Old Calcutta

Our Locality from our Balcony

This picture has been taken by me on September 2008 to give it an effect of the year 1908, when this area almost looked the same. Hardly anything has changed in these 10 decades.

Why was Sourav out of the team?

Sourav Ganguly, our very own DADA of Indian Cricket Team, was out of the Indian Team for quite some time. But he made a Grand comeback to the team and on the last test against Pakistan at Bangalore he was the only player to score 239 and 91 in two consecutive innings. He also completed a Maiden Test Century at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Thus he quenched the Man of the Series Award, in the Tri-Test-Series (Man of the Match and four wickets) against Pakistan. He also crossed the 1000 run mark for the Year 2007. The next Test at MCG, is going to be the 100th Test of his career. Is this isn’t a grand comeback then what is it?

The topic of this post “Why Sourav was out of the team?” is more of a light topic without any intention to hurt the sentiments of any player and their fans.

Sourav made Dravid the wicket keeper, when Sourav was the southpaw and Dravid had to do the daunting task behind the wickets without loss of concentration even for a single moment, during the game. So Dravid made a vow to the Wicket God that “Mujhe Captain bana dijiye, isko (pointing at Sourav) to main sabse pehle team se bahar karunga kyuki mujhe har waqt ball ko dekhna padhta hain, jab meri teammates ball kam, gallery pe baithe hue ladkiyon ko zaada dekhta hain”.

The Wicket God, pleased with Dravid (who by then forgot that there was an entity called girls in this universe) listened to his prayers. Thus Sourav was made to perform miserably during the game, by magical powers of Wicket God and soon he was out of the team by two angels of Wicket God in the form of Kiran More and Greg Chappell. Thus Dravid let out a sigh of relief but that too was short lived when Sourav made a Grand comeback to the Team, by his 3Ds Theory. (discipline, dedication and determination) This shows that even today there is no shortcut to success and no alternative of hard work, which always pays.

All the BEST to our DADA for his future ventures, be it inside or outside the hundred yards. We, your FANS are always with you.

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Separated at Birth - Episode 00002

See now which of the two people appears to be separated at birth: -

The little boy called Darsheel Safary of Taare Zameen Par (latest film produced and directed by Aamir Khan) fame and the latest deceased newsmaker of the newspapers of Kolkata and at large India resemble each other a lot. If you dont believe, then compare the pictures below: -

Darssheel Safary ( Ishaan Awasthi) with Aamir Khan

Rizwanur Rahman

Disclaimer: - This post is not to hurt anyones feelings.

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Light Rail Transit (LRT) System

Do you know what a Light Rail Transit is? A Light Rail Transit is an overhead Tram Car. We know that OUR Kolkata is very famous for the tram car. But trams are generally very heavy and consumes a lot of space on the road. They are even very slow. A LRT is a light weight tram car, that moves quite faster and consumes no space on the road, they being overhead. They move on special elevated tracks placed on a flyover like structure from the source to the destination.

Kolkata is planning a Light Rail Transit System from Salt Lake (Karunamoyee) to Howrah Maidan. The idea is really good and praiseworthy. No doubt about it. Initially the Project was planned from Rajarhat (New Town) to Ramrajatala on the west of Kolkata that is Howrah. Later the Project had been shelved due to lack of funds. (I am not going to the political aspect of it). Even, the Project was thought to be an underground one like the Metro Railway that Kolkata has from Dum Dum to Tollygunge. But somehow it did not happen.
Now I would like to point out the route LRT would take to go from Salt Lake (Karunamoyee) to Howrah Maidan. Starting from Karunamoyee, it would take the road that starts from Karunamoyee to Netaji Park just adjacent to the FE block. Next it would take the road adjacent to HB and GD block that leads to the SaltLake Stadium beside Hyatt Regency Hotel. Next it would cross the Eastern Metropolitan Byepass and move towards Kadapara through the road near Swabhumi and 89 Cinemas. It would extend to Phoolbagan and then Rajabazar and take left towards Moulali though Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road. It would take B.B. Ganguly Street and straight go to Lalbazar and through the BBD Bagh, take Strand Road, and over the River Hugli(a tributary of the Great GANGA or THE GANGES), it would straight land up in Howrah Maidan near Howrah Station.Thus it would go parallel to Howrah Bridge(another pride of OUR Kolkata). That is it.

I am really excited about the project. If this Project is complete, millions of people would avail it, to go to their office and come back home everyday. Though, some buses, taxis and other public transports will suffer, still such a Project needs to be there in a Central Business District like proper Kolkata where millions of people come and go everyday. Even these people will be able to travel in comfort of Air Conditioner.

By looking at this grand project I would like our Respected State West Bengal Government to think of a such a LRT Project from Barasaat (in the northern fringes of the city) to either Sonarpur (on the south-eastern part of the city along the Eastern Metropolitan Byepass ) or till Joka (in the south-western part of the city through Byepass, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Alipore, Taratolla, till the road that leads to Joka through Behala. If posssible, we should go for both the Projects. It would definitely be a GRAND PROJECT but it would earn Revenue for the Governemnt in Billions of Rupees. I hope my CRY for a grand project for the future of OUR CITY KOLKATA would be HEARD.

Sanat Kumar Chattoraj is no more with us.

"GOD'S FINGER TOUCHED HIM AND HE SLEPT"

My grandfather, Sri Sanat Kumar Chattoraj is no more with us. He left the world on 2.30 am on Sunday the 10th of September, 2006. He was almost 90 years old. He left back 2 sons, 5 daughters and his wife Smt. Nirupama Chattoraj. The elder son is my daddy. So I am his elder grandson.

He breathed his last at B. R. Singh Hospital, Sealdah, Kolkata at Intensive Care Unit, where he was under ventilation, 7 days before his demise. He also had a catheter fitted to his body and he was made to eat through Ryles tube for the past 1 month.

Before being shifted to B. R. Singh Hospital, he was undergoing treatment in a private nursing home for the last 20 days at Calcutta Heart Clinic& Hospital at Salt lake City, Kolkata near tank no 12.

In fact, he was not well for the last one year mainly due to ageing and he had a cerebral attack one year ago. After that, he lost the power of recognition. He used to talk to himself the whole day and whole night. He lost his short term memory but still had his long term memeory intact. Thus he used to go on speaking, what was in his mind, from the past.

3 months ago, one day suddenly his health deteriorated and he was admitted to the nursing home. There he was treated, but his health never got better. It became worse day by day. He was shifted to home 1 month later but again after some days he was taken to the nursing home.

In one word he suffered a lot in the last 2 years. At last he got rid from all the sufferings.

SOMETHING ABOUT MY GRANDFATHER (DADU)

Sri Sanat Kumar Chattoraj was born in an orthodox Brahmin family in a small village near Asansol in Samdi Colliery area in Burdwan district of West Bengal, in the year 1916 on 29th day of Bengali month "Baishakh".

His fathers name was Sri Kumudeshwar Chattoraj. Dadu also has an elder brother who is still living in Burnpur town with is wife. His name is Purna Chandra Chattoraj. He has no son of his own but he adopted a son called Nitish.

Dadu had BA Degree in Bengali and a dual MA in Bengali and Sanskrit. His name is found in the list of Pandits in the holy book of Hindus called "Panjika" or "Paanji" in Bengali. He was a learned man and a great philosopher.

He lost his father at the age of 3 and his elder brother was 7 at that time. His mother brought him up and dadu by his own carried out his studies at school. He did his schooling from Ethora High School, Ethora, a place 25 miles away from Samdi. Later he passed the School Final Examinations and did his Graduation from Burdwan University and his Post Graduation from Calcutta University.

His mother was very strict lady. Due to her strictness, dadu covered such a long way in his life. Later he joined as the Sanskrit Teacher in Deshbandhu Vidyalaya Boys School, Chittaranjan and after some years of tough life he was promoted to the post of the Principal in the same school.

He has a long list of successful students. Many are, Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Managers, Teachers, and so on. This is something to be felt proud of.

He had a tough life in bringing up his 2 sons and 5 daughters. I personally Salute such a noble man. I really feel proud to call such noble man my Grandfather.

He used to tell me "WE ARE BORN TO LEAD OTHERS AND NOT TO BE LEAD". In the last few years before his demise, he used to recite few lines of a poetry of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore.

It said in Bengali: -
"Udayer Pathe Suni Kaar Bani,
Bhoy Nai Ore Bhoy Nai,
Nish-shey-shey Pran,
Je Koribe Daan,
Khoy Nai Taar Khoy Nai".

"MAY GOD REST HIS SOUL IN PEACE UP THERE IN HEAVEN"

"DADU, WE ALL WILL MISS YOU, FOREVER".