Mangalorean Chicken Curry
Ingredients Spice Blend Method 1. For the spice blend, dry-roast spices and dried chillies in a frypan over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic and slightly darkened. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the roasted spice mixture to a fine powder.2. Add coconut to the pan and dry-roast over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes or until golden. Transfer roasted coconut to … Continue reading Mangalorean Chicken Curry
Musical Milestones: Two Nightingales Turning 100
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH For all lovers of Tagore’s musical creations, the departing year (2023) will go down in history as a memorable one. By sheer coincidence, two doyens of Rabindrasangeet stepped into their centenary years in the last quarter of 2023. On October 12, a cluster of singers, musicians and music lovers from Kolkata and the rest of West Bengal mustered strong at Santiniketan, Bolpur, (WB) to … Continue reading Musical Milestones: Two Nightingales Turning 100
Namma Bangalore – Shoba Narayan – Book Launch & Discussion
BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA ‘Namma Bangalore’ is a freshly published bestselling book by the prolific Bengaluru author Shoba Narayan which has been making waves in the literary and intellectual world. At a recent literary afternoon event held at the plush, five-star Hotel The Oberoi in the city eminent citizens of Bengaluru gathered for a Literary Afternoon to launch and discuss the book ‘Namma Bangalore along … Continue reading Namma Bangalore – Shoba Narayan – Book Launch & Discussion
How an Adolescent Poet’s Amateurish Lyrics Became Brilliant Poetry
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH During his turbulent tumultuous teenage years, Robi (Nobel Laureate Tagore) stumbled upon ‘Padas’ /devotional lyrics composed by ancient Vaishnava (adherents of Lord Krishna) poets and rendered in the Maithili dialect. This genre of poetry frequently appeared from time to time in the issues of ‘Bharati’ a popular literary journal of those times. Incidentally, the culturally enriched Tagore family happened to be one of its regular subscribers. So that was … Continue reading How an Adolescent Poet’s Amateurish Lyrics Became Brilliant Poetry
Rupture
BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RUPTURE – A PRICE FOR GENERATIONS TO PAY HINDERING CULTURE. In a recent conversation with a Bengaluru corporate philanthropist, I was speaking about the pitiable state of culture and scholarship in certain societies despite a glorious past and attributed it to the very severe ‘Rupture’ with tradition and legacy of the past which occurred due to the sharp … Continue reading Rupture
Josh: Fusion Music to Enliven Your Spirits
BY RUCHIRA GHOSH An international fusion musical band, Josh has lately been creating ripples in and around the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. The name sounds strange, no? Well, it’s got to be because in Hindi (India’s lingua franca) it is synonymous with vim, vigour, vitality, euphoria and what have you. Still foxed? Well no worries, read on…. Josh is the brainchild of Irene Sarkar, a bio scientist cum professional … Continue reading Josh: Fusion Music to Enliven Your Spirits
The Chronicles of William Sands
BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA AT THE COURT OF KOREA – NOT SO UNDIPLOMATIC MEMORIES William Sands was assigned to an advisory role at the tender age of 25 to the Emperor of Korea after spending a few years on a US diplomatic mission to the Far-East region, which was the turning point or milestone in his diplomatic career. As John Hay his Secretary of State … Continue reading The Chronicles of William Sands
Cold War 2.0
BY ANTONIA FILMER The newly released book Cold War 2.0 completes the author’s 2023 trilogy, all three are connected by his take on foreign policy. Prof Nalapat is India’s first professor of geopolitics, since 1999 he has been the UNESCO Peace Chair at Manipal University, and has concentrated much of his effort at keeping peace between states in conflict. This last book is a feast of historical … Continue reading Cold War 2.0
Dr Babu and the Catla Fish
BY KENNETH ARTHUR MILN Dr Babu, better known as Old Cha Cha by the jute wallahs living at Meghna Compound during the 1940s, was our much-respected company doctor and a most dignified Bengali gentleman. The old man stood pole straight to over six feet. His spare frame usually supported a white cotton suit with the trouser bottoms held in place by bicycle clips: the good … Continue reading Dr Babu and the Catla Fish
What is a Memoir? Memorable, Mesmerising Memoirs
BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA In one of my doctoral supervisory meetings my academic supervisor instructed me to change the expression ‘nostalgia’ since it is strewn with pain and a sense of agony. I rose to the challenge of my Grammar-school, LSE-educated Supervisor and came up with the term ‘redolence’ which evokes feelings and emotions for the past sans the pathos. Yes, this was lauded and … Continue reading What is a Memoir? Memorable, Mesmerising Memoirs
COUNTRY SQUIRE INDIA 