The 2024 Meeting Point of Mekong Cultural Hub (MCH) on Art and Social Action was indeed a wonderful opportunity to forge connections, friendships and share knowledge among various art and cultural practitioners/ professionals from Asia. Designed as a multi-disciplinary networking platform, it focused on the short and long term perspectives of grassroots organizations and practitioners andContinue reading “Hanoi in March ’24”
Author Archives: Madhura Dutta
Vintage stories
Today I woke up to a compelling query on Instagram: ‘Are you connected to 202?, Is your name Moa, is your brother’s name Ghonto?…’ and then it unfolded into a beautiful childhood memory. The address of the house I grew up in was actually used for two houses within the same premises, one in theContinue reading “Vintage stories”
A Tale of Takdah
Of the many off-beat travels that I have indulged in, Takdah in Darjeeling district is one. My work provides me the opportunity to visit different places, meet new people, and savour their local cultures. Hence, I have learned about many common and uncommon destinations when work has taken me there. Takdah is located at anContinue reading “A Tale of Takdah”
“স্মৃতি সততই সুখের”
From the shelter of my mind through the window of my eyes… (Originally written in 1998, one year after Kaku passed away from lung cancer.) স্থান: ২০২ কাল: ১৯৯৪ এর আগে কাকু (কুশ): কিরে একা একা হাসছিস কেন ?আমি: না, একটা মজার কথা মনে পড়ে গেল….কাকু: তাই বলে একা একা হাসবি?আমি: ওই মানে যাক্গে !কাকু:Continue reading ““স্মৃতি সততই সুখের””
Visit to Morocco during the World Cup
Rabat, the capital city of Morocco located on the shores of the Atlantic ocean, is a delightful place! I went there to attend the seventeenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat). It was my first experienceContinue reading “Visit to Morocco during the World Cup”
Story of the past
Of the many broken remnants and legacies of North Calcutta (about which I know very little), I had the privilege of visiting the old family house of the Ghoses at 46 Pathuriaghata Street recently, with a friend who is a daughter of this family.
Touring Bengal
Originally posted on Sunny Side Up:
West Bengal, a state full of exotic natural wealth, is also home to immense cultural wealth in the form of built heritage, folk forms, handicrafts, festivals, theatre, and fine arts. However, traditional tourism has primarily focused on either natural destinations like hill stations, beaches, and the Sunderbans, or the…
Living Heritages of Sundarbans
The Sundarbans, consisting of 10,200 sq.kms of mangrove forest across India and Bangladesh, is the largest biodiversity ecosystem of its kind, and the world’s largest delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The mangroves unique to this region are naturally resilient to coastal erosion and regular cyclonic storms typical of thisContinue reading “Living Heritages of Sundarbans”
Visit to Rajasthan in times of Corona
The most clichéd, yet the most famous association that Bengalis have with Rajasthan is through Satyajit Ray’s movie ‘Sonar Kella’, shot on location in Rajasthan, particularly in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer. Travel buffs from all over India, and especially Bengal, developed a special interest for Jaisalmer and its fort after watching this movie. For me,Continue reading “Visit to Rajasthan in times of Corona”
Then and Now
The first few days of living with my arranged husband, in his lake facing half-bedroom apartment in Seattle, was spent getting over jet lag, getting used to the cold and wet city, figuring out how to get in and out of the apartment building, learning to cross roads and board buses, figuring out supermarkets, andContinue reading “Then and Now”
Sunny Side Up 