Romance of Durga Puja: Away from Home the Heart Longs for Kolkata

The early morning Azure sky on the ‘City of Nizams’ is filled with the festive spirit. Today as I sit down with a cup of coffee and my laptop, I can hear the sound of drum beats as people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi here. The generally silent and disciplined neighborhood around my apartment is in a festive frenzy, children screaming in joy, prayer bells ringing and the scent of the incense all around .There are celebrations overnight. The drum beats seems like Dhak to my ears and dawns a sudden realization in me, Durga Puja , the greatest festival of the Bengalis is fast approaching.

The changing colour of the autumn sun in the far away skyline is touching my chord of nostalgia,  I am reminded of my ancestral home in South Kolkata, the smell of Sheuli in the backyard of my house, the Gariahat road bustling with crazy shoppers and friends, cousins and family basking in merriment. The taste of luchi, Alur dum, Khichuri Bhog and Payesh seem to tingle my taste buds .Durga Puja or Pujo as we coin it is one thing that unites Bengalis all over the world. No matter where one is located, the feeling of ‘Maa Ashchen’ invariably transports us to our homeland -Bengal. I realize something is surely missing here!

                                      

                                                                      picture source: Life is Love, To Live For Love, And To Remembered As Loved (Album) (picasa)

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Durga Puja outside Bengal has a different flavour all together. There is no Kumortuli here, no New Market and no Para Club culture. Puja here represents the imbibed way of life and diverse social mores of the Probashi Bengali. The Durga Puja here reflects the pride and assertion of the upcoming upwardly mobile, affluent and ambitious bengalis residing in posh colonies. There is a huge display of wealth in the name of Durga Puja, branded sponsors make the Puja a Glitterati affair. Prominent showbiz personalities make their presence on the Pandals . The pujo rituals performed are ostentatious and less ethnic in nature.

I am feeling this change. In my childhood years Pujo marked the home-coming and gathering for one and all in the family. No matter where in the world, Bengalis traveled back to their motherland just as the Goddess traveled with her family to her earthly abode to bless us. Today we are nucleated in different places. I am not going home this Pujo.

The monsoon clouds have waved good- bye, paving the way for the blue sky and a nip in the autumn air. The early dawn sheds dew drops on the innumerable Kaashphool besides the river banks back home……I finish my coffee and realize that I need to warm up for a busy day . I take my shower, rummage through the cloth stack to wear something, grab a bite of toast and head for the office bus.

But the nostalgia still overpowers my thoughts; I prepare myself for a new beginning. I look forward to embrace life in this new turf, celebrate Pujo in the same spirit with my new-found Bengali and non Bengali friends here. For me Pujo 2011 will be a search for tradition in modernity and a fond remembrance of the days gone by.

About the Author-

Srirupa Ganguly is Editor in Capegemini India. She lives in Hyderabad and is in perennial love with writing. Having a distinct style of her own and wide experience in writing for quite a period of time, she is known for her insightful view on events.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.

Bollywood's New Promotional Strategy

Bollywood took a leap forward in 2001 when the government gave it industry status, that is, banks were allowed to lend to it money. Cash from criminals was previously thought to finance many movies, legitimate funds helped in making the industry professional. But until very recently, the films themselves did not change much. Marketing, profit and loss are very much a part of it. Like any other field here also there is huge competition and competitors. So bollywood giants like UTV, Sony pictures, Reliance entertainment etc are doing aggressive marketing. They simply promote or “market” their “product” or film. This has become compulsory to get money back as soon as possible from a huge, uncertain and unstable customers.

                                         

                                                                                                                  picture source:  karunakar guttikonda  (picasa)

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Big production houses like UTV, Sony etc spend about 40-45% of their budget in promotion and so on. However, now-a-days, there is competition in promotion also. Every time they want to try a new idea to promote. These creative promotions became popular after Bollywood's perfectionist Aamir Khan’s creative promotion of Taare Zameen Par and Ghajini. For Ghajini he made 8 pack abs and new hairstyle, which was later known as Ghajini style (a huge success in publicity). Just hoardings, posters, interviews, muhrat, song release ceremony have become out dated. Now they are trying something 'new'. 

Spice has also become a part of modern marketing recipe. Sometimes it adds flavour or ruins the preparation. Anurag Basu’s Kites made its promotion through controversy. There was a huge gossip about the Hrithik-Sushan-Barbara relation. It became big news. People became curious about the film and this ploy reaped dividends. In first three weeks the film had an impressive box-office presence before failing in the long run. Huge publicity did help in infusing some life in an otherwise dull movie. 

Another example is, Dabangg. Salman Khan and Sohail Khan production made history. Everyone loved Chulbul Pandey and there was a craze for Dabangg sunglasses with love sign on it. Dance steps became famous as Dabangg step. Publicity did wonders for the film!

Promotion is also done through various reality show or soaps. Main lead actors of a film slated to be released appear in various reality shows. During the times of KBC 1 Madhuri Dixit came in the show to play as well as to promote her next film Devdas, opposite of Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. But now-a-days it is a trend. Lafangey Parindey, Dabang, Anjana Anjani etc all used the platform of reality show to promote themselves.

Now various soaps and serials have became promotional agents. To promote the film Khatta Meetha, Akshay Kumar Arrived at the set of Sasural Genda Phool-a serial of Star Plus. Recently for the film Bodyguard Salman Khan was seen in the sets of Na Aana Iss Desh Lado another soap of the channel, Colours. After all it needs to be remembered that- “Jo dikhta hai wohi bikta hai!" 

About the Author-

Moon Jana is an announcer at All India Radio, Siliguri, West Bengal, India. She did her Masters in Journalism & Mass Communication from Visva-Bharati University.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.

A Wonder Called Nepal

Nepal is a beautiful landlocked country surrounded by China and India from North and South. Being a Himalayan country, its climatic features are unique in the world.

Its natural beauty has made it an attractive travel destination . The famous cave of Mahendra, Bat Cave, Ghuptshor Cave are famous tourist’s spots. Lake of Fewa in Pokhara and Begnas Lake in Kaski are delightful places for boating, swimming, fishing and other recreational activities. Tourists also experience the adventure of Para gliding, Rafting, Trekking, Bongi Jump and Crayoning.

                                      

                                                                            picture source:  thich8 photos (picasa)

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Nepal has an array of ancient temples, palaces and shrine, square and courtyard and is considered as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. Pashupatinath Temple is the holiest Hindu pilgrimage site in Nepal. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the shrines and temples of Pashupatinath attract thousands of visitors from within and outside the country every year. In the Kathmandu Valley one finds the impressive double roofed Changunarayan Temple considered to be the most ancient Vishnu temple. Bodhnath Stupa is a fine example of Tibetan Culture in the heart of the Kathmandu Valley. The strikingly beautiful Golden Gate is Nepal’s pride. Hanuman Dhoka is also a favourite place for the tourists. Dhulikhel, a beautiful place in Nepal offers a wonderful view of the snow-covered mountain ranges.

Jungle Safari in Sauraha can be a lifetime experience for the tourists. In the forests visitors can get a glimpse of the one-horned rhinos, rhesus monkey, bear, grey langoor, dear, leopards, wild elephant, wild boar, wild dog, gaur and other animal species. If luck is on the side of the tourists they can also get a view of the Tiger. There are also different species of birds-both native and migratory. A canoing trip provides the opportunity for the tourists to see mugger and gharial crocodiles sun bathing on the banks of the Rapti and Budhi Rapti Rivers.

Nagarkot in Nepal is also a famous tourism destination which is 2175m above sea level and is the weekend gateway for tourists who love to see the panoramic view of mountain, sunrise, sunset and the blossoming beauty of nature. Kathmandu Durbar Square listed in the 8^th Cultural World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is the home of various inspiring temples, courtyards and palaces. It offers unique experience of visit to Nepal. The town of Dharan was established when a thick jungle was cleared for small human settlements in 1890s. Although Dharan doesn’t possess so many places of natural beauty, it’s a tourist centre of the eastern part of the country as it is the gateway to the eastern hilly districts.

Apart from being an ideal travel destination, the country Nepal also bears a dark side which is unknown to most of the people. Bayalpata Hospital in Achham district in remote far western Nepal still lacks the surgical capability for providing cesarean deliveries and they have the ability to save 1 out of every 20 child births. The pollution is the worst among the problems which the country faces. The mountains from Pokhara can be seen but the smog makes the view quite depressing. Kathmandu is a thriving tourist destination but a thriving black market and corruption are its main irritants.

Recently Nepal Electricity Board has declared that there will be power cuts for 12 hours in a day. A depressing fact for the tourists indeed! Nepal's charm is unquestionable but it has to come out of this darkness soon to become a tourism paradise.

However, this does not take away the multiple advantages that Nepal has as a tourist spot. Problems exist in every country and Nepal is no exception. The natural beauty that she has is God's gift, now the human beings have to pull up their socks and make it a class apart.

About the Author- 

Sayanti Ghosh is student of Journalism and Mass Communication at Muralidhar Girl's College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.

Messi.... Messi...Messi-New Maradona creates magic in Kolkata

Considered the best football player of his generation and one of the best players of all-time, Luis Lionel Andres Messi is an illustrious player of Argentina national football (soccer) team and now plays for FC Barcelona as a striker or winger. At the age of 21 he was nominated as FIFA World Player of the Year and won the award in 2009 and 2010. His playing style and ability is often compared with that of Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi as his “successor”.

Messi was born in June 24, 1984 in Rosario, Santa Fe in Argentina. His father Jorge Horacio Messi worked as a factory steel worker and mother Celia Maria Cuccittini was a part – time cleaner. He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias and a sister named Maria Sol. His paternal family originates from Italian city of Ancona.

                                       picture source: Vir Vkram Singh (picasa)
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Lionel Messi's experience with football started at the age of 5. He joined the training sessions of the club Grandoli. It was a local club where his father was coaching at that time. Little Messi was very much close to his father and they both knew that this club would not be one to offer the boy a future as a soccer player. So his father decided to switch over to Newell’s Old Boys in 1995 when Messi was just 8 years old. It is one of the most prestigious youth academies in Argentina.

Three years after this Messi ran into trouble with his health as he was detected with growth hormone deficiency. He was considered a huge future talent by then and this came as a bolt from the blue. Fortunately, FC Barcelona came to Messi’s life as an Angel and put him in the right track. They learned of his problem and decided to help him out. Messi soon signed with Barcelona’s youth team and moved to Spain for his treatment.

In 2003-2004, at the age of 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly match with Porto. It marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004 in the following championship-winning season in Barcelona’s derby win against Espanyol at Olympic stadium (0-1). On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for Barcelona against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. With several frontline team players seriously injured, the service of reserve team players was called upon and Messi became a regular feature of Barca squads.

He was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national football team. However, he declined the offer to represent his own nation. In June 2004 he got the opportunity to play for Argentina. He played in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In June 2005 he played for Argentina under-20 team that won the Football World Youth Championship played in Netherland. In this championship Messi flourished as a player and got the golden Boot as top scorer with 6 goals and the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament.

He made his full international début on 17^th August 2005 against Hungry at the age of 18. On 28 March 2009 , in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the first time for Argentina. 

On September 25, 2005 Messi acquired a Spanish citizenship and was able to make his début in the season’s Spanish first division. Messi’s first outing in the UEFA Champions League at the Nou Camp was on Sept 28 against Italian club Udinese. He had a great telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho. It earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000 strong spectators. The Italian newspaper Tuttospart awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, over Wayne Rooney and Lukas Podolski.

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos. He was also linked to the Argentina glamour model Luciana Salazar and was spotted with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo at a carnival in sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. In 2007 Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. On 11 march 2010 Messi was announced as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. He appears on the front covers of the video games Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and ProEvolution Soccer 2011 and takes active interest in promotional campaigns for the games.

Recently Messi mania gripped Kolkata. The FIFA friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan had Messi as the star attraction. The day went into the pages of history as Kolkata and India witnessed the magician in action.

However, despite all his achievements critics point out that he does not deliver his 100% while playing for his country. He is essentially the committed football player of Barcelona Club. 

About the Author- 

Priya Panda is student of Journalism and Mass Communication at Muralidhar Girl's College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.

September is here!

August is now a matter of history and we are in the month of September. This is how life is, what ever we do today will become a part of history in the days to come. The month of August was eventful for Dispassionate Observer because a number of articles were published which discussed on a range of issues and happenings. As a blog Dispassionate Observer also achieved a milestone in its second month of publication. It crossed the target mark of 1500 page views. I wish the blog gets much more page views in the near future.

Article contribution for the August issue came generously from a range of writers, each having distinct style of their own. I am indebted to Anuja Bagchi and Srirupa Ganguly who wrote for the blog this time also amidst their tight schedule. I salute the enthusiasm of the students of mass communication and journalism who were eager to express their ideas. Anwesha Guha Thakurta, Priya Panda, Shayani Gupta and Nilika Banerjee were each special in their endeavour. The hunger to write more on their part was one of the high points that kept the blog going. Contributions from abroad also helped the cause. I specially thank MyBlueDish.com, Laura Hartley, Perfectly Imperfect, Jennifer Bell, Eric Johnson and Louise for contributing to Dispassionate Observer.

There was no dearth of news in August as events just unfolded one after another. Lokpal Bill debate hogged the limelight and stood out from the rest by the sheer magnitude of public support. London Riots was a big global news. The passing away of Shammi Kapoor was also a tragedy that hit Bollywood in the month of August. A cricket hungry nation was denied the taste of success as the Indian team performed miserably in England tour. A performance that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will like to forget in a jiffy! The arrival of Messi and the Argentina Football Team to Kolkata for a Fifa International Friendly against Venezuela lighted up the pages of newspapers as the month drew to a close.

Keeping with the promise to deliver articles which offer in-depth analysis of issues, Dispassionate Observer steps into the month of September. Articles on travel, food, film and lifestyle will also follow to give the much-needed space for the mind to read in leisure. Enjoy reading this blog!

I Support Anna Hazare & YOU!!

In new age India where every citizen is busy for their own needs, wealth accumulation and power chase, have you ever pondered what drove this dhoti-clad 74-year-old ex army man to go on a self-inflicted starvation to clean India? The reason for his fight is corruption and the only weapon he has is his voice and the Lokpall Bill. In his crusade against ‘Corruption’, the big word that has almost become a part of our lives, he was joined by a crowd of people including noted reformist Swami Agnivesh, former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi and Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey on one side, and the ‘Aam Janta’ consisting of young men and women; students, doctors, medical professionals, corporates, daily wage earners, labourers – every Indian who hopes for a better tomorrow. The follower of this modern-day Satyagraha Movement, as we coin it, is Young India.

                                    picture source: Milind Tashildar (picasa)
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74-year-old Hazare began his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. "I will observe a fast unto death till the government agrees to form a joint committee comprising 50 per cent officials and the remaining citizens and intellectuals to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill," Hazare said at Rajghat. Hazare went ahead with his agitation despite the Prime Minister's Office expressing disagreement over his decision to go on a fast unto death.

As we see Anna in his struggle there are questions in our mind-Can our government blame a non-violent protest march by a common man as a ‘Threat to Country’s Peace’? Can Indian government call this protest unconstitutional? Is it because the movement is against the government itself? Should we, the common man of India be concerned against omnipresent corruption in the society and government machinery or is it time for a second war of Independence?

The day has come when the nation demands answers to the questions hovering in the minds of every Indian, so can a leader only answer them or can we seek solutions from people on the streets? As these unanswered issues give birth to a revolution I think it’s time when we realize that “We the people Of India” those mighty words on our Constitution has far more power than a corrupt political system.

I feel proud to witness this revolution. Anna Hazare is not a name, he is Gandhi incarnated. His movement is timeless and an example to live a life of selflessness. We know that pen is mightier than the sword and a genuine weapon for us who love to write; so why not express a voice against corruption and join a part of this great movement. Pen down your voice India!

About the Author-

Srirupa Ganguly is Editor, WinCentre, Financial Services Hub, Capgemini "India",Hyderabad. Having a distinct style of her own and wide experience in writing for quite a period of time, she is known for her insightful view on events.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.

Online Media As It Stands Today

Academics and professionals have already arrived at a consensus that Internet publication has acquired a journalistic status equal to that of print media, radio and television. Internet publications have also provided a fillip to the communication companies as they consider Internet as a strategic factor for their progress in future.

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Online journalism is relatively new in India but in the west it has taken deep roots. Web masters and content writers abound in the field of IT. Some of them make news from newspapers, magazine and websites in typical glossy formats while others operate as full news portals where the reporters write reports from the place of the event which is then edited and placed on the website. Presently in the west Internet journals have already mastered the web and started making their presence felt on the info-sub-highway. Many Internet journalists get support from the print media that put up their web sites on the Net. Some others depend upon print media, wire news services and the Net to gather news and information.

India woke up to the potentiality of cyber world quite late in 1995. To start with, Internet was accessible only in the four metro cities. Computer penetration was very low. However, penetration started to improve as the price of computers came down and private service providers embarked on the scene.

By 2007, India had an estimated base of 42 million Internet users, which was 3.6% of the world users. Although this base was far below the Internet users of USA, China, Japan or Germany, India ranked fifth in the list of top twenty countries using Internet.

Unlike conventional back lit flat panel displays, electronic paper displays reflect light like ordinary paper. Its technological edge is that it can hold static text and images indefinitely without using electric while providing the option to change images later.

In India, many reputed newspapers and magazines have already made foray into Internet. Some prominent examples are www.hindustantimes.com, www.timesofindia.com , www.frontline.com . On line journalism is a marriage of journalism and the Internet technology.

The newspapers did not invest much on the Web sites during the nineties, a decade marked by a steep rise in the number of Web pages. Online journals reformatted content from the newspapers and posted them on their website.

More than a third of active Internet users – 56 million adult – visited newspaper Web sites in May 2006, a 30 percent increase from the same period in 2005, according to Nielsen/Net Rating. These website users are predominantly young, better educated and active Internet users.

For newspaper website users, the printed newspaper is still the primary sources for local advertising but the newspaper websites beat TV, Radio and Yellow Pages as the next best source.

There are some disadvantages of online media. Eyestrain is a major problem followed by backache which breaks the back of the Net surfer. Internet Addition Disorder (IAD) can lead to restlessness, stress and depression. The Net has not reached most parts of the country. Its reach is not still at desired level. Currently the bandwidth of the country's ISP is less vis-à-vis those of foreign ISPs. This act as hindrance to the forward march of online media. However, despite the problems, the future looks bright.

About the Author- 

Priya Panda is student of Journalism and Mass Communication at Muralidhar Girl's College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and they do not reflect in any way those of the Dispassionate Observer.