Festivals are integral part of the the city Kolkata. Kolkata (Bangla: কলকাতা, Hindi: कोलकता, alternate English Calcutta), is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and was capital of British India until 1912. ...

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. In the Bangla Calendar, April 14 or Pohela Baishakh is considered to be the first day of the year. ... Baishakh is the first month in the Bangla Calendar used in Bangladesh and parts of India. ... A lunar calendar is a calendar whose date indicates the moon phase. ... The Bangla calendar also known as Bangabda in the Bengali language, is the traditional calendar used in Bangladesh and Bangla (Bengali)-speaking regions of India. ...

Religious festivals

Durga Puja

a Durga puja pandal

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 throng 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 Hajj. On this festival, there is a 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). The festival is commemorated by the publishing of Annuals (Sharadiya or Puja Annual) by most Kolkata magazines and presses. Durga Puja pandal at College Square, Calcutta, which has a large lake in front. ... Durga Puja pandal at College Square, Calcutta, which has a large lake in front. ... A priest worshipping a contemporary idol of Durga, shown riding her lion and attacking the demon Mahisasur. ... A lunar calendar is a calendar whose date indicates the moon phase. ... Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Hindu (archaic Hindoo), as per modern definition is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of India (Bharat), Nepal, and the island of Bali. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A statue of Mahishasura in Chamundi Hills, Mysore In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was an asura (demon). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Hajj or Haj (Arabic: ) is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah) in Islam. ... An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. ...

Kali Puja

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 this festival. Kali Puja is light-up night for Kolkata, corresponding to the North Indian festival of Diwali (pronounced Dipabali in Bengali), where people light candles in memory of the souls of departed ancestors. This is also a night of fireworks, 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 up to 90 decibels or more in parts of the city. A lunar calendar is a calendar whose date indicates the moon phase. ... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Kali standing over Shiva Although her presentation in the West is usually as simply dark and violent, Kali is a goddess with a long and complex history in Hinduism. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Diwālī or Dīpāvali (also transliterated Deepavali; Sanskrit: row of lights) is the Hindu Festival of Lights. ... The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House illuminated under New Years Eve Fireworks 2005 A fireworks event (also called a fireworks display or fireworks show) is a spectacular display of the effects produced by firework devices on various occasions. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... The decibel (dB) is a measure of the ratio between two quantities, and is used in a wide variety of measurements in acoustics, physics and electronics. ... The decibel is a dimensionless unit (like percent) that is a measure of ratios on a logarithmic scale. ...

Saraswati Puja

Kolkata — Saraswati idol being made at Kumartuli

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. Idols for these and other Pujas are made in the famous potters' distict of Kumartuli. In Bengal, during Saraswati Puja, students celebrate the Homecoming of the Goddess of Learning. Books are often worshipped in lieu of the clay image of the Goddess. The puja is especially celebrated in schools and other educational institutes. And gives an opportunity of free-mixing among school children. This is the equivalent of Valentine's Day to them. Image File history File links Saraswati2. ... Image File history File links Saraswati2. ... Saraswati, goddess of knowledge Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती) is the first of the three great goddesses of Hinduism, the other two being Lakshmi and Durga. ... West Bengal (পশ্চিম বঙ্গ, Pościm Bôngo) is a state in the eastern region of India. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Bangal is a term used to refer to the people of East Bengal (usually from regions around Dhaka and Barisal) , now in Bangladesh (as opposed to the Ghotis of the West Bengal). ... Bangal is a term used to refer to the people of East Bengal (usually from regions around Dhaka and Barisal) , now in Bangladesh (as opposed to the Ghotis of the West Bengal). ... Hilsa, also pronounced Ilish is the national fish of Bangladesh and also relished in Indias Bengali and Oriya speaking populace. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A man shapes pottery as it turns on a wheel. ... Valentines Day postcard, c. ...

Dol

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). Unsuspecting 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. A Dol is a little-used unit of measurement for pain. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Holi or Phagwah (Bhojpuri) is an annual Hindu spring festival. ... Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, IAST ) is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... Bhang is a preparation derived from the leaf and flower of a male cannabis plant. ... Charas is the name given to hand-made hashish in India. ...

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 cult figures 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. Chariot was the name of a WW2 naval weapon, the British manned torpedo. ... Jagannath(far right) with his brother Balarama(far left) and sister Subadra (center) in Radhadesh, Belgium Jagannath is a Sanskrit term used to describe a deity form of Krishna. ... The Car of Juggernaut, as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book The term juggernaut is used to describe any literal or metaphorical force regarded as unstoppable; that will crush all in its path. ... The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a new religious movement based on Bengali, or more specifically Gaudiya, Vaishnavism founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, referred to by followers as His Divine Grace, in New York in 1966. ... A cult figure, like a cult film, cult television and cult radio, attracts a hardy band of aficionados who have diverse opinions of the status of said person. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Kolkata. ... A carousel in a summer festival in London, with traditional animal mounts, barley twist poles and fairy lights. ...

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 the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son (not named in the Qu'ranic account but sometimes assumed to be the Prophet Ishmael) for Allah. As Kolkata is considered to be 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. In muslim communities, Eid (Arabic: عيد ) is the name of two Islamic festivals: Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan, held on the first day of Shawwal. ... Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر), often abbreviated as simply Eid, is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. ... Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. ... Ramadan or Ramadhan (Arabic: رمضان) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the holiest month in Islam. ... For a king of Anglo-Saxon England, see Aella of Deira or Aelle II of Northumbria or Aelle of Sussex. ...

Christmas

Christmas was a big festival in Kolkata during the British Raj, but has slowly declined in importance since. The Anglo-Indian community still celebrates Christmas in a big way, with a huge service at St. Paul's Cathedral 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. Christmas (literally, the Mass of Jesus Christ) is a traditional holiday observed on 25 December. ... British India (otherwise known as The British Raj) was a historical period during which most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, were under the colonial authority of the British Empire (Undivided India). ... Anglo-Indians are persons who have descended from a mix of British and Indian parentage. ...

Cultural festivals

Dover Lane Music Festival

The Dover Lane Music Festival is one of the most prestigious festivals of Hindustani classical music, showcasing maestros the world over as 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.

Calcutta Book Fair

The Calcutta Book Fair [1]] (or Kolkata Boi Mela) is very unique and is the world's largest non-trade annual book fair. Held on the Maidan, this fair attracted over 600 stalls, selling over Rs. 18,00,00,000 (read as "18 crores") 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 & Noble or Borders superstore. It starts on the last Wednesday of January, and continues for twelve days, including two weekends. The Calcutta Book Fair logo The Calcutta Book Fair (now renamed Kolkata Book Fair in English, and officially Kolkata Boi Mela in romanized Bengali) is a winter fair in Calcutta. ... The Maidan is an unofficial region of Karnataka state of southern India. ... A crore is a unit in a traditional number system, still widely used in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. ... Günter Grass Günter Grass, Nobel Prize-winning German author, was born in Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) on October 16, 1927. ... Richard Dawkins Clinton Richard Dawkins DSc, FRS, FRSL (known as Richard Dawkins; born March 26, 1941) is an eminent British ethologist, evolutionary theorist, and popular science writer who holds the Charles Simonyi Chair in the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. ... A typical Barnes & Noble bookstore. ... Borders Group (sometimes written BORDERS) (NYSE: BGP) is an international bookseller based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ...

Calcutta International Film Festival

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 with 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. Satyajit Ray (Bangla:সত্যজিত্‍ রায়) (May 2, 1921 - April 23, 1992) was an Academy Award winning Indian film director whose films are perhaps the greatest testament to Bengali and Indian cinema. ... Rituparno Ghosh Rituparno Ghosh is a young Bengali film director whose work has met with considerable critical acclaim in recent years, both in his native India and abroad. ...

Website of the Calcutta International Film Festival

National Theatre Festival

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. Nandikar is one of Indias most famous theatre groups. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV in Roman) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nandikar is one of Indias most famous theatre groups. ...