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 

Trip To Patuli Nursery (11/02/2015)

There are a number of nurseries in Baishnabghata Patuli Township. They are closely located to Dhalai Bridge, just before Shahid Khudiram Metro Station. They draw a considerable number of onlookers and customers on a daily basis. People who love flowers throng these places and look for their favorite choices. Starting from Patuli four-point crossing, these flower vending shops are scattered along both sides of the Eastern Metropolitan Bye-pass.

Types of flowers displayed in these nurseries

Flowers displayed here in these nurseries include but not limited to orchids, petunia, rose, sunflower, hibiscus, ornamental cabbage, nayantara (Catharanthus roseus), marigold, strawberry and so on. These plants are regularly watered and tended by a number of people who work for the owners of these nurseries. There are many nurseries across Kolkata but these nurseries are quite big in comparison to them, displaying a wide array of known and unknown flowers.

I went there along with my photography enthusiast friend Kunalda on 11th February, 2015 and clicked around 120 photos with my Canon EOS 1100D. The photo album link is given below. This might help those who are keen to buy flowers to decorate their balcony or lawn.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.921679677864391.1073741876.672990912733270&type=3

Trip To Kolkata Book Fair 2015

I am a bookworm and I don't miss the Kolkata Book Fair at any cost unless there is something extremely urgent in my work schedule. This year was no different. I went there along with my friend Kunalda on Fourth February.

About the Kolkata Book Fair

Kolkata Book Fair, also known as the International Kolkata Book Fair in English and কলকাতা বইমেলা বা কলকাতা পুস্তকমেলা in Bengali, is a fair which is held during the winter months in Kolkata. The fair is famous for a number of reasons, for example it is the book fair attracting highest number of visitors in the world and also the biggest book fair in Asia. Kolkata Book Fair has attained the position of the biggest non-commercial book fair in the world, as well. We Bengalis should feel proud to know that Kolkata Book Fair features the third largest yearly collection of books only next to the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair. We the residents of Kolkata regard this fair as an integral part of our cultural heritage. This fair opens up an opportunity for a multifaceted display of books, culture, and art under a single roof and is visited by around 2-2.5 million people every year. Previously, the venue was Kolkata Maidan. However, nowadays it is held at the Milan Mela ground, just opposite Science City Auditorium. The organizer of this fair is Book Sellers and Publishers Guild.

Kolkata Book Fair 2015   

Every year, there is a central theme for this fair and this year, the focal theme for the fair was Great Britain. This was the 39th edition of the fair (the first one being held in 1976) and it continued from 27 January to 8 February. Though I did not take my camera with me, some mobile clicks are available in the link given below.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.917100098322349.1073741875.672990912733270&type=3 

Puja Parikrama (Patuli and adjoining areas)

I live in Baishnabghata Patuli Township, which is a comparatively new area in the southern suburbs of the city. A number of Durga Pujas are held in my area some of which earn notable rewards and recognition in various criteria such as pandal decoration, idol, lighting and so on. So, in three consecutive years (2012, 2013, and 2014), I went out with my camera to capture some of the views of this popular festival.

I mostly covered Patuli Central Club, Baishnabghata Patuli Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Uttar Purba Baishnabghata Patuli Durgotsab, Kendua Shanti Sangha, Jatrashuru Sangha, Patuli Ghoshpara Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Rabindrapally Sarbojonin Durgotsab, and Chaitali Club. Going out during the festive season with your trusted camera is fun, especially when it comes to Durga Puja. The enthusiasm among people visiting pandals till the wee hours of the morning is noteworthy. I mostly used Sony Cybershot DSC-S3000 and Canon PowerShot SX500 IS to capture these shots.

Photo album links: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.844957318869961.1073741867.672990912733270&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/susmitbharadwaj/media_set?set=a.600673493322704.1073741828.100001401776652&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/susmitbharadwaj/media_set?set=a.436919276364794.101272.100001401776652&type=3

Trips To Victoria Memorial (1 and 2)

I went to Victoria Memorial, one of the most famous architectural landmarks in Kolkata, on two occasions. The first trip was a solo trip and on the second one, I was accompanied by Kaushikda, who is also a photography enthusiast like me. The first trip took place on February 8, 2014 and the latter on September 18, 2014.

A Brief History of Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial, also known as the Victoria Memorial Hall, is a museum situated on the Maidan, by the riverbanks of the Hooghly river. This Indo-Saracenic revivalist style architectural wonder was constructed by William Emerson, a famous British architect. The construction activities began in 1906 and completed in 1921. So, it took almost 15 years to finish the construction work of this architectural marvel. It was built to pay homage to Queen Victoria and recently has been transformed into a tourist draw and museum and is under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. David Prain and Lord Redesdale planned the lawns of this place and when you visit this, you will see a blend of Egyptian, Venetian, Islamic and Deccani pattern architecture in this masterpiece. The entire building was constructed with marble.

Location

The closest metro station is Maidan and the address is Queen's Way, Kolkata, WB, India. It is just within walking distance from the metro station and Jawaharlal Nehru Road. A number of BBD Bag< Howrah and Esplanade bound buses also ply near this area.

Things To See

The Angel of Victory, a statue, lies over the central dome of the memorial. In addition, there are other attractions like the Royal Gallery, the Calcutta Gallery, the National Leaders Gallery, central hall, the Portrait Gallery, the Arms and Armory Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, the lakes and the gardens. King Edward VII memorial arch is another aspect to be seen here and there are statues of governor generals such as Cornwallis, Hastings, Wellesley, Clive, Bentinck, Ripon, Curzon and Dalhousie.

Photo album links: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.719089784790049.1073741858.672990912733270&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.838911719474521.1073741866.672990912733270&type=3