The Potion
When we were little, my brother and I dreaded falling ill. Not because of the fever that gave us chills or the cough that made our ribs hurt or a million visits to the bathroom that left us dehydrated. … Read the rest
The Bungalow in Kalimpong
In 2010 I was working as an External Fellow of MAKAIAS[note]Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Calcutta[/note] and studying cultural heritage and identity of the Lepcha and Mangar communities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong [note]About 50 … Read the rest
A Dacca Childhood
My father, Pranab Guha Thakurta, was born on 19th March, 1926, in Dacca. [note]I have kept to the earlier English spelling of Dacca, in keeping with the time I am writing about[/note]From as far back as I can … Read the rest
A Chittagong Childhood
The month of March, when a brief spring in Bengal blends into the first signs of summer, is always associated by the author with the birthdays of her parents, Krishna (nee Rudra) and Pranab Guha-Thakurta. In the first of a … Read the rest
Ghosts of Gracedale
The dreary day lent itself well to our looming task. We drove, four college students, up a snaking drive littered with wooden pavilions, bridges, and benches. They no doubt were a lovely addition to the grounds in the summertime, but … Read the rest
Old Wisdom Dies Hard
One day our friend Tatyana who arranges guided tours in Moscow called us to ask if we would be interested in a new walking tour in the centre of Moscow, and later in assessing the tour. My wife Saroj and … Read the rest
Hermit and the Householder: Khirode Chandra Roy Chowdhury
Some years ago, I bought a plot of land in Prantik, a locality just beyond Tagore’s Viswabharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India,[note]Rabindranath Tagore, poet and author who was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1913, establish a … Read the rest
Memories of Mama
Jan 21, 2016. It was an ordinary day in the office until I got a call from my sister in the afternoon. She was sobbing on the other end. I had a hunch why she’d called. Mama was gone.
Mama … Read the rest
Where do you come from?
On a recent trip to Bangladesh, she finally found the answer to the much asked question.
Having been born and schooled in Kolkata and switched to cities like Mumbai and Cambridge for a considerable period, the question “Where are you … Read the rest