Trip to Hridaypur, Barasat (29/04/2015)

I often love to set out for small trips in and around Kolkata and click photos. 29th April (Wednesday) was one such day and I boarded the Barasat Garia bus at around 10:30 am in the morning. The destination was Hridaypur, an area in the municipal jurisdiction of Barasat. Parijat Bhattacharya, one of my friends whom I met on the Photogenic group meet, had invited me to his house. He is like my younger brother. It took me exactly two hours from Patuli to reach Dak Bungalow crossing. from where Petrapole (Bangladesh border) is 59.6 km and Krishnanagar (Nadia) is around 89 km. There is no specified limit of Hridaypur and Kora Badamtala joins it with Madhyamgram.

About Hridaypur

If you go by local train, the distance of Hridaypur railway station from Sealdah is around 21 km or 13 miles. You can also go there by bus and it would take around 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes from Garia, Hridaypur railway station forms a part of the Sealdah-Bongaon railway track. The railway track of Hridaypur railway station divides the whole locality into two - East and West Hridaypur. The closest bus stop is Dak Bungalow more. You can also get down at Hridaypur more, which lies at the intersection of Jessore Road and Hridaypur Station Road.

Hridaypur is not a very big place but the eastern segment stretches to NH (National Highway) 34. On the other hand, if you want to see the countryside areas, then you have to visit the western portion of the place, which is bigger than the eastern portion as well.

What makes Hridaypur famous

Hridaypur is mostly famous for Pranavananda Matri Ashram. This ashram serves as a public institution for caring for the orphan girls, set up with the concepts and doctrines of Swami Pranavananda, who established the Bharat Sevashram Sangha. There is a school inside the ashram, set up with the objective of educating the kids of the locality.

I was overwhelmed by the welcoming attitude at Parijat's home. They treated me like their family member. Some photos I clicked there are available in the following link.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.963877023644656.1073741881.672990912733270&type=1  

Photogenic Group Meet on April 19, 2015

April 19, 2015 is another day which will be etched into my mind forever. On this day, I attended the group meet of Photogenic, a photography group on Facebook with around 1,130 members. This was their second meet and I attended it for the first time. I only joined the group few days back and was overwhelmed by its warm, friendly and welcoming attitude towards the members.

19th was a Sunday and it was an idle afternoon for me. So, I decided to walk out and join the meet with my trusted companion 1100D. The venue was fixed at Rabindra Sadan and I reached there at around 4:15 pm.

Everything evolves with time and photography is no exception. Previously, photography was mostly meant for documenting some crucial events. However, the meaning of photography has changed. Photography is not only a means of documenting events, but also one of the most popular hobbies in the world. However, it still has to go a long way to get the status of other forms of art such as films, painting and sculpture. However, avid photographers like us can make a huge contribution towards turning photography into one of the best prevailing art forms in the world. In fact, we can work as indispensable elements in this noble endeavor.

As time passes by, we are gradually becoming inhabitants of a virtual world. With the advent of mobile photography and Internet, the trend of capturing photos has somewhat changed. We can't swim against the tide. However, our objective is to see photos, take photos, and discuss about photos. A number of practical aspects associated with photography were discussed at the meet and the outline of the discussion is given below:

1) Bi-monthly meetups: The group has the plan of arranging meetups after every two months at a venue convenient to all the members. Experienced photographers will be invited to share their valuable thoughts.

2) Photo-walks: Members are independent to go for photo walks. They just have to mention it on the group wall. No specific permission is required for this outing.

3) Photography exhibition: Photogenic also intends to organize a photography exhibition in January/February 2016 at The Academy of Fine Arts or Gaganendra Chitra Pradarshanshala. The idea is to get a sponsor. If no sponsor is found, members will make small personal contributions to make it successful.

4) Awarding members/photographers: Photogenic has the idea of awarding the best photographers of the group. Authors of the three best photos of the year will get this award. The award will be something which will help them advance into their domain of work.

5) World Photography Day: We all know that World Photography Day is on 19th August. The group has the plan of celebrating the day in a special manner, if possible.

6) Book publication in 2017 Kolkata Book Fair: If all these efforts become successful, the group also has the plan of bringing out a book with a compilation of photos clicked by all the members in Kolkata Book Fair 2017. People who are interested in photography will know more about our group through this initiative.

7) Registering the group: If everything goes fine, the group can also be registered in 2017. There are multiple advantages of this, especially in areas where special permission is required for photography.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.958160767549615.1073741880.672990912733270&type=1

Trip to Mohor Kunja (12/04/2015)

The 12th day of April 2015 will always remain a memorable day in my life. This is the first time I went for a meeting of a photography group of which I am a member. The venue of this trip was Mohor Kunja, lying just opposite to Rabindra Sadan and it was organized by the members and Admins of the photography group - Exposure - A Happy Family. The objective of this gathering was to hold a general meeting of the members of this group and discuss the long-term objectives of the group. Besides this, an executive committee was also elected. The meeting started at around 3:30 pm in the afternoon and broke up at around 6 pm. I had the chance to communicate with a number of experienced photographers who were mostly senior to me.

After this, we had some tea and refreshments and visited a photography exhibition organized by Light and Shadow at Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshanshala or Kolkata Information Center. It was a memorable experience for me and I am looking forward to more such trips.

A brief history of Mohor Kunja

Mohor Kunja, erstwhile Citizen's Park, is a popular urban park in the city. It is situated just opposite Rabindra Sadan, on Cathedral Road. It was first opened for the public in 2005 and then its name was Citizen's Park. The name of the park was changed to Mohor Kunja in 2007 in order to pay tribute to Kanika Bandyopadhyay, eminent Rabindrasangeet singer, who is famous among all Bengalis as Mohordi. Mohor Kunja is a top tourist draw in Kolkata not only for its musical fountains or lush green lawns, but also for its outdoor stage for organizing various cultural programs. There is no entry fee for this park.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.954142464618112.1073741879.672990912733270&type=1