

it later that night, as she was stepping out of the bathroom.

It had jumped out, and scooted behind the pots in the

kitchen once again. Expectedly, Neha almost fainted. It was

really a bandicoot; cats were scared of them. They ran down

the gutters and, at night, scurried down the narrow passage

that connected the houses of the colony. They had the ag-

gressiveness and urgency of touts.

The children danced, half in fear and in excitement at an

undefined peril. Shyamjis wife, never known to be particu-

larly violent, had managed to chase it out with a jhadu; it

darted through the kitchen window. Shyamji, not moving

from the divan, was a picture of patience, and kept saying,

as he did during most crises, Arrey bhai, pareshan mat

hona, dont get agitated.

* * *

Author Biography:

Amit Chaudhuri is a novelist ('one of his generation's best

writers': the Guardian), a critic, and a musician. Educated

at the Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay, and

University College London, he was a doctoral student at

Balliol College, Oxford, and later Creative Arts Fellow at

Wolfson College, Oxford, and Leverhulme Fellow at Cam-

bridge. He has written four novels, which, between them,

have won the Commonwealth Writers Prize, the Betty

Trask Prize, the Encore Prize, the Los Angeles Times Prize

for Fiction, and the Indian government's Sahitya Akademi

award, among other honours. He was one of the Observer's

Twenty One Writers for the Millennium. He has also pub-

lished a book of stories, a collection of poetry, and two

critical works: The Poetry of the Present: D H Lawrence

and 'Difference' ('truly groundbreaking,' Terry Eagleton in

the London Review of Books) and Clearing a Space ('an

extraordinary collection,' Charles Taylor). He has edited

the influential Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature,

and, now, Memory's Gold: Writings from Calcutta. He is

Professor of Contemporary Literature at the University of

East Anglia. He is a vocalist in the Hindustani classical

tradition, and first brought to the public, in 2005, his ac-

claimed project in crossover music, This Is Not Fusion.

The CD is available from Times Music.

232323

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taedr paeNaCl peca "oskt'-k Aenk

dUr igey iney Zaeb| ntun ntun Babnay pu

Heb| sklek Saeradsebr Aigm eBCa

jainey Sx krlam|

jytu oskt sit^

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Vemirkay petYk bCr kan na kan

jaygay bsemln Anuit Hy| bar

HeyiCl 29 tm bsemln san Haes,

kYailePainyay| Zara iFr kmkta tara

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pbasI bapbasI bapbasI baalIr bsemln alIr bsemln alIr bsemln

sumna cbIsumna cbI

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esiC pSa sagr paer sYan iheyega SHer| mu kereC pbasI bagalIr ic-

inay Veyaijt matbdna| mn keReC bg-sitr Dark, baHk, rQk

"oskt'-r pSSnIy bYbapna, Virk saRa-jagaena VpYayen| sklek

jana Vmar Aenk Aenk Baelabasa, klYaNmyI maeyr pdZugel jana sS

pNam| iHmanI cODurI

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sada meGr Bla|

pUeja maen Vmar kaeC

Baerr iSilr g,

kaSPelr mla|

pUeja maen paRar Celedr

Dunuic iney nac,

zaekr mDur S,

baraday bes bes lak dKa|

pUeja maen Celemeyedr

ntun jama per fakur dKet Zawya,

Baela md Kawya,

pUeja maen car-pac idenr lagam CaRa Vnd|

VndmyIr Vgmn,

baalIr paeNr VraDna,

Hdeyr ka Vebdn^

eseC Srkal, ViSn mas

iSil Pelr subaes Bra

VkaS batas|

krNamyI maega, tuim braBydaiynI

sb Vned meteC Bubn

in tb VgmnI Din|

pirbaer, isHbaHen

susit Aprp saej

esC maedr maeJ

VSIbad daen tb AebaD saen|

nana beNr nb pirDaen

paN-cl CaFra skel

meteC Vnd kalaHel

zaekr bajna saeT naec tael tael|

ibS jnnI maega lH ga pNam

AB Si krH ibnaS

mFaw ibeBd - daw pman

k manbDem mara sba sman^

maeyr VgmnImaeyr VgmnImaeyr VgmnI

iHmanI ecODurIiHmanI ecODurI

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is paHaRis paHaRis paHaR

bdna cbIbdna cbI

sdY at SYamla mey -

nael tuim kan GaeF?

is bsn VkeR VeCa

tamar zl zl AgiFet|

Bja Vcl Buem lueF,

DUsr keS jl JireC -

nael tuim kan GaeF?

bnPelr mala Kain -

JeReC ik jelr taeR?

iSiTl Hl mGla Kain,

ml duKain giRey per -

nael tuim kan GaeF?

keN tamar Jmka duiF,

kd Pelr nakCaibiF,

tiR sm cmkaeta Z -

Hairey idel naet igey|

nael tuim kan GaeF?

pja tuela, eR bRay -

nIl VkaeSr buek|

kaS Pelet, Ber VeC

sbuj maefr idek|

iSil Pel, Vina Bra -

sajay Zn SZYa|

lpedM gaCiF rae

Zn nbbDUr la|

Daenr iSex, dala laeg -

naec Vpn tael|

pUeja pueja ge Zn

VkaS batas maet|

Sr ela, Sr ela -

ela SardIya|

men paeN naec dK

sb bagalIr iHya|

SardIyaSardIyaSardIya

bdna cbIbdna cbI

VDar kra mGil sb

dOeR Ves,

kla VkaS la pey

tarazaka GamFa Faen|

gaCil sb GaR duiley

iJilk mara laesY Haes,

Vim tKn das men

menr kTa ilKet bis|

ipyar mueK kFu Hais

VS imiFey Vket bis|

Vy na r tu, diKey Za na

duYit Bra repr CFa,

Vsib n tu, idib n tar

kFuKain faeFr Caya?

VkaS Bra mGil sb

VeC tar ptIQaet,

CayaBra gaCil sb

matal kra Vkl haek|

Vy ipya mar

iney Za mar sb AKuiS,

biBra setj ibekl

Zak Cuey mn AHiniS|

VmNVmNVmN

jymalY ibSasjymalY ibSas

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Best Wishes to

From

The Sen Family (Dinendra, Devalina

& Devendra)

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Neither Here Nor There!Neither Here Nor There!

Roshni Mitra ChintalapatiRoshni Mitra Chintalapati

Sometime back, I was talking to my dad (who is in India) over the phone and grumbling about "the NRIs". I could hear my dad sniggering and asked him what was up. Choking back his laughter, he said, "you do realize that you are one of them now, don't you?!" This came as a shock to me to realize that, yes, technically, I am a Non Resident Indian! But, I never thought of myself that way up to that point of time!

NRIs are the ones who came to India in saris which reach only till their ankles and in kur-tas matched with Ree-bok sneakers! NRIs are the ones who obsess about the texture of toilet paper!! NRIs are the ones who complain

loudly about the dust and pollution in India. NRIs always complain about the long queues and the over-whelming numbers of people on the road! In short, NRIs are worse than 'real' Americans because they display the crassness, insensitivity and self-inflated egos that Indians normally associate with Americans but are actually people who, till a few years ago, were happily playing in the dust of the Indian soil! Then how could I be an NRI?! When I go to India, would I actually do all these things which I, till now, have always condemned? Would I complain? Would I get out my Lysol container and wipe the seats of taxis before I sat down in them? Would I prominently display my bottle of Bisleri water and tell anyone who would listen how I almost died of food poisoning on my second day in India? Or, would I loudly whisper to my son not to touch any of the street kids because they were dirty?! It is interesting to wonder how I would react every time I go back and see my country through new eyes! Because, to be honest, my perceptions have changed. I do expect things which are done differ-ently here as compared to back home. I do expect

courtesy from people driving on the streets. I do ex-pect to feel safe even while carrying my wallet with all its credit cards in a public bus. What are basic

amenities here, such as a safe, well-equipped playground, a wheel-chair ramp, a prominent warning sign next to a broken stair; are not so readily available in In-dia. Does that mean that I display my impa-

tience at the first sign of being inconvenienced? I have stayed in India for 30 years. I have stayed in San Diego for 4 years. How is it possible for people, similar to myself, to forget those 30 odd years? How is it possible for anyone to forget that they rode those crowded, ramshackle public buses in all that 'dust and pollution' to go to school and college every day for 20 odd years ? How is it possible to forget that every evening, they used to go to their neighbourhood phuchka-walla and devour 20-30 phuchkas in one go? How is it possible to forget that they used to go movie theatres and sit on those torn, shabby seats for 3 hours and that they enjoyed every minute of it? How is it possible to forget that they once gave their orange bar stick to the small beggar who was standing nearby and looking at them with round eyes? I pity people who forget the best years of their lives! It is also is possible that I feel all this sentimentality towards my home country every time I am away from it and that my warm fuzzy feeling will dissipate the moment I set foot in India! Every time I open an In-dian newspaper online, I feel the impatience and frustration of an NRI in reading about communal vio-lence, the apathy of people in general and the cal-lousness of public servants, like politicians and the police. Most of all I wonder when we will come out of the quagmire of class and caste distinctions, of in-dulging in petty thoughts and of our general disre-gard for public health, hygiene and safety. This is exemplified by an incident in my Kolkata neighbourhood. My mother, who is part of an NGO,

(Continued in p.31)

Editors note: Roshni writes a personal blog (http://www.notasciencegeek.blogspot.com) where this article originally appeared.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W5DBAWlfTxQ/SRnXeF7nyLI/AAAAAAAADhI/ae6wIQY2JFo/s1600-h/NRI6.JPGhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W5DBAWlfTxQ/SRnXPzhVsvI/AAAAAAAADhA/g7_nQqd9X4Y/s1600-h/NRI5.jpghttp://www.notasciencegeek.blogspot.com

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A City for Ms. BiswasA City for Ms. BiswasA City for Ms. Biswas

Lopamudra Das (Biswas)Lopamudra Das (Biswas)Lopamudra Das (Biswas)

I moved to Mumbai when I was 3 and would have been only too happy to never leave. However, life is not always about what we want, it is often about what people who tower above us want. So, lo and behold, I was 15 and back in the very city I had long, very will-ingly, forgotten. And Kolkata, being Kolkata, did very little to ingratiate itself in my eyes. It kept insisting on driving Ambassadors and mini buses. Rotund Ambas-sadors and unruly mini buses were so not my style. I talked in sleek little Fiats and preferred my buses really big, really well behaved, and really bright red. And what on earth was a girls school?? OMG!! It was an estrogen fest like I had never encountered before. I had been educated in a coed school and it was a paradigm shift to belong to an institution where the presence of one guy on campus was enough to set an entire generation of post pubescent girls sighing. I spoke lousy Bangla (amay ghore jete acche) and my classmates and relatives made fun of it relentlessly. I did not know enough Rabindra Sangeet or Bong litera-ture to impress the intellectuals, and wasnt street smart enough to charm the Bengali non intellectuals. It was a nightmare that Kolkata was only to happy to inflict on my impressionable soul. I knew no one, had no clue which tuitions to attend, where to go for the best JEE tutoring, and couldnt tell the difference be-tween Prof. RN of Phoolbagan, Prof DG of Lands-downe or Dr. DN of Beckbagan. For all intents and purposes, it appeared that I had missed the mini bus to knowing Kolkata. As months rolled by, I managed to con a few people into being friends with me. As bleak as the situation

appeared, there lurked some hope. As you know, with some effort languages can be learned, maps can be purchased, people can be befriended, romantic inter-ests can be kindled, and cities can be explored with some help from aforementioned friends and romantic interests. Thus, I gradually became a connoisseur of dahi puch-kas (not pani puris!) and masala coke at Vivekananda Park, hot kati rolls (ciao vada pav) at Park Street, pav bhajis at Maya Rams, and of movies at Globe, New Empire and Lighthouse. I could sleep walk my way around school fest hotspots like Gyan Manch, Nazrul Manch, Uttam Manch, Madhusudhan Manch, and of course, to heartthrob schools located at Park Street and Park Circus. I honed my Bengali speaking skills till I could sing along with Anjan Dutta like the best of them. Like any good student, I chose my college based on its proximity to places of entertainment like Nandan (the theatre, not the spouse), the Birla Plane-tarium, the Metro line, and to Esplanade (for even more fun). In 4 years, I had gone from being the mulgi from Mumbai to the meye from Kolkata. Somewhere down the line, I had stopped resisting the change and had somehow accepted Kolkata as my own. As crazy as Kolkata was, it eventually endeared itself to me. Kolkata itself does not change quickly, but rather it gains fans by making them want to change. Even today, I probably cannot tell you how to get from Juhu to Bandra, but I can definitely tell you how to get from Jadavpur to BBD Bag.

was trying to motivate people to place their garbage in the proper bins at 7 a.m. every day, which was just before the garbage truck made its round, so that gar-bage would not collect in the bins and sidewalk the whole day. Many of the people she spoke to said that it was not possible because their maid did not come that early. It never occurred to them that this was a task that they could perform themselves! Call me an 'NRI', but when I see people here normal middle-class people volunteering to go to the beaches the weekend after Labor day with garbage bags and pick up trash from the sands that they have not thrown themselves, then I feel that at least this is something

that we can learn from Americans! Ultimately, Americans are not perfect. When you lis-ten to all the ridiculous objections about healthcare reform and President Obama talking to their children at school, you wonder which century some of these people live in! But, on the other hand, being an In-dian does not make you morally and culturally supe-rior to them either, as many desis think of them-selves. I believe we can take a leaf from each other's books. I just wonder though whether that will ever happen!

(Continued from p.30)

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561535834/desi.html

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Calcutta CallingCalcutta CallingCalcutta Calling

Chandreyee Mukhopadhyay Chandreyee Mukhopadhyay Chandreyee Mukhopadhyay

Oh Calcutta! My heart still skips a beat when I hear that the city of joy the former capital of India the cultural hub of the country home of Rabindranath Tagore Bankimchandra and many more prolific writ-ers yes it is my own Calcutta, my home and not Kolkata as it is now known as One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of Calcutta is the Howrah Bridge the pride of Calcutta the gateway to Calcutta. As a child going out of station seemed appeal-ing because I got an opportunity to drive through the massive bridge I looked in awe every time as my fa-ther showed me the Ganges and tried to teach me which direction of the river leads to Allahabad my aunt's place People often say Calcutta appeals to those people who have lived there but the truth is that the city has touched every one who has ever been there in it's spe-cial ways. One thing that cannot be undermined is the spirit and hospitality of it's inhabitants. From the early morning activities at the Babu Ghat to the busy streets of Park Street to the narrow by lanes of North Calcutta to the crowded Kalighat temple to the street hawkers of Gariahat to the maddening crowds at Eden gardens the spirit of Calcutta is alive and well in it's people. Calcutta is a very cosmopolitan and modern city or-thodox in it's own way and modern on the other trying hard to embrace the new age. The best thing about Calcutta is it's cuisine a mixture of many cultures In Calcutta you can find the most amazing "Biriyani" and at the same time the most authentic Indianised Chinese food. As a child I remember going to Park Street for dinner and how can I even forget China Town the hakka noodles and gravy chilli chicken have rocked the hearts of Calcuttans for years now and

obviously I am no exception. The city celebrates Durga Puja and Christmas with equal enthusiasm such is the love of of other cul-

tures. The decked up Park Street on Christmas Eve and New Year is a sight worth seeing. I have been to many places but have never seen a Hindu dominated city celebrat-ing Christmas with such enthusiasm. The city takes another beautiful look during the Durga Puja festival. All year round every Bengali waits eagerly for the pu-jas to come so that they can surrender them-selves to a spiritual and

cultural extravaganza. The clear blue skies with small white clouds, pleasant winds and fields adorned with "Kash Phool" signal the advent of "Sarat Kaal" and with it comes Durga Puja. The environment casts a magic spell and every one gets carried away by the grandeur of the festival Calcutta is a modern city built on the ruins of the past though it's changing day by day yet it has man-aged to cling to it's roots. Calcutta today is as parochial as it is modern. It lives in the past as much as it lets it's past decay. India's first global city, it is littered with the remains of many worlds: the rickshaws brought in by the Chinese, the Mughlai food brought in by the Mughals, the hip hop and jazz culture brought in by the Americans and the everlasting impressions left behind by the British. Calcutta to me is my home. It reminds me of my child-hood days it reminds me of the days I walked around the city holding my mother's hand Calcutta to me is more than Victoria Memorial or Kalighat or Mohanba-gan or Flury's or even Saurav Ganguly. Though all these things together make what Calcutta is today...it will always be special to me in more than one way..to me it is what I call...... Home Sweet Home!!!

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Best wishes for Shubho Durga Puja

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Bengali Culture and Bengali Culture and

SecondSecond--Generation BengalisGeneration Bengalis

Auroni GuptaAuroni Gupta

For several years, I have attended various Bengali

anushtans, ranging from artistic programs featur-

ing plays, songs, and dances to purely religious pu-

jas. They have represented, for me, an incredible

setting to socialize and connect with other Bengali

teenagers, the vast majority of whom are not in my

circle of school friends. However, after a great deal

of thought, I have come to realize that the setting

itself hasnt played a role in any of our interactions;

as a younger kid I would run around with my

friends while the main performances were occur-

ring, and as I grew older, I would often be by my-

self in watching a select few performances while all

of my friends were occupied in other dalliances.

These Bengali cultural programs are often touted as

the bridge between the culture of an aging first gen-

eration and their Americanized sons and daughters,

but all I can conclusively say is that these are mere

venues for these sons and daughters to hang out.

The phenomenon of the cultural estrangement be-

tween generations of Bengali-Americans is a bit

more complex and quite varied. I have personally

observed Bengalis whose main friends are other

Bengalis or other Indians, and I have seen Bengalis

with an entirely non-Indian friend group. In both

cases, the friendships are built around common

American kid interests, ranging from American

bands to foods and standard grade-school gossip. In

spite of their parents strict cultural upbringing,

these kids stick to common American activities in

part because thats what everyone else is doing.

This is not to say that these kids arent completely

removed from Indian song, dance, food, and reli-

gious rituals: many of them dance, act, or publicly

perform in these anushtans and are quite skilled at

it. To remain puritanically Indian, or what many

children know as fob, or fresh off the boat, would

mean to severely limit the number of friendships

and be cast aside as fundamentally different from

the mainstream American kid.

Why, then, are these children seemingly uninter-

ested in Indian cultural activities? One reason seems

to be that their home life is dominated by the mun-

dane aspects of Indian home culture. Hence they

have purposefully constructed their social life to get

a breath of fresh air from. Often, the motivation is

simply straight-up rebellion by dissociation from

parents. A considerable group of nice Indian guys

and girls will undergo some phase where they pri-

oritize doing the antithesis of what their parents

would like to see, and not taking interest in Indian

culture is no exception. But this phenomenon is

more complex than children demonizing everything

that their parents stand for; some kids legitimately

want to strike a balance between their parents and

their own needs, and some other kids want to recon-

cile the two as best as possible. At best, this lack of

interest is a product of a complex relationship be-

tween the children, their parents desires for them to

be involved, and the limited value that their input

might have when considering the entirety of a single

cultural activity.

One should not get the impression that Bengali-

American kids wantonly want to dissociate them-

selves from their cultural upbringing. For a while, I

myself questioned the value of being even partially

Indian in this country, where I would run the risk of

limiting my social prospects by doing so. My par-

ents, at the same time, would frequently remind me

to stay close to my roots. I wanted to be just nor-

mal, devoid of any label like Indian and

American. Although I cannot say that all of my

fellow Bengalis undergo mini-existential crises like

that, all of them will acknowledge that some

uniquely Bengali quality always remains with a per-

son, whether they choose to label themselves as

such or not. The majority of other Bengali kids I

know want to keep one foot in each boat: they want

to study diligently to better their chances at higher

academic success, as their parents exhort them to,

but they also want to socialize and spend a substan-

353535

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tial amount of time with their friends. They do not

see their parents unequivocally as a source of an-

noyance and as a nuisance, and they partake in Ben-

gali cultural activities to actually obey them. The

real issue with non-participation is far-removed

from the question of how Americanized one Ben-

gali-American kid is over another; it is a question of

priority.

Take a standard high school Bengali kid growing up

in this country. He or she attends class, does extra-

curricular activities, maintains a friend circle, and

follows a life pattern very similar to many other

high school age kids, regardless of their stripe.

These kids are probably passionate about one or two

activities. However, with the college-bound kid

needing to budget their time even more carefully, an

appreciation for Bengali literature, art, and music, is

statistically very likely to be shafted in favor of a

more common passion or interest. And then, once

the children become of college age, they drift apart

from their parents and Bengali culture becomes a

distant thought in their minds. Very rarely have I

seen my Bengali friends talk avidly about the cul-

ture on their own; given the above circumstances, it

is understandable why they would need a catalyst to

become involved to the same degree that their par-

ents are.

Therefore, the limited participation and interest

shown of the teenagers and younger kids at these

anushtans is attributable to a host of reasons. More-

over, it is emblematic of a conflict that several sec-

ond-generation immigrant children face nationally.

With a great degree of variation, these children have

to muddle through this country to figure out just

how Indian they should or shouldnt be, and eventu-

ally, determine exactly what their relationship with

their home country should be like. This process is

trivial for some second-generation children, and

incredibly taxing and challenging for some others.

In any case, the manifestations of finding ones

identity in this country include some conflict with

the wishes of parents, and that has locally resulted

in the lack of interest observable at our anushtans.

Best Wishes to

osktoskt

From

Prasun & Mrinmoyee Pal London

363636

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Best Wishes

Seasons Greetings

383838

Table of Contents

Maa Durga

Anushree Chaudhuri

(2nd Grade)

Maa Durga

Oishi Bhattacharya

(61/2 Years)

Maa Durga

Tisha Chowdhury

(5 Years)

Maa Durga

Darshan Jeganathan

(4th Grade)

393939

Table of Contents

Maa Durga

Debleena Sengupta

(9th Grade)

Maa Durga

Srijita Ghosh

(61/2 Years)

404040

Table of Contents

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Forest

Sumana Mahata

(9th Grade)

Peace

Rini Khatuya

(6 Years)

Village Temple

Shibangi Pal

(10 Years)

434343

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Train

Omraan Marzuk Khan

(4 years)

Car

Ritam Mishra

(5 Years)

My Family

Suvali Sengupta

(5 Years)

Flower and Bee

Sattwik Chakraborty

(51/2 Years)

444444

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454545

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An Infinite Number of Infinites?An Infinite Number of Infinites?

Robi Bhattacharjee (10Robi Bhattacharjee (10thth

Grade)Grade)

Torrey Pines High SchoolTorrey Pines High School

When we all first learned the concept of the number,

we would wonder what the biggest number was. At

first it was 100, then 1000, 1 million, and then, we

learned that there was no biggest number. There was

simply the concept of infinity: that numbers went on

forever. However, are all infinites the same?

By an infinity I mean the number of elements in an

infinite set. A set is basically a collection of objects.

However, in math we generally refer to them as ele-

ments. A finite set is a set with a finite number of ele-

ments; so the set of all cells in my body is a finite set.

Although it has lots of elements, there are a finite

number of them. In contrast, an infinite set is a set

containing an infinite number of elements. An exam-

ple you must be very familiar with is the set of all

numbers. Since there are infinitely many numbers, the

set of numbers is an infinite set. So going back to

infinites, we can rephrase the question as do all infi-

nite sets have the same number of elements? It turns

out that the answer is no. The logic behind this is quite

advanced, so let us instead investigate a following

question, Which infinite sets do have the same num-

ber of elements?

Let us consider a famous example of two infinite sets

with the same cardinality (number of elements). Our

first set is the set of all natural numbers. A natural

number is any integer that is greater or equal to 1. So

the natural numbers are 1, 2, 3, Our second set is

the set of all even numbers, 2, 4, 6, 8, Which set

has more elements? Our first answer would be that

they must be equal, since they both go on forever. But

we are forgetting that some infinites are bigger than

other infinites. (A concrete example is that there are

more real numbers than natural numbers, however the

argument is a little complicated.) So now, let us recon-

sider. The logical answer seems to be that there are

more natural numbers, since the natural numbers have

all the even numbers plus a bit more. They also have

all the odd numbers 1, 3, 5 However, it turns out

that both sets are equal after all!

To prove this statement, lets first consider a new

manner of thinking. If we want to show that the cardi-

nalities of two sets are equal, how do we go about it?

One way is to figure out how many elements one set

has, how many the other has, and compare the two

numbers. However, this method woefully fails when

comparing infinite sets. So we need a new method.

Suppose we pair off elements in the two sets. Its kind

of like cancelling out terms. So we have reduced the

number of elements in both sets by 1. So if the two

sets were equal in the first place, they will still be

equal. This means that if we keep pairing off elements

and eventually reach 0 for both sets, they both have

the same number of elements. This technique is called

establishing a 1 to 1 correspondence, since ever ele-

ment corresponds to his counterpart in the other set.

So lets try and set up a 1 to 1 correspondence with

our given two sets.

When setting up a one to one correspondence, you

have to make sure that no two elements of one set cor-

respond to the same element in the other set. Keeping

this in mind, suppose we correspond any number

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