A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

This is a scene from the daily lives of numerous children who live along the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal. The ghats of the Ganges also have cremation grounds where the Hindus burn their dead & perform their last rites before throwing the ashes into the Ganges, hoping for a reprieve of the departed soul.

These kids often end up following these cremations & hooks up any of the remnants from the ashes. Most of the time they return empty handed, rarely getting a few pennies that may have drowned with the ashes of the dead.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Children of Kolkata first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

This is a scene from the daily lives of numerous fishermen who live along the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal. Many of them live with their families on the boat, only getting off to buy or sell goods. Most of them catch the fish early morning, mostly before sunrise, only to be back to sell their catch to the wholesale buyers.

Kolkata is one of the biggest consumers of fish and fish products. Even then, pollution and degraded water of the Ganges near Kolkata have significantly reduced the fish population in the region, challenging the lives & livelihood of hundreds of fishermen who have for generations depended on the river for sustenance.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Kolkata Fishermen first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

This is a scene from the daily lives of numerous pujaris who live along the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal. The ghats of the Ganges also have cremation grounds where the Hindus burn their dead & perform their last rites before throwing the ashes into the Ganges, hoping for a reprieve of the departed soul.

Pujaris flock the numerous temples along these burning ghats in Kolkata. This young kid is following his daily routine of bringing water from the river into the small temple & do the morning offerings before going to the nearby school.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Pujari Kid first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

This is a scene from the daily lives of numerous fishermen who live along the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal. The river that holds the secret of the spiritual liberation of millions of Indians, also provide for the livelihood of several millions living on her water & the fishes she nurtures.

There is another unique perspective of this image – almost shows the battle of survival between the fishermen who landed the nets on the boat and the crows swooning overhead hoping to pinch a bite for their survival. The fishermen are alert, almost ready to strike these birds and lower their losses.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Kolkata Fishermen first appeared on Explore India TV.

Kolkata, the one time intellectual capital of India and a competitive arts & cultural venue of India, has some very interesting places of interest, that includes some very unique heritage collections & museums on one hand, while boasting of reminiscent heritage of Bengal‘s rise & contributions to India’s growth & struggle for independence during the British rule.

The video of Must See Tourist Places in Kolkata is posted on our YouTube Channel. This article contains some of the details of locations, timings etc of the 15 More Must See Places in Kolkata. If you have not done already, please Subscribe to ExploreIndiaTV on YouTube for more unique ways to explore Indian culture & arts.

You should also read the other articles & see the videos of Must See Places in Kolkata:

1. 25 Must See Places in Kolkata, West Bengal, India
2. Video of 25 Must See Places in Kolkata

15 More Must See Places in Kolkata, India

1) Kolkata Shahid Minar – also known as the Tower of Martyrs, this 157 feet tall monument, built in 1828, was dedicated to the fallen soldiers fighting for India’s independence from the British rule.

Historically though, the Shahid Minar of Kolkata was originally known as Ochterlony Monument built in memory of Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India. Today this monument stands at one end of the Kolkata Maidan and the venue for a lot of political gatherings & rallies. 

Address: Dharamtalla, Dufferin Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal 700069, India

2) Kolkata General Post Office Headquarters – this is one of the 5 general post offices in India, that are authorized to sell UN stamps. The building was architected by Walter B. Grenville & opened for business in 1868. The Kolkata GPO houses a postal museum & the Philatelic Bureau.

Address: Netaji Subhas Rd, Fairley Place, B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001, India

3) All India Radio – the history of broadcasting in India started with the radio centers in Kolkata & Bombay. Once operating as an independent broadcasting company, today All India Radio is a broadcasting arm of Prasar Bharati of the Government of India.

The signature tune of All India Radio was composed by Walter Kaufmann, then director of music at AIR. Kauffman was forced to leave Prague because of Hitler’s fascist rule. He came to India in 1934. He lived in Bombay for twelve years and worked in the music department of All India Radio. Later, this was replaced by the nostalgic violin melody played by V Balsara.

Over the years, AIR has contributed in several national & international events, including playing a major role in communications during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1970s. In 2012, Bangladesh recognized Akashvani for its contribution in Bangladesh Liberation War.

Address: Akashvani Bhavan, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001, India

4) Eden Garden Cricket Stadium & Park – this is the oldest cricket stadium in India & the third largest in size with a capacity of about 80,000 seats in the world (the largest as of 2021 is the Melbourne Cricket Ground in terms of capacity). The Eden Garden Cricket Stadium built in 1864 is next to the Eden Garden Park, named originally as the Auckland Circus Gardens after the then British Governor General Lord Auckland, later renamed after his sisters Emily and Fanny Eden.

Eden Gardens Park stretches over 50 acres, with pathways shaded by mahogany, mango and banyan trees. They were laid by Governor- General Auckland in 1841. A three-storied Burmese pagoda in red and golden yellow, was brought later by Lord Dalhousie.

Address: Gostho Paul Sarani, B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal 700021, India

5) Yuva Bharati Soccer Stadium – also called the Salt Lake Stadium or officially the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, this is one of the largest soccer & field & athletics stadium with a current capacity of 85,000 seats. 

Address: JB Block, Sector III, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700098, India

6) Maidan – the Central Park of Kolkata is the largest, almost 1000 acres in area, green lush open urban park in the city. This is also known as the Brigade Parade Ground. Other heritage sites of Kolkata like the Eden Gardens, Victoria Memorial & the Shahid Minar surround the Kolkata maidan.

Address: Maidan, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

7) Old Silver Mint – This is one of the many heritage sites in Kolkata & being renovated into a museum. Now it is occupied by the CRPF. This is the third mint in Kolkata, known today as the Old Silver Mint, was constructed in the styles of the Greek Parthenon on Strand Road in March 1824 & was opened for production from 1st August 1829. Another mint was constructed as an annex to produce copper coins.

At the peak of its days, the Old Silver Mint produced approximately  300,000 to 600,000 silver coins were manufactured here daily. This mint was the first in Asia to successfully process pure nickel for coinage purposes. Silver coins were minted here till 1952 and, thereafter, it functioned  as a silver refinery. But that too came to an end in 1972, and the silver reserves were transferred from here to a new facility at Taratola in 1985.

Since production was moved to the new Government of India Mint at Alipore on 19 March 1952, the Old Silver Mint has been in disrepair until it was declared a heritage site.

Address: 60 Strand road, Kolkata.

8) Vadya Vithika Musical Instruments Museum – this is one of a kind Indian arts & cultural heritage museum dedicated to preserving the heritage of tribal & historical cultures of Eastern India & showcasing over 450 varieties of Indian percussion, string, wind & solid musical instruments.

Address: Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, IB 201, Sector III, IA Block, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700106. This heritage museum is open Monday to Friday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM & remain closed on national holidays. There is no entry fee. PS: Photography is not allowed inside the museum.

The post In Pictures – 15 More Must See Places in Kolkata India first appeared on Explore India TV.

Bolai is a part of a collection of short stories Galpa Guchchha written and narrated by Rabindranath Tagore for Barsha-Utsab, a festival to celebrate the onset of rains in Santiniketan. It was later published by Visvabharati Publications. This is a free form translation by the Amit Mukhopadhyay.

I have this video of the story being read out. While you are on the video, please Subscribe to our ExploreIndiaTV Youtube Channel & let me know your thoughts.

The saying goes that the human life is documented in the conclusion of different phases of the history of life of different other animals. It’s pretty-much known to us that we get to see the different animalistic behaviors in the people around us. Actually we call us human when all the internal animalistic attributes are combined together to project us as an amalgamation of all our traits, which combines all our virtues and vices together, to cage us inside the package of this so called human life. Just like how all the do re mi fa so la ti are combined to form the melody in musical symphony.

None of them can make noise any more when they are combined in music. But in musical harmony too, some of the notes become major and plays a vital role to lead the symphony, sometimes it’s the fa, sometimes it’s mi in minor, sometimes it’s so, you never know.

My nephew Bolai – he has the traits of the plants and trees as his major in his soul symphony. From the very childhood he loves to stare at things sitting quiet in a corner, unlike running around like other kids. In the eastern sky the dark clouds keep on mounting in their cumulonimbus patterns, his mind get soaked into the wet winds from the rain forest of Sharavan evening; when it rains as if the train crosses the river bridge, as if he listens to that through all his bare body!

When the evening sun lows down the sunlight on the rooftop, he sucks that sunlight in his wide open arms, as if he is absorbing something, god knows what from the whole sky! In the beginning of the spring the flowers bloom on the Mango trees, that flourishes an intense delight in his blood flow! Like a Sal forest in late spring, his temperament spreads into wide open, gets fulfilled in sheer joy, as if gets filled in with a dense, thick hue of nature around him.

He feels like talking to himself only, he talks to himself about all that he has heard in the stories, and fairy tales, like the age old bird couple that dwells in the whole amidst the branches of that very old Banyan tree – the Byangoma & Byangomee. That boy with his far stretched eyes, can’t speak out much. So he has to be thoughtful, more and more in himself.

Once we took him to a hill station. In front of our house there is a deep slope goes down to the valley down under that is fully covered with green grasses, he just stares at that slope and that delights him like never before. He doesn’t seem to feel that the grass layer down the slope is a static one, for him it seems like a rolling down game play, just rolling and rolling down the slope, often he himself used to roll down the slope on the grass carpet – he used to feel himself as an integral part of the grass – used to be delighted immensely by the cordial cuddles by the grass heads in his neck and ears.

The post Bolai – A short story by Rabindranath Tagore first appeared on Explore India TV.

This video was posted on ExploreIndiaTV YouTube channel. This article contains some of the details, locations & images from the video. If you have not done it yet, please Subscribe to ExploreIndiaTV on YouTube. Your subscriptions, shares & comments are a big encouragement to me.

For more on Must See Places in Kolkata, please read & view these:

1. 15 More Must See Places in Kolkata
2. 15 More Must See Places in Kolkata – a video of compilations of pictures of Kolkata landmarks

25 Must See Places in Kolkata, West Bengal

1) Howrah Bridge – this 1500 feet cantilever bridge built on the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal, has been operational from 1943 & still stands today as a civil engineering feet & a pride amongst the people of Kolkata.

Note: Photography is prohibited on the Howrah Bridge, so you have to capture this landmark only from either side of the river.

2) Victoria Memorial – a grand marble palace dedicated to the Queen of England, built in memory of Queen Victoria in the 1920s, stands in the heart of Kolkata metro area. The monument is now managed by the Indian Ministry of Culture.

Address – Victoria Memorial Hall, 1, Queens Way, Maidan, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071, India. The establishment is open to visitors & tickets can be purchased online.

3) Marble Palace – a palatial building symbolizing the power & luxury of of the rich from the 19th century & today showcases a massive display of comfort & architecture from that era. As the name indicates, the Kolkata Marble Palace is famous for its marble walls, floors & sculptures.

Address: 46, Muktaram Babu Street, Kolkata 700007. The palace is currently owned by the family of Raja Rajendra Mullick. The place is open to tourists for free on all days from 10 AM to 4 PM IST, except for Mondays & Thursdays.

4) Indian Museum – this Kolkata landmark is the oldest & the largest museums in India & is the 9th largest museum in the world! It was formerly known as the Imperial Museum & currently managed by the Indian Ministry of Culture.

Address – 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016. Entry fees have different structures & details are on the website of Indian Museum.

5) Netaji Residence – this historic landmark in Kolkata is also known as Netaji Bhavan. Built in 1909, this residence of the Bose family was built by Netaji Subhas’s father & is currently owned and managed by the Netaji Research Bureau and includes a museum, archives and library.

Address – 38/2, Lala Lajpat Rai (Elgin) Sarani, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020. India. The museum is open to visitors from 11 AM to 4:30 PM IST on all days except Monday.

6) Academy of Fine Arts – Kolkata was once known as the intellectual capital of India & the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata is certainly a good reminder of some of the glorious days in this culture when they excelled in all things fine arts & literatures.

Address – 2, Cathedral Rd, Maidan, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020, India. The institution regularly holds classes on fine arts & the gallery regularly hosts exhibitions from local, national & foreign artists.

7) Birla Tech Museum – the Birla Industrial & Technological Museum operates under the National Council of Science Museums, Indian Ministry of Culture & is most popular amongst the school & college students & anyone curious about science & technology.

Address – 19A, Gurusaday Dutta Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India. The museum is open to visitors for various events & exhibitions & tickets can be purchased online.

The post In Pictures – 25 Must See Places in Kolkata first appeared on Explore India TV.

This Radhamadhav Temple is part of a larger set of temples including Madan Mohan temple, Shyama Raya temple, Radha Shyama temple, Nandalal temple, Jor Bangla or Keshto Raya temple & the Ras Mancha. They are dedicated to Lord Krishna & depict various mythologies and deities from Mahabharata & life of Lord Krishna. 

The post Radhamadhav Terracotta Temple in Bishnupur near Kolkata first appeared on Explore India TV.