Rendezvous with Kolkata-as it was

James Prinsep was an Anglo-Indian scholar and antiquary. From 1819 to 1838 he was assay-master in the India Government Mint. Apart from architectural work (chiefly at Benaras), his leisure was devoted to Indian inscriptions and numismatics. He is most noted as a philologist for fully deciphering and translating the rock edicts of Asoka from Brahmi script.

He arrived in Calcutta on September 15, 1819 and at the age of twenty, joined the service of the East India Company as Assay Master at the Government mint in Benaras. While at Benaras, he completed the new mint building according to his own plan and also built a church. He also rebuilt the famous minarets of Aurangzeb and built a fine bridge over the Karamansa River.

He ultimately became assay-master at the main Government mint at Calcutta in 1832, succeeding Dr. Wilson, whom he likewise succeeded as secretary of the Asiatic Society. During James Prinsep's years in the mint he reformed weights and measures, introduced a uniform coinage and devised a balance so delicate as to indicate the three-thousandth part of a grain (.1944 mg). At Calcutta he was on the committee for municipal improvements and distinguished himself by improving the city drainage system by constructing a tunnel connecting the Hooghly River with the Sunderbans Mangrove forest.

Erected to the Honor of James Prinsep by His Fellow Citizen

Prinsep's Ghat, an archway on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, was erected to his memory by the citizens of Calcutta in 1841. It is now the venue of the Prinsep Ghat Cultural Festival, a unique cultural event organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932) was a India-born British doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. His discovery of the malarial parasite in the Anopheles mosquito led to the realization that malaria was transmitted by Anopheles, and laid the foundation for combating the disease. The picture shows the gate beside the small laboratory in the Presidency General Hospital, Kolkata, where he made his famous discovery.

In Kolkata, the road linking Presidency General Hospital with Kidderpore Road has been renamed after him as Sir Ronald Ross Sarani.

Durgapuja 2009

Probably our most memorable Durgapuja to date... and the downpour surely added up to the charm!!! it feels horribly awkward to be standing in a queue while getting absolutely drenched...

Well, for me, life changed for ever after that day... for good, of course!!!

Love to look back to that day, even after more than one year have passed... Here are some memories... Cherished memories!!!

South City Mall on the Mahasaptami

Basically, we have started our journey from this South City Mall in particular... The rendezvous on 14th May, 2009.

The Very Special Suruchi Sangha: An Once in a Lifetime Experience

Buddham Namami

'Nalanda', meaning 'Insatiable in Giving', is an ancient Buddhist center of learning. The history of Nalanda dates back to the time of Buddha and Mahavira in 6th century B.C. It was established during the reign of the Gupta King Kumaragupta. It is one of the world's first residential universities. In its heyday it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. Some buildings were constructed by the Mauryan King Ashoka. King Harshavardhana and the Pala Kings continued to extend patronage to this center. Turkic Muslim invader Bakhtiyar Khalji sacked Nalanda in 1193 and this resulted in the decline of this great monastic learning center.

The Sariputta Stupa

Nalanda is the place of birth and Nirvana of Sariputta, one of the two chief male disciples of Buddha. King Ashoka is said to have built this stupa in the memory of Sariputta. The Buddha is mentioned as having several times stayed at Nalanda.

The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building. The excavations conducted by Archaeological survey of India during 1915-37 and 1974-82 have revealed the remains of six brick temples and eleven monasteries arranged on a systematic layout. A 30mtr wide passage runs North-South with the row of temples on the west and that of the monasteries on the east of it.

In 2006, Singapore, China, India, Japan, and other nations, announced a proposed plan to restore and revive the ancient site as Nalanda International University. It is a dream project of the former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam.

Shimla: Summer Capital of the Raj

Shivalik Express

The Kalka-Simla Railway has been inscribed upon UNESCO World Heritage List. This 2ft 6in narrow gauge, 96km long railway line passes through 102 tunnels, 864 bridges and 917 curves of which few are as sharp as 48 degree. The stations en-route have fairy-tale set up and the view is breathtaking.

Indian Institute of Advanced Study

Now a residential centre for research in the humanities and social sciences, it was built in 1885 to serve as the Viceregal Lodge. During the months from March to October, the whole of the Indian Subcontinent was ruled from the summer capital Simla, and from this building in particular. This huge edifice was created in Scottish baronial style. It was the first govt building to have electricity. In the struggle for Indian independence and the negotiation which led to the partition, crucial meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah took place here.

Twilit

'Sundori Bipasha'-A View of the Beas