Festivals are an integral part of the city of Kolkata.
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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. Bengali New Year ( Bengali: নববর্ষ Nôbobôrsho) or Pohela Boishakh (পহেলা বৈশাখ Pôhela Boishakh or পয়লা Boishakh ( Bangla: বৈশাখ Nepali and Sanskrit:बैशाख is the first month in the Bangla Calendar used in Bangladesh A lunar calendar is a Calendar that is based on cycles of the Moon phase. The Bengali calendar ( বঙ্গাব্দ Bônggabdo or বাংলা সন Bangla Shôn) or Bangla calendar is a traditional solar Calendar 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.
English New Year
The 31st December night is observed with much funfare in Kolkata. The heart of all action lies in the Park Street area where people revell throughout the night. Park Street, recently renamed as Mother Teresa Sarani, is probably the most prestigious Thoroughfare of the city of Kolkata, India.
Religious festivals
Durga Puja
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. Durga Puja (দুর্গা পূজা ‘Worship of Durga’ also referred as Durgotsab (bn দুর্গোৎসব ‘Festival of Durga’ is an annual A lunar calendar is a Calendar that is based on cycles of the Moon phase. This Hindu religious festival commemorates the mythology of Goddess Durga and her trusty lion steed overpowering and killing the demon Mahishasura (Buffalo-demon). A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical In Hinduism, Durga ("the inaccessible" or "the invincible" or Maa Durga (Mother Durga is a form of Devi, the supreme Goddess In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was an Asura. Mahishasur's father Rambha was king of the Asura, and he once fell in love with a water buffalo 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. This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see 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. The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world 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. An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a Magazine, Comic book or Comic strip published yearly
Today's Puja goes far beyond religion. In fact, visiting the pandals recent years, one can only say that Durgapuja the largest outdoor art festival on earth. In the 1990s, a preponderance of architectural models came up on the pandal exteriors, but today the art motif extends to elaborate interiors, executed by trained artists, with consistent stylistic elements, carefully executed and bearing the name of the artist.
At the end of the six days long festival, the idol is taken in a procession amid loud chants and drumbeats to the river or other water body, and it is cast in the waters symbolic of the departure of the deity to her home with her husband in the Himalayas. After this, in a tradition called Vijaya Dashami, families visit each other and sweetmeats are offered to visitors (Dashami is literally tenth day and Vijay is victory).
Kali Puja
Kali Puja is primarily a Bengali festival, held in accordance to the lunar calendar around the first week of November. A lunar calendar is a Calendar that is based on cycles of the Moon phase. The Goddess Kali is worshipped at night on one night during this festival. Kali redirects here See Kali (disambiguation for other uses Not to be confused with Kali (demon, the personification of Kali Yuga 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. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula Diwali, or Deepavali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal (Markiscarali is a major Indian and Nepalese festival and a significant This is also a night of fireworks, with local youth burning sparklers and crackers throughout the night. A firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes 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 legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The decibel ( dB) is a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity relative to The decibel ( dB) is a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity relative to
Saraswati Puja
Saraswati Puja—the puja of the Goddess of Learning, Saraswati—is celebrated with domestic pujas, and familial gatherings in Kolkata. Saraswati (pronounced as; Sanskrit: sa सरस्वती sarasvatī; Malay: Saraswati Thai: สุรัสวดี is the 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). West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. East Bengal ( Bengali: পূর্ববঙ্গ Purbobôngo) was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially 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 Ghotis have vegetarian fare, while bangals partake paired Hilsa fishes. 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 Hilsa (ইিলশ Ilish) is the national fish of Bangladesh, also popular in India 's Assamese - Bengali - and Oriya Idols for these and other Pujas are made in the famous potters' district of Kumartuli. Idolatry is usually defined as Worship of any Cult image, Idea, or object, as opposed to the worship of a monotheistic God. This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see 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. Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a Holiday celebrated on February 14
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. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula Holi ( or language|Bhojpuri]] also called the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring Festival observed in India, Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism Spring is one of the four Temperate Seasons Spring marks the transition from Winter into Summer. 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. Bhang (ਭੰਗ pa بھنگ /pə̀ŋg/ ভাং /bɦaŋ/ is the leaf and flower of a female Cannabis sativa plant as consumed in the Charas is the name given to hand-made Hashish in India, Nepal and Pakistan.
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 chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples Jagannath (also spelled Jagganath) is considered amongst Vaishnavas to be a very merciful form of Krishna. Please do not put information about the X-Men character on this page The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups The destination of the cult figures are the Maidan. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of Pop culture. For other uses see Maidan The Maidan (literally open field is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian 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. A carousel ( carrousel in French) is an Amusement ride consisting of a rotating platform with seats for passengers Myth has it that it always rains on the day of Ratha Yatra in Kolkata.
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. Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr) often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim Holiday that marks the end of Eid al-Adha ( Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd ul-’Aḍḥā, Urdu: بقرعید or the Festival of Sacrifice is a religious festival celebrated Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' 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.
Christmas
Christmas was a big festival in Kolkata during the British Raj, but has slowly declined in importance since. Bow Barracks is a locality in the central Calcutta regionThe locality is a small hub of Anglo-Indian population who are living here for generations For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The Anglo-Indian community still celebrates Christmas in a big way, with a huge service at St. Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry and the term is sometimes used in the West. 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.
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. Dover Lane music festival is organized every year is the months of December and January in Dover Lane Kolkata. It has been held for the past 54 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 Ballygunge area of South Kolkata, due to the large crowds, it is now held at the open air theatre Nazrul Mancha on the Southern Avenue (Ballygunge area). It is held in conjunction with the Dover Lane Music Conference.
Calcutta Book Fair
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The 'Calcutta Book Fair (or Kolkata Boi Mela) is unique and is the world's largest non-trade annual book fair. The Calcutta Book Fair (now renamed Kolkata Book Fair in English and officially Kolkata Boi Mela in romanized Bengali Bengali: কলকাতা বই 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. A crore is a unit in the Indian numbering system and was formerly a unit in the Persian numbering system still widely used in Bangladesh, India, Maldives 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 Günter 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. Günter Wilhelm Grass (born 16 October 1927 is a Nobel Prize -winning German Author and Playwright. Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL (born 26 March 1941 is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and Popular science Barnes & Noble Inc is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of Bookstores Borders Group ( is an international bookseller based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It starts on the last Wednesday of January, and continues for twelve days, including two weekends.
Kolkata International Film Festival
The Kolkata 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 (সত্যজিত রায় or সত্যজিৎ রায়) (2 May 1921–23 April 1992 was a Bengali Indian Filmmaker. Rituparno Ghosh ( Bangla: ঋতুপর্ণ ঘোষ Ritupôrno Ghosh) is a young Bengali Film director whose work has met with considerable
Website of the Kolkata 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. Nandikar (নান্দীকার is a Theatre group in India. It was initiated in 1984 to commemorate Nandikar's silver jubilee and has not looked back since. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Nandikar (নান্দীকার is a Theatre group in India.
National Children's Theatre Festival
The National Theatre [Festival][4] is an annual event (first week of June)organised by Kolkata [Eso Natak Shikhi][www. calcuttayellowpages. com/adver/103336. html], a Kolkata based group theatre working with childern since 1990. Teams from all over India & abroad participate & perform at Rabindra Sadan. The fest is assisted by Ministy of Culture & Information, Government of West Bengal. Ministry of Transport & Sports, Government of West Bengal. Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of India.
External links
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