Kolkata

Kolkata (Bangla: কলকাতা, Hindi: ??????), is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and was capital of British India until 1912. The city's name was officially changed from Calcutta to Kolkata in January 2001. Despite the new name being phonetically closer to the Bengali version, many people and organizations still refer to it as Calcutta. In Hindi, the city is referred to as Kalkatta.

Festivals

Religious Festivals

The Durga Puja festival, held in accordance to the lunar calendar of Bangabda around the first week of October, is the most vibrant time in Kolkata. This Hindu religious festival commemorates the mythology of Goddess Durga and her trusty lion steed overpowering and killing the demon Mahishasura ( Buffalo-demon ). The first ceremony takes place on Mahalaya - the day the Goddess was conceived, and ends on Bijaya Dashami ( the victorious tenth day ) - the day the Goddess finally kills the demon in battle. Puja is performed only on the sixth to the tenth day. Kolkata celebrates Durga Puja with elaborate pandal ( temporary decorative scaffolding serving the purpose of a temple ) constructions on virtually every street, crowds of people thronging the streets of Kolkata all night ( the number is purported to be a few million on the climactic eighth and ninth nights - possibly the second largest annual human conglomerate after the Haj) , the practice of giving gifts - usually new clothes in the latest fashion in Pre-Puja get togethers, and sweets at Post-puja get togethers ( Bijaya Sammelani ), and the commemoration of the festival by the publishing of Annuals ( Sharadiya or Puja Annual) by most Kolkata magazines and presses.

Related Topics:
Durga Puja - Lunar calendar - Bangabda - Hindu - Durga - Mahishasura - Mahalaya - Bijaya Dashami - Puja - Pandal - Haj - Bijaya Sammelani - Annuals - Sharadiya

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Kali Puja is primarily a Bengali festival, held in accordance to the lunar calendar around the first week of November. The Goddess Kali is worshipped at night on one night during Kali Puja. Kali Puja is light-up night for Kolkata, corresponding to the North Indian festival of Diwali ( or Dipabali in Bengali ), where people light candles in memory of the souls of departed ancestors. This is also fireworks night, with local youth burning sparklers and crackers throughout the night. Kolkata had to pass legislature a few years back to ban fireworks which break the 65 decibel sound limit, as ambient noise levels were going upto 90 decibels and more in parts of the city.

Related Topics:
Kali Puja - Lunar calendar - November - Kali - North India - Diwali - Dipabali - Fireworks - Legislature - Decibel - Decibels

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Saraswati Puja - the puja of the Goddess of Learning Saraswati is celebrated with domestic pujas, and familial gatherings in Kolkata. The typical fare (bhog) which accompanies the Puja depends dramatically on whether the family is initially from West Bengal or ghoti) or from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) or bangal. Ghotis have vegetarian fare, while bangals partake paired Hilsa fishes..

Related Topics:
Saraswati Puja - Saraswati - Bhog - West Bengal - Ghoti - East Bengal - Bangladesh - Bangal - Hilsa

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Idols for these and other Pujas are made in the famous potters' distict of Kumartuli.

Related Topics:
Idol - Puja - Potter - Kumartuli

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Dol, corresponding to the North Indian festival of Holi, is celebrated on account of the god Lord Krishna, and is supposedly coincident with the coming of spring. The festival of colour involves powdered colour - aabir, and water colour - jal rang. Unsuspected passers by are often drenched by coloured water balloons, and celebrations often get rowdy with the men partaking the intoxicating drink of shiddhi (bhang), often laced with the stronger charas.

Related Topics:
Dol - North India - Holi - Krishna - Spring - Aabir - Jal rang - Shiddhi - Charas

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Ratha yatra : The symbolic movement of the chariot of Jagannath (source of the English juggernaut) is celebrated with much fanfare in Kolkata due to the huge chariot brought out by ISKCON. The destination of the idols are the Maidan. The idols are brought back after a week in the chariot in the festival of Ulto Ratha ( reversed ratha ) . The week is synonymous with numerous fairs ( Rather mela ) held all over Kolkata parks - known for their distinctive food, and carousels. Myth has it that it always rains on the day of Ratha yatra in Kolkata.

Related Topics:
Ratha yatra - Chariot - Jagannath - Juggernaut - ISKCON - Maidan - Carousel

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Eid - the two Eids Eid ul Fitr (the little feast) and Eid ul-Adha (the big feast) commemorate the passing of the month of fasting Ramadan and the willingness of Mohammad to sacrifice his son Ishmael for Allah. Kolkata being the gastronomic capital of Eastern India, the feasts are often lavish street affairs open to all, and restaurants specializing in Islamic cuisine like Shiraz, Nizam and Aminia offer special menus for the day.

Related Topics:
Eid - Eid ul Fitr - Eid ul-Adha - Ramadan - Mohammad - Ishmael - Allah - Shiraz - Nizam - Aminia

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Christmas was a big festival in Kolkata during the British Raj, but has slowly declined in importance since. The Anglo-Indian community stills celebrate Christmas in a big way, with a huge service at St.Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata and with the Park Street restaurant district and New Market decked out on the 24th and 25th. The multicultural nature of Kolkata becomes apparent as the most sought after confectionaries during this time were from the British confectioners Flury's and Jewish confectioners Nahoum's.

Related Topics:
Christmas - British Raj - Anglo-Indian - St.Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata - Park Street - New Market - Flury's - Nahoum's

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Bengali New Year

The Bengali New Year or "Poila Baisakh" ( the first day of the month of Baisakh) is celebrated around April 15 on the basis of the lunar calendar of Bangabda. Visitors to homes are greeted with sweets, and trade establishments offer free sweets as a goodwill gesture on this day. It is celebrated by cultural programmes throughout Kolkata.

Related Topics:
Bengali New Year - Baisakh - Lunar calendar - Bangabda

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Cultural Festivals

The Dover Lane Music Festival is one of the most prestigious festivals of Hindustani Classical Music, showcasing maestros the world over and well as promising new talent. It has been held for the past 25 years in the January conglomerate holiday ( January 23 - January 26 ) period and comprises three all-night recitals. Initially held open air at Dover Lane in South Kolkata, due to the large crowds it is now held at the open air theatre Nazrul Mancha . It is held in conjunction with the Dover Lane Music Conference.

Related Topics:
Dover Lane Music Festival - Hindustani Classical Music - January conglomerate holiday - Dover Lane - South Kolkata - Nazrul Mancha - Dover Lane Music Conference

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The Calcutta Book Fair or Kolkata Boi Mela is a very unique and the world's largest non-trade annual book fair. Held on the Maidan, this attracted over 600 stalls selling over Rs. 18,00,00,000 worth of books and attracting close to 150,000 visitors in 2005. Started in 1975 by the Publishers' and Booksellers' Guild it has rapidly become one of the world's leading book fairs. It has a Monmarte with budding poets and artists, an annual theme country with authors like Gunter Grass and Richard Dawkins visiting the fair as chief guests, a fairground experience complete with candyfloss and hawkers, but most importantly it provides a place to view more than a million new and used book titles at one go - a larger book conglomerate than any Barnes and Noble or Borders superstore. It starts on the last weekend of January, and encompasses two weeks and three weekends.

Related Topics:
Calcutta Book Fair - Maidan - Publishers' and Booksellers' Guild - Gunter Grass - Richard Dawkins - Barnes and Noble - Borders

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The Calcutta International Film Festival is screened annually from November 10 - 17. The largest and most prestigious of its kind in India, it was started in 1995 and is affiliated to the International Federation of Film Producers? Association (FIAPF) in Paris. Kolkata's strong ties to film-making ( through such icons as Satyajit Ray and more recently,Rituparno Ghosh ) has boosted the festival and it screens a large clutch of international critically acclaimed new films every year.

Related Topics:
Calcutta International Film Festival - International Federation of Film Producers? Association - Satyajit Ray - Rituparno Ghosh

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The National Theatre Festival is an annual event and the biggest event in the Indian theatre calendar. Kolkata is the theatre capital of India, and the festival is organized by the Nandikar group, one of the most dynamic and talented Indian theatre groups. It was initiated in 1984 to commemorate Nandikar's silver jubilee and has not looked back since.

Related Topics:
National Theatre Festival - Nandikar - 1984

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