Monthly Archives: November 2016
Kolkata: Streets of India festival showcases street food, arts
The rasogollas, a signature sweet of Bengal, is available in tangy pudina and dhaniya avatars, besides paan and yummy mixed fruit and pista crush.
The ongoing ‘Streets of India Festival’ in Kolkata showcasing fashion and food festival, is a gastronome’s paradise with mind boggling 170 varieties of rasogolla and 34 flavours of fusion icecream waiting to be savoured. The rasogollas, a signature sweet of Bengal, is available in tangy pudina and dhaniya avatars, besides paan and yummy mixed fruit and pista crush.
“We have used natural colours for 170 varieties of rosogollas with no preservatives. In keeping with the fast food tradition there are varieties like cappuccino, phuchka and green chilli. Also there are fusions like golgappa rasogolla, a fusion inspired by a popular Delhi’s fast food,” its owner Swati Saraf told media.
She said in keeping with the theme of the event the sweets were given a different spin by introducing bitter and chilli tastes which became an instant hit with the visitors.
There was no dip in footfall despite the currency crunch, she claimed. The lip-smacking fusion ice creams included the natural tender coconut flavor, caramel crunch, rose (sugar tree), south Indian coffee and kesaria rabri malai to fit the quick grab concept of street food.
“Anjeer (dry fruit) and seven varieties of paan flavoured icecreams are our signature items this festival. But yes we are a little way behind expected sales apparently due to crunch of big currencies,” a stall spokesman said.
While a lady customer was seen paying through card for her choice of lemon grass icecream, another said she was not familiar with card or electronic wallet use and was finding it difficult to use her now demonetised Rs 1000 currency note.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Art and Culture / by PTI / Kolkata / November 13th, 2016
Tournament in paddlers’ hub Siliguri – After 5 years, national championship to be hosted in cradle of table tennis
Siliguri:
The paddlers’ cradle of Bengal will host the National Cadet and Sub-Junior Table Tennis Tournament from January 1-6, 2017, that will see over 700 players battling for hours.
The players will be in the under-12 and under-15 age groups and the event organised by the Table Tennis Federation of India.
“A large-scale event like a national championship in any town creates excitement among local players as well as sports lovers. Siliguri has hosted some national table tennis championships but this one is being held after four-five years,” Amit Dam, a table tennis coach who has run the Siliguri Table Tennis Academy since 1993, said.
Siliguri has a special place on the table tennis map of India as it has produced three Arjuna awardees – Mantu Ghosh, Subhajit Saha and Sounyajit Ghosh – and several other table tennis players from the town.
The event, announced today, has made youngsters, senior and veteran players, coaches and sports lovers, enthusiastic.
Siliguri has 16 coaching centres where over 500 kids regularly practice under the watchful eyes of several former players like Mantu Ghosh and Subrata Roy.
“Siliguri has been known for table tennis for decades as the town has bred many table tennis paddlers of Bengal who have played and achieved success in different tourneys. What can be a better sport event than a national-level table tennis championship?” Mantu, a former national champion and the first Arjuna awardee of Siliguri, said today.
However, Mantu and some other veterans of the game simultaneously pointed that as Siliguri did not hold any major national championship in past five years – in 2007 the seniors’ national championship was held here and the national championship of juniors and youths in 2011 – interest has waned in the game.
“We have paddlers enrolling at the coaching centres everyday but performance-wise, the town could not produce younger players who could prove their mettle at championships in recent years,” Mantu said.
At this point, she said, a tournament here will encourage young paddlers to continue honing their skills.
“I have been playing for two years and am yet to secure the necessary ranking to play at a national tourney. It would have been excellent if I would have got a chance to play in the tournament that would be held here,” Swapnil Mitra, a Class VII student who is coached by Mantu, said. “It would be great to watch matches and learn new skills.”
This afternoon, state tourism minister Gautam Deb, said: “In total, 715 players from different parts of the country will participate. A sum of Rs 50 lakh would be spent, out of which the state will bear Rs 15 lakh. The winners, along with medals and trophies, would be provided with cash awards totalling Rs 4.75 lakh.”
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph,Calcutta,India / Front Page> North Bengal> Story / by The Telegraph Correspondent / Saturday – November 12th, 2016
Bengal entrepreneurs flock for a slice of defence budget pie
Kolkata :
A few months ago when the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) made an effort to introduce Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in West Bengal to the defence sector, there were few takers. On Friday, there was overwhelming response at the CII’s 7th Industry Defence Linkage in the city with entrepreneurs aiming at a slice of the huge defence budget pie.
“The Army is best suited as its relatively easier to meet our requirements. Our requirements are simply humongous. Of the 130-140 schemes at any time, nearly 40% are below Rs 150 crore. This makes wider participation possible.
Even big ticket items like armour and artillery are integrated systems of sub-systems. There are over 100 vendors for the T-90 tank and at one point it has to come down to MSMEs. We are looking for new technology dozers and other equipment. There is great potential in eastern India where there are a number of mines,” Lt Gen Subrata Saha, deputy chief of Army staff (planning and system) said during the event.
According to him, the Army is already interacting with academic institutions like the Indian Institute if Science and IITs to enable technology development. MSMEs can easily participate for supply of equipment worth more than $ 9.6 billion that is now imported.
“There is no reason why this kind of money should be allowed to leave the country. We took industrialists and scientists to the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir so they may form their own opinions and come up with suggestions. After the Uri attack, two persons came up with very good suggestions that have been forwarded. We also plan to take industrialists and scientists from the east to Sikkim for a similar experience,” Lt Gen Saha said.
Among the others who spoke at the conference were V S Noronha, vice president, Tata Motors, Rajib Chakraborty, general manager, Gun & Shell Factory, Cossipore, K R Nautiyal, IG and commander, Coast Guard Region (North East), Rear Admiral S P Lal, assistant chief of material, Indian Navy and Air Commodore H S Basra, principal director (plans), Air Force Headquarters.
Noronha appreciated Lt Gen Saha’s efforts to move from city to city in a bid to encourage Indian entrepreneurs. There has been a lot of effort in promoting Make in India in the last two years and this has provided long term opportunities for entrepreneurs, he said. He felt that defence clusters can be set up at several locations and funding can be arranged by CII’s SME Finance Facilitation Centre. Commander Nautiyal said that entrepreneurs can look towards participating during maintenance of ships and refits.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kolkata News / by Jayanta Gupta / TNN / November 09th, 2016
Kolkata artist to give shirish tree a makeover at Nandan
A 30-feet shirish tree that stood tall on the Nandan campus and played host to numerous discussions involving film buffs is set for a makeover. Nandan witnessed many discussions among movie-lovers on Truffaut and Godard over lemon tea sitting under the shirish tree.
But now, one might find it difficult to locate the same tree. Covered with tarpaulin, men are seen with saw and hammers carving the tree to give it a shape.
Deep Saha, a pass out of Government College of Arts & Craft, Kolkata, in 1998, is working on a tree sculpture at Nandan campus for beautification before the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) that begins on November 11.
“I wanted to do something with the tree and hence asked the KIFF authorities if I could do a sculpture on it. I was given a free hand,” said the 41-year-old sculptor.
Saha’s sculpture draws inspiration from musical instruments and films. “Since it is a figurative sculpture, it will be an amalgamation of human figures and musical instruments. I also plan to experiment with colours,” said Saha, who has also done the hand-shaped fountain near Raj Bhavan, Esplanade. He has also made sculptures to beautify the city at Eco Park, Princep Ghat and Mahajati Sadan.
It’s been just eight days since the Golf Green resident has started working on the sculpture at Nandan campus. He informed that he spends approximately 12 hours every day on the sculpture. “The work won’t be complete within November 11. We will again start working after the KIFF gets over,” said Saha, who has done shows in Mumbai.
In the meantime, Saha is excited to have received an offer from union shipping minister Nitin Gadkari to make sculptures in Delhi. However, he is yet to meet the minister and discuss the offer.
Atri Bhattacharya, information and cultural affairs secretary, said chief minister wanted to start the renovation work at Nandan for a long time. “Before the film festival begins, the film buffs will have a renewed Nandan campus, which will be more environment friendly,” he said.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by Anindita Acharya, Hindustan Times, New Delhi / November 09th, 2016