What is common between Exide, Philips, Dunlop, Sulekha, and Ruby? If you are from Kolkata, you must have come across these words as part of bus stops like Exide Crossing, Philips Moore, Dunlop Bridge, Sulekha (the ink maker), and Ruby (hospital) crossing. Some streets and especially crossings became more popular among bus routes by the…
“Bond… James Bond” The first time I heard this dialog I was very young and back then I was under the impression that the place where I used to stay had something to do with it since the name of the street was “Bondel Road”. This locality was surrounded by other streets like Iron Side…
We all know that Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) has traveled extensively across India covering most of the important Buddhist sites in this country. It was his recorded narrative that we get to see the past of India’s Buddhism and its influence on our society. Hiuen Tsang visited Nalanda between 637 and 642 CE and spent almost…
If someone is truly interested in knowing more about the colonial past of Calcutta then one must take a trip around the Dalhousie Square (B.B.D. Bag). I have been writing about several buildings around this locality for over a decade and my fascination never fails to keep exploring more and more. While exploring this locality…
The General Post Office (GPO) Kolkata is celebrating its 250th anniversary commemorating the installation and appointment of the post of the first Postmaster General by Warren Hastings on 31st March of 1774. I had the privilege to be a part of this festivities and was invited to lead a Heritage Walk along with two of my friends. During my initial…
Nalanda Mahavihara and Rajgir have been on my radar since 2019, especially after covering the city of Bodh Gaya it was the obvious next destination. I and my friend had planned the itinerary and were about to go on this trip in 2020 but things changed as you all know and the pandemic struck. The…
