InDepth

An average child takes around five years to fully develop the five senses; so, counting out those formative years makes this Christmas my absolute 28th. Back in my birthplace, today is "Boro Din" or "Bara Din" meaning that it is a day when the "day" starts to elongate itself. Indeed, it means many things on the subtext - among others, it means that more luminous days commence hereafter. In today's edition of InDepth, on the day of Christmas, let us dwell on some aspects of this eternal light. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." - the famous quotation from the Great Bible symbolizes a unique phenomenon. It is the phenomenon of light - the same light that is both peripheral, superficial as well as inwardly, spiritual. God wishes for light, transports His message to all, and finds Jesus to universalize His appeal. The small boy in me, looking at the picture of The Christ, on the very day of Christmas, once asked his ad...

I often get a simple question from my friends. They ask me what the most popular Swedish cuisines are. I usually take the easiest route. I list down a few of my own favorites. The list is not new. It has been the same since the first year I had started to explore food in this country. It might sound a little cliché but all my encounters with my favorite Swedish dishes were filled with a lot of curiosity and expectation. It was thrilling. Before trying the local stuff, I had been cooking and taking my own food to the office and eating it there with other colleagues. It usually works that way in the beginning. But then one day I decided to try something new. I went straight to the office canteen and ordered the non-vegetarian menu. Before this, I had never tried continental food. Baked Salmon: Salmon is a kind of fish that tastes very close to an Indian breed called Hilsa . For those of us that come from West Bengal (the eastern part of India) are, by and large, genuine fi...

The topic for today’s edition is "Subarnarekha" – an immortal creation done by the legendary filmmaker, Ritwik Ghatak, from Bengal. There are several subtopics that we can touch upon as we discuss about the film. These include – partition of India, post-independent chaos, Ritwik's glory and early success at IPTA (the Indian People’s Theater Association), his fascination for Communism and subsequent dissatisfaction, his failures, his own society's indifferent attitude towards his magnanimous talent, his own men betraying him and eventually crushing him in the most disrespectful way. As per records, the movie was released in 1965. Right from the onset, the movie takes off with a terrific clip. Two friends Haraprasad and Ishwar want to help a community affected by the terrible aftermath of the partition. Both are talented; however, one is seemingly selfish. One is flamboyant, he protests when the other wants to leave the place to start a fresh remunerative life. The ...

The famous Bengali actor Prasenjit Chatterjee once said – whenever a filmmaker like Yash Chopra stands behind the camera and directs a project he ends up making a beautiful film! A film that bears his signature and style. From breaking away from his brother's production house, producing films on his own, working with superstars, working with legends, working with the megastar, creating a new superstar – he has done it all. The millennium had just set in, the audience was getting matured, the deep emotional quotient of the boundary was still relevant, and a bunch of talents was coming up to showcase their brilliance.                                                                                       The filmmaker arrived once again; this time, with his son penni...

                             It is not so often that we hear about unusual therapies. How many times have we heard about a doctor prescribing "Song therapy" to a patient suffering from a psychological imbalance ? Or, has any of us heard things like "Snake Message Therapy" for removing body ache ? Likewise, have we ever been asked to visit a "Beer Spa" to rejuvenate ourselves ? Though some people might have heard about "Urine Therapy" for better health, has anyone heard about "Ear Candling" as some kind of solution to get tranquility in life ? However though, therapies are often weird. The topic for today is to take a look at one such unusual therapy. In the end, it might be so that it does not remain so unusual after all! Let us see! ................................................................................. ................................................................... ..........................

Once an industrial and now a cosmopolitan, Malmö, the third largest city of Sweden has managed to nicely maintain its old-world charm. It has grown older for sure, parts of it have even got a modern look, still, somehow the heritage is intact. Drottninggatan is a street located in the old part of Malmö. It is like any other street of an old European city. It has a lot of parked cars, a bunch of shops and a few apartment entrances. Apart from the charm it is food that takes me to this part of the city. The restaurant in focus is a Chinese one. A Chinese restaurant in a Swedish town. From the very first look, the restaurant gives an impression of neatness and aesthetics. Well-decorated and well-maintained, it can easily attract the passerby. The first time I visited a well-known Chinese restaurant was way back in 2001. It was the traditional Peiping in Kolkata, India. A few college friends took me to the place and I really loved the food. Back in my home country Chinese f...

A landscape full of slopes usually makes an interesting composition for a painter. Kirseberg is no exception. Kirseberg is a city within a city. It is a century-old settlement on the east side of Malmö (Sweden), and is very beautiful. On one hand, it has got a lot of greenery around it. On the other hand, it has sprawling houses, shops and showrooms embracing the modern world. Somewhere in the heart of its history lies a small street bearing a touch of heritage. The street has a name – Korngatan . There is a small road by the name Kirsebergsgatan which leads to the very picturesque Korngatan . There is also another landmark building opposite to Korngatan – it is an old school by the name Kirsebergsskolan . Each step through the walkway leaves one mesmerized. First, a stone-paved alley opens a visually charming picture in front of our eyes.  The fenced houses are calm and serene. Almost all the houses have well-maintained gardens. Flowers and colors are in abundance. ...