Pocket-friendly
A Calcutta brand launches an apparel line that is based on sustainable practices, made of handloom and has pockets
Folk from Calcutta is a brand with a point of view. As a socially conscious enterprise, it believes fast-fashion is wasteful and destructive, and is in favour of eco-friendly and sustainable patterns of consumption.
It has produced bags and other accessories earlier. “But we had been thinking about an apparel line that was functional, cost-effective, high on quality and design, and made with handloom,” says Manjir Chatterjee, founder, Folk.
“The pandemic has hit handloom weavers badly. The Folk apparel project aims at helping the weavers at this point,” says Chatterjee. The entire process of making the clothes, from dyeing the yarns to placing the end product on the shelves, follows sustainable practices.
The designs are simple, functional, minimalistic and monochromatic, and can be worn at social events, brunches, and at business meetings and events.
“Since we believe that clothing should be comfortable and also soothing to the skin, we use pure linen, silks and cotton. The ‘USP’ of our garments is the fully functional ‘pockets’ in all of the outfits,” Chatterjee adds proudly.
Folk also refuses to follow the Autumn-Winter and Spring-Summer classifications. “It has its own style of continuing through all seasons,” says Chatterjee.
The collection is available at www.folkindia.in.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Culture> Style / by The Telegraph / November 11th, 2020
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Hum a tribute to ‘Oh Malda’
Amateur musicians sing of mangoes and memories
Five amateur singers in Malda have become an overnight sensation with “Oh Malda”, a music video on the district that is the gateway to north Bengal.
On October 23, the video of White Canvas, their band, was released. Since then, the Bangla song “Oh Malda” has been widely shared on social media and has virtually become the “theme song” of the district.
Ophthalmologist Dhurjati Prasad Roy, college teacher Debraj Roy Chowdhury, entrepreneur Tanmay Das, student Sagar Saha, and engineer Jibangshu Das joined hands back in 2015 and formed the band, White Canvas.
Dhurjati Prasad said initially they would just “meet up and jam to have a good time”.
“But Soumitra Roy, a well-known folk singer of Bengal who happens to be my cousin, heard our compositions and encouraged us. We started to take ourselves a little more seriously as music-makers. This song, Oh Malda, is aimed at attracting tourists and rejuvenating the emotions of people who have roots in the district but live in various parts of the globe now,” he said.
Debraj said it helped that all of them were passionate about Malda. “This district was the capital of eastern India and undivided Bengal in the past. History and Malda are virtually synonymous. The district has mangoes, silks, a rich folk culture and many other things to offer tourists and visitors. That is why we decided on a music video tribute to showcase the uniqueness of Malda,” he said.
The first number of the album “Oh Malda” contains vivid digital presentations of the famous Jahura temple and mosques to showcase the syncretism of the district.
Monuments at Nimasarai, Foara More, which offer the possibility of numerous creative discussions and addas, have been shown in the video.
Dhurjati Prasad said many people with roots in Malda who live in other states and abroad miss the district. “They miss Malda, its heritage and culture. We want to keep them connected to their own land through music.”
Among the many people who’ve become fans of the band is Prasun Banerjee, the deputy inspector-general of police (Malda range).
“What Dhurjati, Debraj and their friends have started will surely touch the hearts of Maldaiyas (as Malda residents are colloquially known). If the district is creatively promoted, people will surely want to visit this place that has so much to offer,” the officer said.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal> Calcutta / by Soumya De Sarkar / Malda / November 04th, 2020
Pandemic shut his restaurant, then he saw opportunity in it
Surojit Rout of Kolkata now delivers food to COVID-19 patients who need simple, healthy meals
The lockdown forced by COVID-19 pushed nearly everybody in the restaurant business — particularly in a food-loving city like Kolkata — into a corner from where they could see only two possibilities: sink or swim.
While many did sink, downing their shutters for good, many others stayed afloat by home-delivering the same food that once attracted customers to their establishments. But a few, like Surojit Rout, chose to reinvent themselves: by delivering food to patients recovering at home.
It was in August 2018 that Mr. Rout, a London-returned former solutions architect, started a restaurant called Ekdalia Rd — named after the neighbourhood, Ekdalia — in south Kolkata’s Ballygunge area. It was just about beginning to gain popularity when the virus struck and it never reopened after the imposition of lockdown.
Once the restrictions were eased, he began getting requests from friends and clients across the world who wanted home-like food to be delivered to their elderly parents and relatives living in Kolkata. That’s when he realised that there was an increasing demand for simple healthy meals and also that the demand was going to last for a long time to come.
So a month ago, he — along with a friend Ipshita Banerjee Bhandary, an ad professional and a home cook — started Dietfixx, with the purpose of delivering diabetic-friendly food to those unwell (including COVID-19 patients) and also to the elderly and working professionals.
“We have been around for only four weeks but the response has been encouraging. Of the total number of daily orders, five to six are for COVID-19 patients. Our clients also include quite a few cancer patients,” said Mr. Rout.
“My idea was to create an ecosystem that benefited everybody. The food is prepared by home cooks based in different areas of the city — it’s a sustainable model for them at a time when they themselves or their spouses might have lost their job or faced a pay cut,” he said.
Mr. Rout’s new business is indicative of two things: that more and more people in Kolkata are using their personal kitchen for supplementing their income; and that it is no longer considered unusual for a COVID-19 patient to get treated at home.
“So far we must have served nearly 100 families with a COVID-19 patient or patients in their midst. These are early days and we are still evolving. But I must say that the entire team, including the home cooks, are working round the clock to ensure seamless delivery of food,” Mr. Rout said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kolkata / by Bishwanath Ghosh / Kolkata – November 04th, 2020
City gets first racing team
Kolkata:
For motor sports enthusiasts in the City of Joy, it’s time to cheer! In a proud moment, the city got its first racing team with the official launch of ‘Kolkata Joba Racing’ on November 3.
The team was launched by Firhad Hakim, state urban development and municipal affairs minister, who is also the chairman of Board of Administrators, Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
The team is being promoted by Debdutta Mukherjee, popularly known as John Mukherjee – India’s first and only Marshal at the Formula I and Tathagata Mukherjee, a Formula 3 racer.
“It is indeed an exciting moment. Over the last few years, motor sports in the country have gained tremendous popularity particularly in cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai.
However, there was no representation from Kolkata, which is so passionate when it comes to sports and culture. This racing team will surely go all over the world and make our city proud,” said Hakim, during the launch.
A racing event is scheduled to be held in Chennai this month and the racing team from Kolkata will be participating giving the sports fanatics of the city to cheer its own racing team.
source: http://www.millenniumpost.in / Millennium Post / Home> Kolkata / by Team MP / November 04th, 2020
Four Bengal climbers head to scale Ama Dablam
Kolkata:
For the first time from Bengal, 4 mountaineers will soon start their expedition to one of the most aesthetic and challenging peaks in the Himalayas—Mt. Ama Dablam. The peak rises 6,856 meters in elevation.
Overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic, the mountaineers—Satyarup Siddhanta , Malay Mukherjee, Kiran Patra and Debasish Biswas, have already reached Nepal. The climbers left the city to reach Siliguri by train on November 1. They had to follow the stringent COVID guidelines of the Nepal government before leaving for the final expedition.
“We will face the daunting task amid the chilling weather conditions. When we will be scaling the mountain, the temperature is expected to hover around minus 40 degree Celsius mark. The steepness of the peak will be another hurdle that we will have to overcome. If everything goes as per plan, the expected summit will end on November 24 or 25,” said Siddhanta.
Interestingly, Prince of Bahrain will simultaneously take up the expedition along with the Bengali mountaineers. They will be assisted by a team of experienced Sherpas.
The team claimed that chances of frost or blizzard during the summit would be minimum. Rudra Prasad Halder, who works with the state Police, was also expected to join the expedition. However, Halder—who had climbed Mt Everest in 2016—had to stay back for official reasons.
source: http://www.millenniumpost.in / Millennium Post / Home> Kolkata / by MPost / November 03rd, 2020