Now shopping becomes more interesting with the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair 2016

On 24 Nov 201627 Nov 2016 By beautifuldreamzzIn Bengal FestivitiesLeave a comment

Do you love shopping??? Are you busy surfing the online stores to get the best home décor for your new apartment or is it that you love the Bengali art and style. If answer to any of the above question is yes, the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair 2016 is your place. This fair is a celebration of Bengali culture as you find people from all districts gather here and exhibit the best crafts from their place. From the lavish silks of Murshidabad to the clay art of Krishna Nagar, you will be spoilt for choice here.

The fair caters to the need of all essential items of your daily life, be it furniture or apparels. The collection of wooden dining tables, bamboo baskets, sofas and chairs made from bamboo can completely change the look of your house. The jute bags, earrings made from natural products, hand stitched dress materials with unique designs and flowers made from paper and thermocol are both budget friendly and beautiful.

Another interesting part of the fair is you find artists painting and preparing the crafts just in front of you. Here you have the chance to speak with the maker of the product and buy it from him/ her; the charm of which is quite different from that when you get your product online or from a retail store.

Food is the heart of any Bengali fair and the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair 2016 is not an exception. From a wide range of tangy pickles to the famous sweets of Bardhaman,”Joynagar er Mowa,’ foodies have lot to explore here.

Hence make your winter afternoons picture perfect, soaking in the warm sun, roaming at the Milan Mela ground, picking up the gems of Bengali Handicrafts.

Location: Milan Mela, Near Science City

Till: 11th December’16

Kolkata International Book Fair

On 31 Jan 201610 Oct 2016 By beautifuldreamzzIn Bengal FestivitiesLeave a comment

A rendezvous with books- Kolkata International Book Fair

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Kolkata? Well, Kolkata International Book Fair is not far beyond, it is a festival for the City of Joy; whether you love books or not, Kolkata International Book Fair beckons all.

Kolkata International Book Fair is held every year during the last week of January and runs approximately for 10 days. From local book stalls to international book stores, you have a varied flavour of books here; United States, Costa Rica, Bangladesh and United Kingdom create a magnificent fiesta of books at the Milan Mela ground, Kolkata.

Kids never feel left out at Kolkata International Book Fair; they are the special guests of the fair. From the colourful comics to the happy mascots, kids learn to love books at Kolkata International Book Fair.

Are you an academician? Dive into the ocean of knowledge at the book stalls specially stuffed with books of science, history, art and technology. While the English and Bengali detective books are there to sharpen your brains, discover the thrill of jungles with Jim Corbett.

Kolkata International Book Fair is just not about book stalls, it is a get together of creativity; throughout the fair, several literary meets are arranged at the halls along with the little magazine counters, where you get to see and hear your favourite authors; who want to miss the golden opportunity to autograph their favourite book from their favourite author?

Now, Kolkatans love food and hence any fair without food joints are incomplete; Kolkata International Book Fair is not an exception. From tangy chaats to sumptuous lunch platters, from lip smacking ice creams to piping hot tea, you have all to set off the right mood for books.

Kolkata International Book Fair is a huge event not only for the city but people throughout Bengal gathers here to feel books. Hence to keep the momentum, numerous buses are arranged for accessibility while subways look into the safety of the booklovers.

Hence it can be fairly said, how popular may be e-books, we still love to bask in the fresh smell of book pages.

Kolkata Bidhan Nagar Mela

On 26 Jan 201611 Oct 2016 By beautifuldreamzzIn Bengal Festivities3 Comments

Kolkata Bidhan Nagar Mela- The Global Handicrafts Market

Have you just been to your neighbor’s house and fell in love with the Egyptian wall hanging? Well, now you need not visit Egypt or pay a high price online to get such exquisite handicrafts and wall hangings; just be at Bidhan Nagar handicrafts fair, popularly known as Bidhan Nagar Mela. Held every year during January, it runs almost a month and is a perfect New Year gift to the city.

WP_20160126_16_09_48_Pro — **Egyptian Paintings**

WP_20160126_15_41_33_Pro — ***Elegant Pakistani Onyx Inlays***

Traders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey have gathered at the Bidhan Nagar Mela 2016. While the stock of delicious dry fruits of Afghanistan attracts food lovers to their stalls, the grace of the Turkish mosaic lamps beckons people passionate about art and craft. The stalls of Egypt are as varied as their culture. While the paintings and sculptures represent the rich culture of Egypt, the small pyramids and sets of Egyptian wine glass glitters under the afternoon sun.

WP_20160126_15_44_38_Pro — **Illuminous Turkish Lamps**

WP_20160126_15_43_28_Pro — ***Yummy Pickles***

WP_20160126_15_51_24_Pro — ***The Golden Beauty***

If you are in love with saris, a visit to the stalls from Bangladesh is must. With their infinite stock of Dhakai Jamdani and silk, these stalls can be your excuse to start puja shopping! Get wonderful gift items at the handicraft stalls of Pakistan. From onyx marble showpieces to large marble statues, you will be spoilt for choices here.

WP_20160126_15_35_28_Pro — **Gorgeous Bangladeshi Saris**

WP_20160126_15_45_22_Pro — **Sparkling Souvenirs From Egypt**

WP_20160126_15_58_02_Pro — ***Classic Carpets***

WP_20160126_16_11_21_Pro — ***Precious Egyptian Showpieces***

Last but not the least; you have numerous Indian handicrafts to fulfill your shopping spree. From soft hand woven carpets to embroidered pashmina shawls and salwar suits, you cannot ignore the magic of Kashmiri handlooms. The magnificent jewelry designs of Kolkata, clay toys from Krishanagar and lip smacking pickles from Suri represent Bengal at the Bidhan Nagar MelaBengal.

WP_20160126_15_50_09_Pro — **Colourful Bengal Clay Art**

WP_20160126_15_43_47_Pro — ***Delicate Mirror Work***

Tired of shopping? Just sit and relax to enjoy cultural programmes organised everyday at the ground. The rides not only enhance the glamour of the fair but also are a fun place to the kids. Hence soak the warmth of winter sun filling your bags with precious antiques at Bidhan Nagar Mela.

WP_20160126_15_36_30_Pro — **Cultural Programmes**

WP_20160126_15_57_30_Pro — **Exhilarating Rides**

Durga Puja @ Durgapur’15- A different aspect of devotion

On 24 Oct 201524 Oct 2015 By beautifuldreamzzIn Bengal FestivitiesLeave a comment

Siuli Flowers Declaring the arrival of Durga Puja — **Siuli Flowers Declaring The Arrival of Durga Puja**

As Ma Durga visits her father’s home from Kailash, Durgapur, the city named after the Goddess, begins the celebrations. If you want to experience the real feel of Durga Puja without suffering from suffocation and crowd, visit Durgapur.

**Idol Making At The Eve Of Durga Puja**

As the tiny ‘siuli’ blossoms to fall like droplets on the dew drenched grass and the green fields are blanketed by white ‘kash’ flowers, Durgapur wakes up to celebrate the largest festival of the Bengalis, Durga Puja. Durga Puja at this smart city means gorgeous idols of the Goddess, glittering puja pandals, colourful fairs and an occasion to relish delicious platters.

The complete city of Durgapur rejoices the festival of Durga Puja. Most of the puja done at this city are ‘barwari’ pujas, that is, pujas organized publicly by different residential areas, popularly known as ‘parar poojo’.

Durga Pujas at this city are also influenced by the trend of theme pujas and you will find spectacular puja pandals here, encircled with astounding scenic beauty. The local artists do not leave any stone unturned to transform the mere pandals into exquisite temples of worship; innovative, perfect and artistic.

The deities of Goddess Durga found at these puja pandals are epitome of elegance. Every idol is different from the other, depicting the mythological tales lying behind this festival. While some deities are in the form of tribal idols, others are the varied incarnations of the Goddess of Power.

**Different Incarnations of Goddess Durga**

If you want to meet the crowd of the city, visit the joyous fairs of Durgapur. Simplicity is beauty; this is the untold theme of the fairs of the Steel City. From the delicately designed handicrafts of West Bengal to the day to day home products, from the tinkling sound of glass bangles to the exciting rides, these fairs are a world in themselves.

Now, Indian festivals are incomplete without lip smacking cuisines and Durga Puja is not an exception. There are numerous food joints throughout the city where you can relish authentic Bengali to Mughali cuisines, from Chinese to Continental dishes. All the five days of the puja people out here forget about diets and calories and treat themselves with crunchy papri chats, spicy and steaming hot ‘ghoogni,’ delicious egg chicken rolls; gulping ‘puchkas’ and devouring on ‘malai’ ice creams marks the conclusion of a hearty feast.

Students and the working mass of Durgapur who spend most of the year outside the city, are seem flocking to their hometown to spend some time with their childhood pals, parents and loved ones. Hence, Durga Puja is just not another festival to the locals; it is a celebration of life overlooking all flaws of life.

BIdding Goodbye to the Goddess — **Bidding Goodbye To The Goddess**

Durga Puja- The Celebration of Life

On 11 Oct 201514 Oct 2015 By beautifuldreamzzIn Bengal Festivities4 Comments

Durga Puja is considered as one of the largest festivals in India. Be it West Bengal or any other part of India or world, Durga Puja has a special place in the hearts of Indians.

This festival is celebrated with great pomp and show at West Bengal. As the puffy clouds start floating at the autumn sky, milky white ‘kash’ flowers cover the green fields and the
aroma of dew drenched shiuli fill the air, nature announces the arrival of the Goddess, Devi Durga.

The Durga Puja that we celebrate at the month of September or October; is the puja the Lord Rama did prior to his fight with Ravana. Sasti, Saptami, Asthami, Navami and Dusherra are the five days when goddess Durga is worshipped at Bengal.

Durga Puja is just not the worship of the goddess of power; it is the divine joy of reunion of parents with their children, friends, sisters and brothers, who spent the whole year at an unknown land and return to their soil during the puja. Hence, if you peep at the interiors of any Bengali family during the puja, you will find groups of people chit chatting, forgetting the world; popularly known as ‘adda.’

With time, Durga Puja has also gained momentum and the concept of theme puja has given a different edge to it. As you enterany puja pandal, you will feel as if you are entering an historic site; most of the puja pandals now-a-days are replica of historic monuments, like Khajuraho temple, Konark temple and many more.

Themed Durga Puja — **Colourful Durga Puja Themes**

The colourful lighting enhances the beauty of the puja pandals and also portrays different facets of life. The puja committees spend lavishly on the idols and the pandals to be the best of the town; there are several prestigious awards given at the end of the puja to the best puja, pandals and lighting. Thus, the traditional Durga Puja has also not been able to avoid the sting of competition and rat race.

Colurful deities — Ecstatic Beauty of Devi Durga

Shopping is an indispensable component of Durga Puja. Shopping starts much before the festival, as people of all ages start preparing themselves; everyone wants to greet Mother Durga in their best attire.

Last but not the least; Durga Puja is the best time to relish authentic Bengali cuisines. During this festive season, the day at a Bengali house starts with a lip smacking breakfast menu of piping hot luchi, aloo dum and rajbhog, the lunch and dinner is sumptuous with steaming hot rice or pulao, varied fish items and spicy mutton curry.

Bengalis are in love with street food and hence near every puja pandal you will surely find numerous food stalls, selling egg and chicken rolls, chaats and puchkas. Sweets have a special place is the hearts of the Bengalis and hence are a must in the festive season. Barfi, nariyal and besan ladoo, rasamalai, rasgullas are to name a few.

Durga Puja hence is just not a religious occasion, it is a time when people from all walks of life revive from the daily stresses and spend some moments of pure happiness and life.

Explore the simple but glamorous crafts of West Bengal at the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014

On 11 Dec 201413 Jan 2015 By beautifuldreamzzIn Bengal Festivities1 Comment

Explore the Indian creativity with the unique Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014

India is truly “incredible” with its rich culture and tradition. Be it the architectural masterpieces or the beautiful handicrafts, India is a treasure-house. Every year at the City of Joy, Kolkata an awesome handicrafts fair is arranged; Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014 is not an exception.

The Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014 has been arranged at the Milan Mela ground, near Science City. With hundreds of shops, this fair consists of stalls from different parts of West Bengal. Besides buying and witnessing an array of hand crafted products, you can also know a lot about the specialty handicrafts of the different districts of West Bengal.

While the bamboo craft with beautifully designed totem poles are perfect home decor, the colored jute chairs and stools are a must to complete the decoration. Try out the jute dolls which can be put on curtains for a traditional look. The beautiful jute bags not only are comfortable for use but also environment friendly.

The terracotta horses, wall collage and dolls from the Bankura district are another set of home decor that you can try out. Besides home decor, you have a lot to take back as jewelry from the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014. From terracotta jewelry to jewelry of Dokra, sea shells and beads is bound to change your look completely.

The Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014 is also a must visit for sari lovers. You can get a glimpse of the fine beautifully textile saris here. The gorgeous silks from Murshidabad and Bishnupur are also one of the main attractions of the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014.

Food lovers need not get upset. The Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014 has a large food court at your service along with temporary stalls within the fair along with ample supply of fresh water.

Thus, if you are in love with the Bengali culture and crafts, this fair is a must visit for you; and if you are not, then also this fair is a must visit for you to fall in love with the Bengali culture and crafts.

Some beautiful thoughts

Category: Bengal Festivities

Now shopping becomes more interesting with the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair 2016

Kolkata International Book Fair

A rendezvous with books- Kolkata International Book Fair

Kolkata Bidhan Nagar Mela

Kolkata Bidhan Nagar Mela- The Global Handicrafts Market

Durga Puja @ Durgapur’15- A different aspect of devotion

Durga Puja- The Celebration of Life

Explore the simple but glamorous crafts of West Bengal at the Kolkata Handicrafts Fair, 2014

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A rendezvous with books- Kolkata International Book Fair

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Kolkata Bidhan Nagar Mela- The Global Handicrafts Market

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