Calcutta’s Chromosome, Hidden in Plain Sight
Ronald Ross was once immortalized in Amitav Ghosh’s historical novel. Nivedita Dey rediscovers a memorial dedicated to Kolkata’s forgotten, Nobel laureate physician.
In Language, Colonial Kolkata Stays Alive
A city rooted in colonial legend, Nivedita Dey examines the linguistics of place, names, food, and culture that keep the “Calcutta” in Kolkata.
A Better Place to Rest: Three Poems by Kiriti Sengupta
Poetry by Kiriti Sengupta: ‘Death pauses verdict; the authority mars evidence. / The doomed is put on the pyre; rallies slit through / the silence.’
Kolkata Feasts or Firewood: Three Poems by Shome Dasgupta
Poems by Shome Dasgupta: ‘take me back / to the moss and crawfish, please / Krishna—take me back to moonlit / moss and claws red like tandoori / curry, soft and savory.’
In Our Own Voices: Queer Representation at the International Kolkata Book Fair
Marnina (Avirup) spoke to representatives from Queer organizations at the 2024 Kolkata Book Fair about the experience of hosting their stalls, seeking diversity in Indian publishing, and much more.
The Artist and The Anthropocene
In interaction with contemporary South Asian art, Jahnabi Mitra asks, how can artists truly help with climate change action? What larger purpose can these works serve? Or do they end up normalizing the dystopic times ahead?
Of Mahalaya, Memories, and Moksha
Personal Essay by Mallika Bhaumik: At the Bengali festival for the goddess, the pomp and grandeur involved in the worship of ‘Nari Shakti’ is in stark contrast to the apathy shown towards the Durgas whom we come across every day.
The Dark Webs of Jogen Chowdhury
Distortions and intimacy, revulsions and beauty: Celebrating the art of one of India’s great masters—Jogen Chowdhury—whose work continues to provide new insights to our world. By Medha Dutta Yadav
Breath, Life, and Connection – A Photo Essay
The pandemic presented fraught challenges to our connections with the rest of humanity, the people and acquaintances in our world. In her personal photo-essay, Sufia Khatoon attempts to forge links with the strangers with whom we share our breaths.
Handwritten Hopes
Under the isolation and layers of stress brought upon by the pandemic, many are turning to the old comfort of personal letters—handwritten and otherwise—to find hope, solace, and connection. By Akhila Damodadran
Kolkata Hiraeth, A Longing for Home
Photo Gallery: Images of a Kolkata left behind, as another Kolkata paces ahead. By Amal Shihabudeen
The Living Storybooks of Kolkata – A Photo Essay
Photo-essay: In long walks across Kolkata, Sufia Khatoon comes across lives in motion, lives continuously moving forward, each person an immortal story that fuels the city and adds to its history.