Mural Bhai to address World Conference of Religions in USA

KOLKATA: Bramhachari Mural Bhai, general secretary cum trustee of Dakhineswar Ramkrishnasangha Adyapeath, will attend the World Conference of Religions 2012 in Washington, DC from 30 November 2012 to 2 December 2012. Mural Bhai said that the event was being held to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the great Hindu reformer of 19th century India. Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the former Secretary of State, and reverend Martin Luther King III will be the keynote speakers at the conference. Mural Bhai also attended the Durgapuja at President of India’s residence at Mirati Birbhum in West Bengal.

Canning hosital has poor infrastructure:AFHR

KOLKATA: Members of the Asian Front of Human Rights (AFHR) visited Canning Sub divisional hospital on 15 August for distributing fruits among the patients. Mr Vijay Singh, general secretary of the AFHR said they have spoken to several patients and employees of the hospital and came to know about several problems of the hospital including shortage of nurses and doctors. "There is lack of infrastructural support in the hospital. Few thousands people of the Sunderbans areas depend on this hospital but there is no essential pathological equipments and medicine available in the government run hospital. People have to visit private pathological lab for clinical test. More cleaning staffs are required and number of beds should be increased," said Mr Singh. Hospital requires more ceiling fans, he said. AFHR will write health minister and chief minister regarding this matter. Pix: Mr Vijay Singh, general secretary of Asian Front of Human Rights distributing fruits in the ward of the Canning Sub divisional hospital.

Good days are ahead:Nilanjan Baba

Report by Shankar Banik KOLKATA: Kalpataru Jagaran Sangha (KJS) presented a one act drama on 21 June, 2012 following the appearance day of former Sangha guru Shree Shree Madhab at Badu in Madhymgram, North 24 Parganas district, around 30 kilometer away from Kolkata. Present guru Shree Shree Nilanjan Baba acted in the drama “kolir prashtan sotyer probesh.”The content of the drama is that Satya era is beginning and reign of Koli is ending. The ending time is affecting the society very much and people are in much trouble and disturbance as well as economy and politics creating more trouble for people as a result. But disassociation with valueless people and constant uttering of the name of Madhabnilanjan can bring a fresh shower of peace and prosperity in the world. A large number of people and ashram devotees gathered to watch the drama. Meditation hall where drama was being held was packed up and organization set up a giant screen outside of the hall where people jostling for space to see the drama. Shree Shree Nilanjan Baba said they would try to present the drama in other places to raise awareness level of people. The drama was written by Nilanjan Baba. One of the devotees saw this drama in his dream and Baba visualized it and written in drama form. A large number of people got free prasadam on that day. People formed a long queue to get prasadam. People relished Prasadam dish and menu was rice, potato curry, potol fry(pointed gourd), mugger dal, chatni and misti. Nilanjan Baba also addressed the religious congregation.

Chief minister visits Adyapeath Kali temple

Chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee watching sandhya arati at Adyapeath near Dakhineswar in Belghoria along with other minister. She spent one hour there and enjoyed the company of orphan boys.

Dolyatra celebrated in Nawadip

Nawadip: Devotees of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math started an awareness programme against chemical colour, is used to play holi.

Drink warm milk as alternative of hooch:Monk

Pix: BS Sanyasi Maharaj feeding milk to a victim of spurious hooch, who lost eyesight permanently.


KOLKATA: An awareness camp against hooch was organized by Gaudiya Mission, Bagbazar at Sangrampur in Ushti in South 24 Parganas on Thursday. Around 500 regular hooch drinkers attended the camp and were treated by the doctors. Monks feed them warm milk as an alternative of liquor. It may be recalled around 172 persons died after consuming spurious liquor in the same area. Many persons lost their eyesight permanently and their limbs are not properly functioning.
General secretary of the Gaudiya Mission, Bhakti Sunder Sanyasi Maharaj said Lord Sri Chaitanya Deb reformed habitual alcohol drinkers Jagai and Madhai and both later became preachers of Chaitanya Dev’s philosophy. He said they will continue this camp in other places of West Bengal and aware people regarding the harmful effect of the alcohol.

Solar rickshaw in Kolkata

Pix: Mayor Mr Sovan Chatterjee driving a solar powered rickshaw (“soleckshaws") rider is Mr Manish Gupta, state minister for development and planning (right).

KOLKATA: Five solar-powered rickshaws have been distributed among some poor people of ward 97 on 2 October recently. Mr Manish Gupta, state minister for development and planning, mayor Mr Sovan Chatterjee and local councillor and member, mayor-in-council (Solid Waste Department) Mr Debabrata Majumder were present on the occasion.

DRSA organizes Jagadharti puja in New Jersey

Brahmachari Mural Bhai playing devotional songs while Brahmachari Subrata Bhai was offering puja at Dakhineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath in USA.
Subrata Bhai performed puja in several cities in USA and Mural Bhai played devotional songs and delivered lectures on Adyamaa’s mystic power.
Mural Bhai urged NRI to cast their vote in favour of Sunderbans through www.new7wonders.com. People are choosing seven natural wonders through this web site.

Devotees celebrate appearance day of Sukdeb Brahmachari

Pix: Devotees arriving to join the celebration. Devotional songs presented by devotees. ‘Shamuktala,’ where Sukdeb Brahmachari used to meditate. Asram’s pond. Rajhansa of asram.

Biswasuk Sevasram Sangha organized several functions and two books and CD have been released on the occasion of appearance day celebration of Sri Sri Thakur Sukdeb Bramhachari. Ganesh Chakraborty’s book “Premamay Thakur Sri Sri Thakur Sukdeb Bramhachari was released by BSS president Achalgiri Bramhachari. Some other pictures of the birthday celebration.

Sri Sri Thakur Sukdeb Bramhachari appearance day observed

Pix: Big reservoir for containing prasad. Student doing excellence in HS felicitated. A little devotee selling asram’s magazine Pratiti. Secretary Sukananda Bramhachari. Several items of spices made by self help group of asram.

KOLKATA, 27.10.2011: Biswasuk Sevasram Sangha celebrated the appearance day of Sri Sri Sri Thakur Sukdeb Bramhachari at Ichapur-Nawabganj in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday.
Devotees from several places of West Bengal and India joined the festival. Sukdeb Bramhachari was born in Bangladesh. He used to say “hate kam mukhe nam tabei pabi parinam”(If you chant hare Krishna while you work then you get all what you desire). Renunciation and service both was his mantra. Mostly downtrodden people became his disciple. Here is some picture of his birthday celebration

Eunuchs’ Festival

Pix: Eunuchs celebrating their festival ‘Kalas Yatra’ in Hooghly recently.

Mayor, jail minister visit jail

Pix: Jail minister Shankar Chakraborty testing the food quality of the Presidency jail and mayor Sovan Chatterjee standing beside him.

KOLKATA: Mayor Sovan Chatterjee and jail minister Shankar Chakraborty visited the Presidency Jail and speak to inmates regarding their grievances recently. A senior official of the prison department said mayor and minister also wanted to know whether any inmate is languishing in jail facing the conspiracy of erstwhile Left Front government. Jail minister wanted to know whether the jail authorities are maintaining the quality of food and also serving the proper quantity of food, that is fixed by the state government.

KMC planting lemon grass to fight mosquito

PIX: Debasish Kumar, member, mayor-in-council(parks and garden) planting lemon grass. Dr Shantanu Bhattacharya(left) from BRWS and Debasis kumar(middle) sharing the dais during inaugural programme.

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has planted lemon grass in the bank of Tolly’s Nullah to stop breeding of the mosquito in the canal.
Debasish Kumar, member, mayor-in-council(parks and garden) said the KMC will plant more lemon grass to counter mosquito attack and the civic authorities will buy from the tribal people of Belphari, who are cultivating this grass in several villages.
Dr Shantanu Bhattacharya, from Bengal Rural Welfare Society (BRWS) said that the grass not only fight against mosquito its leaves is helpful to reduce blood pressure and headache. “The lemon grass also destroys acidity and it is also a useful medicine. We supplied lemon grass to KMC free of cost aiming that the civic authorities will create awareness among people regarding the medicinal quality of this plant,” said Dr Bhattacharya.
A group of farmers of Belphari in West Midnapore district, associated with the lemon grass cultivation programme planted the grass along with KMC workers on the sides of the canal at Baisnabghata.
Pradip Saraswati from BRWS said the farmers of Belphari, Kankrajhore, Machkana, Balichua, Basuldia, Dhuliapur, Bandri and Bansphari areas depend on this particular cultivation. “If government took up a project to help them then this grass will bring revenue and it will be an earning source of the people of Junglemahal, Saraswati said.
He also said the people of Belphari, are making a cake with the lemon grass that could be use as mosquito repellant. “If anybody burns the cake inside a room then it will drive mosquito for few hours and it has no harmful effect like other mosquito repellant,” Saraswati said.

3 killed and several injured in train accident near Maldah

Three passengers were killed and several injured after Ajimganj passenger collided head on with the Guwahati-Bengaluru Express at Jamirghata, just 10 kilometer away from Maldah railway station the evening.
A senior railway officer said that the engine of the Guwahati-Bengaluru Express derailed and later Ajimganj Passenger train hit the derailed train.
Train services in this section were disrupted following the accident. Senior railway officials arrived at the spot and supervising rescue operation. A relief train and a medical team departed from Howrah station this evening.

Former mayor Anadilal's death anniversary observed

KOLKATA: Family members of Anandilal Poddar, mayor of 1944-1945( at age 28, become the youngest and first Hindi speaking mayor of the Calcutta Corporation), are still trying to fulfill his dream to serve the people of several wards of Kolkata.
Ravi Poddar, son of Anandilal donated a trauma care ambulance to the KMC as road accident victims would be admitted in the hospitals during emergency period.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation also observed his death anniversary.
Neeru Poddar, daughter-in-law of Anandilal said that Anandilal saw many dreams and tried to fulfill those in very short times and later he passed away but his ancestors are pursuing those dreams for the welfare of the society.
Neeru said that Poddar family organsied a camp to donate clothes, books and other stationery to the students of the KMC schools on Saturday and will organize more charitable works in future.
Anandilal was greatly impressed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's political views, whom he patronized and assisted towards the freedom movement against the British.
“Anandilal wanted that KMC’s services would reach door to door and we are trying to serve the poor people in our limited capacity, said Neeru.

10,000 Eunuchs allege ‘government deprive us’

Pix: Subal Saha
West Bental Brihanala Wellfare Society, general secretary Sova Halder and social worker Raja Goswami addressing media

PANDUA, HOOGHLY: West Bengal Brihanala Wellfare Socieity(WBWS) organised an international conference of the eunuchs at Pandua in Hooghly from 19 to 29 July.
Sova Halder(Barama), general secretary of WBWS addressed the media on 25 July in the conference centre regarding several issues of eunuchs. She said both the centre and state government did not take any initiative for the development of the eunuchs. “Brihanala did not get any benefit of 'Indira Abas Yojana,' NREGA scheme, pension, health insurance and Below Poverty Level. Government did not form any committee to provide us facility but our ‘women’ work for human being with our traditional way to give the little kids fun, said Sova Halder.
Halder also threatened for a fast at Jantar Mantar very soon to protest against the governments’ negligence to announce any scheme for the eunuchs.
Around 10, 000 eunuchs came from several states of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and USA to participate in the conference.
Social worker Raja Goswami, who participated in the press conference, said around 60 lakhs ‘brihanala’ are living in the India in deplorable condition and most of them depend on begging.
“The eunuchs can join any government job and work more for our society. They have very good network that can also is very helpful for police and BSF to collect useful information, said Goswami.

Mural Bhai in London for discourse on Adyama’s mystic power

PIX: State agricultural minister Rabindranath Bhattacharya and Mural Bhai watching a skeleton in the biology room of the new school building.

KOLKATA: Bramhachari Mural Bhai, general secretary cum trustee of Dakhineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath (DRSA) departed for London on Sunday to deliver speech in several religious occasions there.
DRSA press secretary MS Mukherjee said Mural Bhai was invited by NRIs in London and he will join several spiritual discourses on Adyama’s (goddess of DRSA) mystic power.
Mukherjee said Mural Bhai was earlier highly acclaimed for his spiritual discourses in USA. “He is invited ever year by NRI in USA to deliver speech on the teachings of Annada Thakur, who set up DRSA", Mukherjee said.
DRSA has also set up a higher secondary school and it has been affiliated by state government on 15 July this year. The school building was inaugurated by state agricultural minister Rabindranath Bhattacharya. Mural Bhai urged the government to help for running the school.

Tourism circuit project to develop Nawadip

State tourism minister Rachpal Singh, Jalmandir in Nawadip, devotees' congregation in a temple.

NADIA: State tourism development minister Rachpal Singh is going to fund Rs 72 lakhs to develop the infrastructure of Nawadip, a pilgrimage centre for the devotee of Lord Gouranga. Singh visited the town and joined in prayer in several temples. He was accompanied with district magistrate of Nadia Sanjay Bansal, MLA(Nawadip) Pundarikhakha Saha and chairman of the Nawadip Binaykrishna Saha and met with the devotees and asked for their suggestion to improve the infrastructure .
He expressed his concern over the soil erosion across the Ganga River. He said ferry service would be started in between Mayapur and Nawadip. All-important visiting places and temples will be brought under the circuit tourism development project for facelift.

Fraudster arrested

Pix: Fraud secretary Palash Mandal

Palash Mandal, 28, had impersonated the personal secretaries of finance minister Amit Mitra, commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee and sports minister Madan Mitra besides posing as chief secretary Samar Ghosh and home secretary G.D. Gautama, was arrested from Kolkata on Saturday. Police said a resident of Nadia Mandal, was involved in smuggling and other crime rackets, used to call up BDOs, DMs and police IGs and demand money posing himself as a secretary of several ministers.
He opened a bank account and asked the senior officials, who wanted to get transfer or promotion, to deposit money in his account.
Police got several complaints against him and later tapped his mobile phone and trapped him. Mandal was married and he has a daughter. His father died many years ago and he was fostered by his step-mother Pusparani.

Kolkata Goalz for underprivileged boys

PIX: State sports minister Madan Mitra inaugurating the 'Kolkata Goalz' project and minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Jeremy Browne kicking the football at the Shibtala playground in Park Circus.

KOLKATA: Kolkata Goalz, a project for underprivileged kids has been started to engage them in football practice.
The project is a joint initiative of Kolkata Police, Kolkata Muncipal Corporation, All India Football Federation and Indian Football Association (West Bengal) and the British Council.
Besides these organisations, six Kolkata Premier League clubs - Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Chirag United, George Telegraph, Mohemmedan Sporting Club, Police Athletic Club and United Sports Club are also part of this noble endeavour.
Police Commissioner R K Pachnanda said this project using football as a tool would encourage deprived kids from Kolkata to aim at more positive future.

Ratha Yatra festival begins

PIX: A kid drawing her chariot and Bramhachari Mural Bhai drawing the ratha at Adyapeath. (Pix: By Subal Saha)

KOLKATA: Rath Yatra has been celebrated in Kolkata and surrounding districts on Sunday. The festival being celebrated since 1397 and it is about a weeklong festival in West Bengal. Mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)and Tollywood actor Jit have inaugurated the rathayatra festival of ISKON in Kolkata.
The Rath Yatra of Mahesh in the Hoogly district has been celebrated today. This festival is also of historical repute. This is not only because it's the grandest and the oldest Rath Yatras in Bengal, but because of huge congregation it manages to attract. The Mahesh Rath Yatra of 1875 is of special historical significance: A young girl was lost in the fair and amongst many, the district magistrate Bankim Chandra Chattopadhya — the great Bengali poet and author of India's National song — himself went out to search for the girl. A couple of months later this incident inspired him to write the famous novel Radharani.
Rathyatra was celebrated in Mayapur and state tourism minister Rachpal Singh joined the festival there. He promised that his government would concentrate to improve the infrastructure for Mayapur to attract more tourists there.
Dakhineswar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapeath(DRSA) celebrated the rathayatra today. Bramhachari Mural Bhai inaugurated the festival. Thousands devotees joined the festival.

Appearance day observed

PIX: Prayer hall, congregation of the devotees and Sri Nilanjan, present gurudev of KJS. by Subal Saha

MADHYAMGRAM: Kalpataru Jagaran Sangha(KJS) observed the appearance day of their gurudev Sri Madhab on Saturday at Badu near Madhyamgram in North 24 Paraganas.
Sri Nilanjan from the KJS said following the instruction of gurudev, Sri Madhab, he established KJS, an organisation at “Madhab Niloy” with a mission to provide relief to all ailments of mind and body and bring peace and happiness into life.
The organisation also supply a herbal dietary supplement to devotes called VADU. Nilanjan said thousands people were cured from several disease after consuming the ayurvedic medicine.
Madhab Niloy, has been set up in a serene mango orchard on Badu Road.
“The main focus of the sangha is to provide services to all those, who are physically or mentally distressed and to the seekers of the path of light,” Nilanjan.

“Rabindranath Tagore had link with Shyamnagar Kali Temple”

PIX: An inscription on the wall of temple, temple founder Gopi mohan Thakur, priest Sambhunath Ghatak (left) and Srikanta Chatterjee, a portion of Natmandir and Shyamnagar kali temple.


By Shankar Banik

SHYAMNAGAR: Relatives of Rabindranath Tagore had set up Mulajor Kalibari at Shyamnagar in North 24 Parganas and it is unknown to many people. Visit the temple beside Hooghly River that is located in a very eye soothing natural scene.
One of the priests Sambhunath Ghatak said the temple was constructed on 31 Baishak in 1219 Bengali year around 200 years ago beside Hooghly River even before Dakhineswar Kali temple was set up by Rani Rasmoni Devi.
Six priests are engaged for offering puja to goddess Kali and 65-year-old Ghatak is one of the temple priests. “No dedicated book had been written on this temple and gradually history is fading away but we know relatives of Rabindranath Tagore constructed this temple, said the priest.
Srijit Thakur is the surviving member of the Thakur family whose ancestors set up the temple. He has one son and daughter, live in ‘Rajbari’at Pathuriaghata Street near Natunbazar in Kolkata.
Once upon a time Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestor Khitish Kusari came from Jessore in Bangladesh to West Bengal and his next generation was Bhattanaryan and later Dinanath Kusari. Dinanath’s son Panchanan got the title thakur since then his family member used to write the title Thakur instead of Kusari,” said Ghatak.
Jairam Thakur (Kusari) was latter generation had four sons- Anandiram, Nilmoni, Darpanarayan and Gobindaram.
Prince Dwarakanath Thakur was the next generation of Anandiram, whose son was Debendranath and Rabindranath was his eighth son. Rabindranath however became “bramho” and did not believe in idol worshipping. It had not been known whether he ever visited the temple.
Gopimohan Thakur, the son of Darpanarayan founded the temple.
Gopimohan had two sons Prsanna Kumar and Harakumar and daughter Brahmamoyee. Prasanna Kumar had one son Pradut Kumar and Harakumar had Jatindramohan. Surviving member Srijit Thakur is the son of Prabirendra mohan, who was the son of
Pradut Kumar.
According to local tale that the present place of the Kali temple was occupied of ‘Nandi’(caste) and ‘Pirali’ so experienced priest from ‘Bhatpara toll(Sanskrit educational institution) ’ used to refuse offering puja to the goddess Mulajore Shyamnagar Kali as a result priests were brought from Bankura, Burdwan and other places. Later a Sanskrit College was set up by the king Gopimohan Thakur as a matter of pride and to make erudite Sanskrit students. Students were accommodated in this college hostel they used to take Prasad in the temple as a lunch and dinner. Ramkumar Chattopadhya, elder brother of Ramakrishna Dev was the student of this college. But that building was dilapidated and Rabindra Bhawan was set up by municipality replacing the college.
“History is very interesting. But we are mostly depressed when the Sanskrit College, a piece of history was wiped out,” said Raja Goswami, a devotee.

Purchase land directly from owners for setting up industries: CM

PIX: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Industrialists

KOLKATA: Land for industrial units would have to be purchased directly from owners, said chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday during her first meeting with the industrialists in the city.
She has announced the setting up of a 25-member core committee to oversee the progress of forthcoming industrial projects in the state.
She said that the state cannot fix the price of land and no forcible acquisition of land will be done by the government. But she expressed the willingness of the government to accommodate the concerns of industry.
The meeting was attended by Adi Godrej of Godrej, Shivinder Singh of Fortis, Y.C. Deveshwar of ITC, Sanjiv Goenka of RPG Enterprise, Aditya Khaitan of McLeod Russel, Harsh Neotia of Ambuja Realty, Karan Paul of Apeejay Group, H.M. Bangur of Shree Cement and S.K. Roy of Peerless.

Rains cripple normal life in South Bengal

PIX: Rajib Deb, member, mayor-in-council (drainage and sewerage) with Kolkata Municipal Corporation(KMC) commissioner Arnab Roy visiting Ballyganj pumping station for supervising the Ballyganj sump project work(bottom). A lock gate of Ballyganj pumping station. A woman wading through accumulated water in the subway in Dum Dum station. Worsening condition of a dyke in Hingalganj.

KOLKATA: A 55-year-old man died after being electrocuted soon after heavy rain lashed the city yesterday. Heavy shower threw normal life out of gear in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas and other parts of South Bengal.
Kesharmal Gupta (55) died after being electrocuted when he tried to save a woman and her child from touching a roadside feeder box of CESC that had gone under water around 11.45 a.m. The woman and her child were saved.
The average rainfall recorded in the city during the day was more than 100 mm. Around 160 mm rainfall was recorded in the Palmer Bridge pumping station area.
The mayor, Sovan Chatterjee, and Rajib Deb, member, mayor in council (drainage), visited the pumping stations and several waterlogged areas.
Areas surrounding Bagbazar, Shyambazar, Talla Park and Baranagar in north Kolkata and Topsia, Tiljala, Behala, Garden Reach and BBD Bag were flooded. There was waist deep water on several streets, lanes and by-lanes.
Several Dykes collapsed in Sunderbans areas. Cracks were found on the Dykes in Basanti, Gosaba, Sandeshkhali, Namkhana. Conditions of the several dykes in Sahebkhali, Ramapur, Schoolbari, Jagannath Ghat in Jogeshganj in Hingalganj area in North 24 Parganas are worsening villagers are apprehending collapse of those dykes any time.
Gopal Karmakar and Vijay Singh from Asian Front of Human Rights appealed to district magistrates of North and South 24 Parganas for taking initiative for repairing those dams.

"Arrest the mastermind behind scribe's murder"

KOLKATA: Journalists, social and human rights activists of Kolkata and districts expressed their deep concern over the killing of senior investigative journalist Jyotirmoy Kumar Dey(56).
Four motorbike-borne gunmen pumped at least five bullets into Dey, editor (special investigation) with tabloid Mid-Day, near a shopping complex in Powai around 3pm yesterday.
He had received threats for writing a series of reports on the state’s oil mafia, who allegedly burnt alive an additional collector near Nashik in January.
S Mitra, a senior reporter of a vernacular daily said Mumbai police is yet to make any breakthrough into this case and a special team should be formed immediately to nab the mastermind behind Dey’s murder.
Dipankar Nag, from North 24 Parganas journalist association said government should investigate whether any police and crime syndicate nexus is behind the conspiracy to kill the investigative journalist.
Sudip Patra a human rights activist said if the culprits will not be arrested then government intention regarding the crackdown on mafia will be under scanner.
Dey is survived by wife Shubha, a sub-editor with Economic Times, and his mother who lived with him in Mumbai. He hailed from Guwahati.