Creative Edge

Terrace of Queens Mansion, Park Street, Kolkata The heritage committee of Kolkata Municipal Corporation has given the nod to Life Insurance Corporation of India to repair and paint the sprawling Queens Mansion, a grade I heritage structure located at the intersection of Park Street and Russell   Queen's Mansion, formerly Galstaun Mansions, was one of the many buildings made by J C Galstaun. The areas of Mayfair (Road), Queen's Park (Road) and Ballygunge Park, in today's Ballygunge neighbourhood were leased out by Galstaun.   The iconic Queens Mansion on Park Street, offering spellbinding views of the city’s most cherished landmarks. From The 42 to the magnificent Howrah Bridge, Vidyasagar Setu, and more, this heritage building’s terrace became the perfect vantage point for my enchanting adventure.   Queens Mansion, a five-story heritage building, greeted me with open arms as I ascended to its terrace. The moment I set foot on that expansive platform, the citys...

These were the old horse troughs built by the British. Now a reminder of the days long gone, when the Mountain Police etc used to keep order, sitting on their horses and only wielding a baton to control the crowd! There was a ratio 1 mountain police for controlling so many unruly public 50 persons. Forget used to be so impressed when young, hearing the clip clop of the horses when returning from Barra Maiden duty. Later these troughs were used by cows birds etc. no maintenance.   The old horse troughs that can still be found in some hill stations and colonial towns are fascinating reminders of a time when horses were an essential part of everyday administration. Built during the British era, these stone troughs were designed to provide drinking water for the horses ridden by the Mountain Police and other mounted officers. In those days, mounted policemen were a common sight on the roads, maintaining law and order while patrolling markets, public gatherings, and important events...

The list is endless for childhood places and the memories built around it. Kharagpur was just that beloved city where the memories linger long after one has left for other abodes.   The first is the home I grew up in: Timeless memories circle around my head. My parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, school the school teachers. Then come the feelings:   Listening to the radio, reading books, walking to libraries, eating at fabulous restaurants, like Waldorf  and Far east.   Then comes the childhood places you visited numerous times: Paying obeisance to temples and churches. One was the Kali Temple. The goddess Kali looked gigantic with her golden tongue out, mischievous grin in a child’s eyes. And the church at Sacred Heart  with its quietude and hushed silence. Jesus Christ at the cross solemnised a child’s faith.   Going to the ”Cinema Cinema” greatest entertainment! Some went to the movies to get away from the oppressive hea...

The dark coldly air conditioned restaurant was the best place to walk into from a hot summer lou breezed shimmer heat. To escape the fierce summertime afternoons of Calcutta. As you stepped in: the sound of the deep saxophone, the muted tone of the unusually tall bass guitar, the drums in a a single soft beat, cymbals of the drummers chiming and the soft skillfully played beautiful piano sounds would envelope your ears. It would be totally silent after that… a couple of seconds later the soft sound of the Maraca, or Rumba Shaker or Chac-Chac would be heard. It was as if thousands of little pebbles were getting gently shaken up inside a cocktail shaker filled with liquid and tiny ice particles. There she was Delightful Delilah. Dressed to kill! Wearing a summer body shift short dress. Long legged. Absolutely larger than life beautiful copy of Marilyn Monroe. Blonde hair swept up tied up in a ponytail.   Holding the Maracas shaking them gently and deftly. The Rhumba Shakers wer...

BISWA BANGLA GATE: KOLKATA’S NEW ICON   Biswa Bangla Gate, popularly known as Kolkata Gate, is the new icon of a rising Bengal, the same way London Eye is for the UK and Eiffel Tower is for Paris.   Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has left no stone unturned in trying to make a new Bengal and not so long ago, she came up with the idea of having a gateway to modern Kolkata, one that would welcome tourists, entrepreneurs, scholars, guests and people of all talent as they landed at the airport and began driving into the city. It would be a gateway so iconic that no one would be left in any doubt that Bengal is rising and the new Bengal is here and now.     HUNT FOR THE PERFECT LOCATION The first and obvious choice for the proposed structure was on VIP Road or Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, near Haldiram’s, a prominent landmark food court near the left-turning flyover from the airport, which kind of marked the entry into New Town, but there was hardly any space ...

When a crow feels unwell, irritated, or burdened by parasites, it doesn’t panic. It doesn’t flee. And it doesn’t rely on chance. Instead, it seeks out an ant colony. This behavior, strange at first glance, is one of the most elegant examples of natural intelligence in the animal world. Rather than hunting the ants, the crow deliberately allows them to crawl across its body. What looks like surrender is actually strategy. The crow spreads its wings, lowers itself to the ground, and positions its feathers carefully. It remains mostly still, shifting only slightly, as ants swarm over its body. This is not accidental. The crow knows exactly what it is doing. As the ants move through the feathers, they release formic acid, a chemical they naturally produce as a defense mechanism. For the crow, this substance acts as a powerful, natural disinfectant. Formic acid helps kill bacteria, fungi, mites, lice, and other parasites that can weaken birds over time. It also reduces irritation and may so...

The Bamboo water Bottle invented by the entrepreneur Dhritiman Borah, from Guhawati, is a perfect replacement for plastic. He has even started selling his bottles on e-commerce websites. The bottles are made with baluka (Bambusa balcooa), making the containers more durable for use. The average time for the finished bottle is 5 hours, right from getting the bamboo to the finished bottle. The Bamboo Water Bottle, an innovative creation by the entrepreneur Dhritiman Borah from Guwahati, represents a significant advancement in the quest for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic containers, which have long been criticized for their detrimental impact on the environment. By harnessing the remarkable properties of bamboo—a material renowned not only for its rapid growth and renewability but also for its durability and biodegradability—this product offers a compelling solution to the pervasive issue of plastic pollution that plagues ecosystems worldwide. The design of the ...