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Utsav Kids Presents ………Utsav Kids Presents ………Utsav Kids Presents ………Utsav Kids Presents ……… RamayanRamayanRamayanRamayan

The Ramayan is one of the two great epics of Ancient India, the other being the Mahabharat. It was originally written by Valmiki in Sanskrit. The Ramayan is a story that depicts four sons (Ram, Laxman, Bhorot and Shatrughno) of King Dasarath of Ayodhya face difficulties, crises but overcome them without compromising the values of brotherhood, truthfulness and dutifulness. Ram, the hero of the epic, is a symbol of patience, courage, justice and sacrifice. A relationship of Ram and his wife Sita is of respect, love and tolerance. Ram’s virtues survive all odds and adversities over the evil power of Rabon, the Demon King.

Director – Ajay Joshi Narrator- Rashmi Nandi

Choreography and costume – Nupur Joshi Casts Ram- Neha Joshi Rabon Raja- Sayanti Ghoshal Monthora- Sayanti Ghoshal Rishi Rabon in disguise- Rinita Mukherjee Koikeyi – Rinita Mukherjee Sita – Kajori Mukherjee Dasarath – Ayan Choudhury Bali – Ayan Choudhury Laxman – Adi Choudhury Bhorot – Sharod Nandi Angad – Sharod Nandi Shurponokha – Natasha Chanda

Meghnad – Natasha Chanda Sugrib – Sunoy Nandi Jatayu – Sayak Dutta Honuman – Debanshu Das Chhoto Honuman 1– Ronit Mukherjee Chhoto Honuman 2 - Archit Dash Shotrughno – Ronit Mukherjee Marich – Khounish Sharma Dwar rokshi 1- Khounish Sharma Dwar rokshi 2 – Ishaan Sharma Sonar Horin – Sonia Sarkar Kumbhokorno – Neel Chanda

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f − l ¡ f L¡ l l ¢ n È e ¾c £ 31 The Fry-of-the-Year Battle Neel Chanda 36 33G Notebook: Destination Paris Biswanath Mukherjee 37 Struck by “Lightening”: Puja Pandals in Kolkata Sajni Mukherji 42 Change Patricia Chatterjee 44 Alaska : Here Comes Utsav Gang Barin Kumar 46 An Interview with Marvel and Subhra Gima Shashwati Roy 48 Utsav Membership Roster 51 Brief History of Utsav 57

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Literary CommitteeLiterary CommitteeLiterary CommitteeLiterary Committee

Rashmi Nandi Patricia Chatterjee

Biswanath Mukherjee Rajat Saha

Somen Nandi Saquib Najmus

Manas Ray (Editor)

Cover design by Santana Das

Disclaimer The views and opinions of authors in this magazine do not necessarily state or reflect those of Utsav, Inc. For writings published in this magazine, Utsav does not warrant or assume any legal liability and responsibility for accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information disclosed and/or published. Information provided is accurate as of the date of going to press; Utsav or Chowrongee is not responsible for any errors or omissions. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors. Advertisers are solely responsible for the advertisements, not Chowrongee or Utsav.

Utsav Inc. 11230 Gold Express Drive,

P.O. Box: 310-412, Gold River, CA 95670

www.utsavsac.org

Chowrongee is published annually for Utsav members by Utsav, Inc. Sacramento, CA, USA (www.utsavsac.org)

Printed at: J. Prassa Printers, 2313 C Street, Sacramento, CA, USA (http://jpprinting.net)

Post master: if undelivered please send to Utsav Inc. 11230 Gold Express Drive, P.O. Box: 310-412, Gold River, CA 95670.

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Editorial Welcome to the eighth edition of

‘Chowrongee’, the Annual Magazine of UTSAV – the Bengali Association of Greater Sacramento. Utsav is also celebrating its eighth anniversary and organizing the eighth community Durga puja in the valley. It’s eight all around……

Eight is a good number. Lord Krishna was the eighth son born to princess Devaki of Mathura and Vasudeva. The Dharmacakra, a Buddhist symbol, has eight spokes. In Islam, it is the number of Angels carrying The Holy Throne of Allah in heavens.

So the eighth year was good for UTSAV too. Utsav has got new members, Utsav members have attained new heights in their professional careers, were honored by renowned organizations, kids have gone to new and prestigious schools and so on.

Like earlier years this year too the pages of ‘Chowrongee’ reveals the various facets of interest and qualities of Utsav members and well wishers. It has travelogues, report on the gala jamboree of the Bengalis called NABC 2009, poems and paintings by the young generation. The members of literary committee took all the initiatives to motivate quite a good number of occasional writers to spend some time on computers sharing their tales through the pages of Chowrongee.

I convey my sincere thanks to all the contributors and literary committee members. Special thanks to my predecessor Rashmi Nandi for her untiring assistance to ensure publication of this issue as per schedule.

Wish you all Puja Greetings.

Manas Ray

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UTSAV Committee Members

Governing Body Members (GBM) Adi Choudri (President) Sanjib Nayak (Vice President) Arun Chowdhury (Treasurer) Sharmila Mukherjee (Cultural Secretary) Anand Adoni (Public Relations / Secretary)

Community Council Members (CCM) Biswanath Mukherjee (Chairperson) Satya Chatterjee Debasis Saha

Literary Committee

Rashmi Nandi Patricia Chattejee Biswanath Mukherjee Rajat Saha Somen Nandi Saquib Najmus Manas Ray (Editor)

Cultural Committee: Sharmila Mukherjee (Chairperson) Udayan Chanda Nupur Joshi Subhra Mukherjee Seema Chanda

Election Committee:

Shomeek Paul Somen Nandi TBD

Puja Committee: Rupa Chowdhury (Chairperson) Arun Chowdhury Mitra Choudri Santana Das Anima Kumar

Clubhouse Committee: Biswanath Mukherjee (Chairperson) Somen Nandi Shyamal Chowdhury Subir Sarkar Udayan Chanda Sanjib Nayak Adi Choudri

Registration Committee: Prodosh Chakraborty (Chairperson) Adi Choudri Anand Adoni Subhra Gima

Food Committee: Subir Sarkar (Chairperson) Sanjib Nayak Adi Choudri

Fundraising Committee: Adi Choudri (Chairperson) Sanjib Nayak Deb Saha Ajay Joshi Udayan Chanda Kingshuk Sharma

Website Committee: Koushik Das Santana Das Sudeep Sarkar Suman Sarkar

Welcome Committee: Mitra Choudri (Chairperson) Mita Chakraborty Pat Chatterjee Subhra Gima Simi Sarkar Tapati Bhaumik

Utsav Youth Group: Arunav Sarkar (Chairperson) Neha Joshi Sahana Sarkar Natasha Chanda Anindya Chowdhury Sunoy Nandi Farah Billah Mitra Choudri (Coordinator)

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Message from the UTSAV Boardroom

Greetings to all,

It has been a busy year for Utsav. We began 2009 with the celebration of Saraswati pujo in January. This was followed by our Annual picnic and NABC participation. And now the Durga Pujo is here. I guess time goes fast when you are having fun.

On reflection, it has been a year of

stabilization and growth for Utsav. We have seen new members joining our existing family. We sincerely believe that the Utsav Board members are providing value for your hard earned dollar in these tough times.

Utsav clubhouse activity has been a

tremendous success under the capable leadership of Somen Nandi and Biswanath Mukherjee. We have changed the focus from classroom Bangla teaching to indoor and outdoor activities centered on “tero parbon”. This has been fun for children and adults too. For example, we celebrated Rabindra Jayanti by discussing Tagore and his life. Kids learned about Tagore and sang songs and recited poems. We also organized “Rays of Hope” (Upendra Kishore, Sukumar and Satyajit Rays) lead by Manas Ray. Subir Sarkar prepared many mouth-watering snacks during the clubhouse lunch breaks. A visit to The Yolo County reserve was an outdoor activity lead by Somen Nandi. Kids had a chance to learn names of birds in Bengali. We want to make your clubhouse participation fun and educational. And we are not done yet for this year. Just keep an eye on our website.

Utsav also participated in the 29th NABC

in the Bay area. Prabasi was the main host – we joined hands with them and raised over $15 K in sponsorship for the event. Our

Natok group did a phenomenal job and was well received by the audience. Their outstanding performance led to an invitation to perform in Canada. Our adults and kids did an outstanding dance performance. Shomeek Paul from Utsav participated in their Fashion show. Dr. Mitra Choudri and Dr. Satya Chatterjee were the primary organizers of a medical forum at NABC, a new event for NABC this year.

So you can see we were very deeply

involved, in spite of our size and distance. Dr. Mitra Choudri also initiated a youth

volunteer group this year, which was warmly received by our Utsav kids – they have Sahana, Arunav, Anindya, Neha, Natasha (Chanda), and Sunoy as present members. They have organized a winter clothes drive for the Saint John’s children shelter, and Spring cleaning at the Vedanta Society. Their next project is to donate an Indian meal to the St John Shelter, and the children hope to collect donation during the Durga Pujo. Please be generous and help their cause.

I want to sincerely thank all of you who

worked tirelessly all year long to bring all these programs and events together for our membership - you know who you are! I really feel proud that our team has accomplished so much. It takes a special person to volunteer so much time away from your family – Thank You.

I am extremely grateful to Utsav’s GBM

and CCM and many others who have put up with my frequent late evening conference calls throughout the year.

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So, sit back and enjoy the Durga Puja. We have two famous artists on Saturday, Arnab from Mumbai and Subhomita from Kolkata.

For the first time in Utsav history, we will

have a ticketed grand event in Durga Puja. The little ones are working very hard to bring Ramayan to you on Friday – please give them a hearty applause to show your appreciation.

Shubho Sharodiya to all – may Mayer puja bring many blessings, peace and happiness to you and your family. Warm Wishes, Adi Choudri On behalf of Utsav GBM and CCM

Governing Body Members (GBM): Adi Choudri Sanjib Nayak Arun Chowdhury Sharmila Mukherjee Anand Adoni

Community Council Members (CCM): Biswanath Mukherjee Satya Chatterjee Debasis Saha

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Program ScheduleProgram ScheduleProgram ScheduleProgram Schedule**** for for for for Durga Puja Durga Puja Durga Puja Durga Puja, 2009, 2009, 2009, 2009 Event Time

Friday: October 2, 2009 Aagomoni Song 7:30 PM

Odissi Dance Recital 7:45 PM

Ramayan – A performance by Utsav’s kids 8:00 PM Dinner 9:15 PM Vocal performance by "Harano Sur" (group from Bay area) 10:00 PM

Saturday: October 3, 2009 Durga Puja (Saptami and Mahastami), 10:00 AM

Anjali 11:30 AM

Prasad 12:00 Noon

Lunch and Socializing 1:00 PM

Bangla Movie (Ajab Gayer Ajab Katha), Carrom,

Card competitions, adda with snacks, etc. 3:00 PM

Aroti 5:30 PM

Performance (Live in Concert) by Shubhomita 6:30 PM

Dinner 8:30 PM

Performance by Arnab Chakraborty – a singing sensation 9:30 PM

Sunday: October 4, 2009

Durga Puja (Navami and Bijoya Dashami) 10:00 AM

Anjali 11:30 AM

Prasad, Sindur Khela and Bisorjon 12:00 Noon

Lunch and Socializing 1:00 PM

Harmonica (mouth organ) recital by Karun Chakraborty (from Bay area) 2:00 PM

Group song 2:15 PM

Awards Ceremony 2:20 PM

Family Variety Show 2:35 PM

Samson Koletkar (stand-up comedian from Bay area) 3:15 PM

Cleanup 5:00 – 6:00 PM

* Subject to change

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MUDRA DANCES School Of Odissi and Indian Semi-Classical/Folk Dances

Launches Odissi Classes by Guru Vishnutatva Das

Contact: Shashwati Roy (916-276-1202),

mudradances@gmail.com

Classes held at

HAWKINS SCHOOL OF PERFOMING ARTS 118 WOODMERE DRIVE, FOLSOM, CA 95630

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UTSAV ACCOUNTS*

July 2008 - June 2009

Amount ($)

Income

Membership and Sponsorship 33,925.39

Uncategorized Income 53.32

Total Income 33,978.71

Expenses

Advertising 1,180.51

Clubhouse 593.00

Dues & Subscriptions 179.55

Durga Pujo – 2009 1,950.00

Durga Pujo – 2008 20,077.02

Insurance 1,111.00

Entertainment 608.95

Office Supplies 331.63

Picnic – 2009 580.61

Poila Boishak – 2009 402.45

Rent or Lease 1,355.18

Saraswati Puja – 2009 3,093.21

Total Expenses 31,463.11

Net Operating Balance 2,515.60

Other Expenses

Miscellaneous 0.00

Total Other Expenses 0.00

Net Other Balance 0.00

Net Balance 2,515.60

* To be audited

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Teen KanyaTeen KanyaTeen KanyaTeen Kanya Utsav is proud of you ……Utsav is proud of you ……Utsav is proud of you ……Utsav is proud of you ……

Dhiya, daughter of Rina Roy and Shantanu Basu, successfully completed a 26.2 mile marathon at Maui, Hawaii on September 20, 2009. She has also raised significant funding for AIDS during her training leading to this event. She is continuing to fundraise until November. Congratulations ……Run Dhiya run …… Bipasha, daughter of Supriya and Biswanath Mukherjee, has joined John Hopkins School of Medicine for MD/PhD. Earlier Bipasha had graduated from UC Berkley with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology and conducted research in molecular neuroscience at UCSF. Recently Bipasha had also performed ‘Bharatanatyam Arangetram’ on successful completion of rigorous training in this form of classical Indian dance. Congratulations ………You showed how to master arts and science……… Shashwati Roy, Ex-Cultural Secretary and Treasurer of Utsav, has been elected unanimously to the post of Vice President (Operations) of Project Management Institute, Sacramento Valley Chapter. She is the first woman from Indian subcontinent to hold this important position. Congratulations …… move on …….

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PoemsPoemsPoemsPoems

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www.utsavsac.org.

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je £ ¾ cÊe ¡ b L ¥j¡l :je £ ¾ cÊe ¡ b L ¥j¡l :je £ ¾ cÊe ¡ b L ¥j¡l :je £ ¾ cÊe ¡ b L ¥j¡l : − f n ¡u ia ¡¢aÆL ( A hp lf Ë¡ç) z Ah p l S£ h −e h ¡w m ¡ p ¡¢ qa É QQÑ¡u ¢ e k¤š² J h ‰£ u p ¡¢qa É f¢ l o− cl p¢ œ² u

p cp É z f ¡¢ lh ¡¢l L p§− œ pÉ ¡œ² ¡− j− ¾V¡−a H− p Ev p− hl p ¡− b f ¢l ¢ Qa qez

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 17

¢a e¢V L¢ha ¡¢a e¢V L¢ha ¡¢a e¢V L¢ha ¡¢a e¢V L¢ha ¡

A ¢ i −o L e¡N

− g − m B p¡ ¢c e … ¢m

− L ¡ −e ¡ H L N¡ R am ¡u f ¡ Ju ¡ H LV ¥ R ¡u ¡ , − L ¡ −e ¡ H L − e s¡ j¡ − W l üÒf p h¤S ¡ a j ¡u ¡ , h å ¥-h ¡ å h, ¢ V ¢ ge − hËL . . . . ..

p h − i−p k ¡− µR . .. . .. − L ¡ −e ¡ H L c¤l h aÑ £ üf À − k e , k ¡ ¢ R m e ¡ B j ¡ l − L ¡− e¡ ¢ c −e ¡ z − p Cp h B —¡ …− m ¡ − i− p k ¡ u

H L jªc ¤ q ¡ Ju ¡ l e É¡ u .. . n Q £e , n ¡ q l ¦M, − jS -h E ¢ c, f l £r ¡ u −V ¡L ¡ , ¢ L R¥ ¢ p ¢ l u ¡p B m¡ f , ¢ L R¥ A p wm N À i¡ V h L¡ z

j − e f − s BS J −p C N¡ e p − ‰ ¢N V¡ l H l Be ¡ ¢ s a¡e z L b ¡ q− u ¢ R m H L h¡ l i¢ h o Éa ¢ e− u , ¢ h − µ R c ¢ e −u J . . .. . ¢ L ¿¹¥ ¢ h n Ä¡ p ¢R m − cM¡ q − h B h ¡lz

p h C BS k ¡u p− l, A − eL c§− lz − p C c§l h aÑ £ − h ¡ L¡ üfÀ… − m ¡ − i− p J− W j − e l − L¡ − Z B l B ¢ j − q− p E ¢ W Be j − e z

q u a − p …− m ¡C N − s a¥− m −R Bj ¡ l B ¢ j −L z

A e e É¡

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j e ¢ e −u e¡ s¡ Q s¡ − a¡ j ¡ l ¢ R m −f n ¡ , n §Z É B j ¡ l j − e a¥¢ j i− l ¢ R − m − e n ¡ z

N c Éj u H S £h −e S¡ ¢N −u ¢ R −m R ¾c, L a L ¢ h a¡ C ¢ m − M¢R m ¡ j - i¡ m H hw j ¾cz

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E f m¢ì

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a¡ l − Q −u h lw L¢ h a¡ − m M, q¡ ¢l − u − gm e¡ B n¡ z L ¢ h a¡ ¢ m − MC q u a − f− m q¡ l ¡−e ¡ i¡− m ¡ h¡ p¡ z

H L ¡ ¿¹C k ¢ c e¡ f ¡ l S¥s− a n ë H hw i¡o ¡ , q ¡ u â¡ h ¡ c £ ¢ h ¢ lu ¡ e £ M¡ J, p −‰ j ¡V e Lo ¡ z

A ¢ i− o L e ¡ N ,A ¢ i− o L e ¡ N ,A ¢ i− o L e ¡ N ,A ¢ i− o L e ¡ N , N − h oL , C − m LVÊ¢ e L p ¢ h i¡ N , L É¡ ¢ m− g¡ ¢ eÑ u¡ ¢ h nÄ¢ h c É¡ m u , − X¢ ip z

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 18

l¡¢œl cªnÉ − p ± j Éc £f p¡ q¡

H L l ¡− a B j ¡ l

− Q ¡− M e ¡C O¤j, L l ¡ l ¢ L R¥ − eC

h å B j ¡ l l ¦jz

i¡ h m ¡ j S¡ m e¡ l p ¡ j −e B ¢ j k ¡ C ,

h ¡ C − l l cªn É − c − M k ¢ c ¢ L R¥ B e ¾c f ¡C ?

B ¢ j S ¡e ¡ m¡ l h ¡C − l − c ¢M

A − e L a¡ l¡ H hw p Lm O − l O ¤¢ j − u B − R

− m ¡ LS e p ¡ l¡ z

a¡ lf l B ¢ j − c ¢M H L h¡ c ¤l,

E − s − N m ! E− s − N m ! ¢ L S ¡ ¢e L a c§l?

B l L a ¢ L R¥ − c ¢M f Ë¡ Z i− l

q W ¡ v H j e m ¡− N − L − ke B j¡ l − Q¡ − M S ¡ c¤ L − l!

H a ¢ L R¥ − c − M

− f m ¡ j ¢L n ¡ ¢ ¿¹! a¡ lf l m ¡ − N B j ¡ l

n l £− l LÓ¡ ¢ ¿¹z

− Q ¡− M H m O¤j e ¡ C − L ¡− e¡ E f¡ u ,

L Ó¡ ¢ ¿¹− a B ¢ j f − s − N m ¡ j ¢ hR ¡e ¡u !

− p ± j Éc £f p ¡ q ¡ ,− p ± j Éc £f p ¡ q ¡ ,− p ± j Éc £f p ¡ q ¡ ,− p ± j Éc £f p ¡ q ¡ , 14 hR l, … u¡ q ¡ ¢V p¡ E b f− u ¾V ú¥− m l e h j − nËZ £l R ¡ œz

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 19

Monsoons Natasha Chanda

Monsoons.... Wet, yet delightful

Scary lightning and thunder striking!!! Raindrops falling upon my skin

How refreshing!!! Frogs croaking, birds singing, Children stomping in puddles.

How joyful!!!

As I scurry along those muddy and wet roads,

holding my umbrella tight I wonder,

“Why don't I get a little wet?” It wouldn't hurt that much, right?

As I move the umbrella from above my head,

And feel that first little raindrop, I jump with happiness and joy, Breathing the scent of new rain.

Natasha Chanda, 10 years old and 5th Grader at Excelsior Elementary School, Roseville. Her interests lie in Dancing and playing piano. She can be reached at daddysgirl_nc@yahoo.com or (916) 797 6789.

When and Now Farah Billah

Life was given to us to be fullfilled,

to be thrown across the skies into the gentle hands of others

and brought back to us with smiles. Life was meant to be shared to be exerted onto the world,

to land on other worlds. Life was about giving life to others

to let spirit and creativity rise, to give every new generation of youngsters something new and wonderful to hope for.

Life was not meant to be destroyed, not meant to be locked up or closed off,

not meant to be hurt or abandoned. Life did not mean greed

of other lives and what they can produce. It did not mean selfishness and barriers.

Life was not meant to be ended by the hand of another life.

Apparently it is now.

Farah Akter Billah is 15 years old and a 10th grader at Mira Loma High School, Sacramento. Her passions are Art and Dance. She can be reached at farah2193@yahoo.com.

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 20

She

Mohana Roy

The empty room With dirty windows Peering sun Blurred in the dust. She looks outside She looks around Her desolate existence, Stenches the ground. No one here, no one outside The clouds darken and rumble now They speak a strange language Shouting in the sky But no one is there To hear the sound. The empty room Small and tight Exhausting her every breath, Claustrophobic, uncomfortable She paces around, step by step. Darkness, it is black. Devoid of color, devoid of life. Her mind wrenches, spinning around, She holds on tight and collapses below.

She closes her eyes, she lays there Breathing softly Unable to move She lies for hours, perhaps days Years drift by, without her trace. Opening her eyes, she sees a wonder A ray of light has made it through, It hits the window sharp and clear, It permeates the empty room. The room is large, with space to breathe, Space to run, and space to dance. She rips her dirty dress, And cleans the window, Mopping away her lonesome past. More rays enter the space, They hit her eyes, an emerald green. The dust now glows all around, She laughs and starts spinning again. She takes the key It had always been there, Lying in the corner of that vast room. She turns the lock, The door squeaks to an open, She steps out and strides along.

Mohana Roy is a senior undergraduate student at University of California, Davis, with Neurobiology major. Mohana can be reached at mroy@ucdavis.edu.

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 21

f Ë h åf Ë h åf Ë h åf Ë h å

ArticleArticleArticleArticlessss

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 22

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−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 23

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−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 24

A ¢ i‘a¡ z − c ¡ o -œ¥¢ V k¡ C b ¡ L -H hw i¥m ï ¡ ¢ ¿¹ − k ¢ R m −p L b ¡ L j − h n £ p L− m ü£L ¡ l L l − h e -öd¤ H C B − u ¡S e ¢V L l ¡ l Se É E š l B − j ¢ l L¡ l h ¡ P ¡m £− c l ¢ Q lG Z £ L − l l ¡ M− m e − h-H ¢ l u¡ fËh ¡ p £z

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c ¤C h ¡ w m ¡ l − j m h å e ?c ¤C h ¡ w m ¡ l − j m h å e ?c ¤C h ¡ w m ¡ l − j m h å e ?c ¤C h ¡ w m ¡ l − j m h å e ?

H L h R− l lJ B− N − b− L h ¡ w m ¡− c n £ p j ¡S l p ¡ −b E − c É¡ š ²¡ p w ÙÛ¡ f Ëh ¡ p £l f ¢ ÕQ j h‰ £u B − u¡ SL l ¡ −k ¡ N¡ − k¡ N L l − m J A e ¤ù¡ − e l − n− o h ¡w m ¡− c n £ B − u ¡S − L l B e− ¾c l Q ¡ C− a − r ¡ iC − h ¢ n ¢R m h − m j − e q− µ Rz Ab Q L ah¡ l

H L − œ p i¡ q m , ¢ n Ò f £− c l B e¡-− e Ju ¡ ¢ e −u SÒ f e¡ LÒ f e¡ q m , ¢ L ¿¹¥ p Ç f− LÑ l E c ¡ l A i¥Éc u q m e ¡ z j− e¡ j ¡ ¢ me É, i¥m − h ¡ T¡ h ¤¢ T l − l n l− u C − N m z

H h É¡ f ¡− l B ¢ j − k j a l ¡ Mh, a¡ q u a − L ¡ e − L ¡e h ¡ w m ¡− c n £l je xf¤a q − h e¡ z B j ¡ l j −e q u c¤C f −r C − c ¡ o l− u −R z h ¡ w m¡ − c n £− c l − r¡− il − k V¡ p h Q ¡C − a p‰ a L ¡ lZ l −u −R −p V¡ q m A‰ £L ¡l p −š ÄJ h ¡ h¡ J f sn £−L ü£L «¢ a ¢ c − a c ª¢ øL V ¥ l L − j l A e £q ¡ z − n o fk Ñ ¿¹ ü£L «¢ a

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 25

k Me − cJu ¡ q m , aMe A − e L l ¡ a q − u − N − R , aMe h ¡ l h ¡ l ü£L «¢ a ¢ c − m J ¢ L m¡ i, −p V ¡ ¢ e− u fËn À L l ¡ −k − aC

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B Q l − Z H Ld l − e l A ¢ ij¡ e j§m B − u ¡S L − c l öih¤¢ Ü p ð − å fËn À − a¡ − m ¢ L e ¡ , − p V¡ − j − e ¢ e −u H L b ¡ J h m − a q u − k h ¡ wm ¡ − cn £− c l B n¡ J H L V¥ − h ¢ n ¢ Rm z B j¡ − c l ¢ e − S− c l AbÑ h m B l ¢ h− n o L − l ¢ e− S l p ¡w ú«¢ al f Ë¢ a B e ¤N aÉ e ¡ h ¡ s− m B j ¡− c l h ¡l h ¡ l B n ¡ i‰ q − hz H L V¡ − R ¡ – E c ¡q lZ ¢ c C - h ‰ p− Ç jm − e − L¡ e −L ¡ e h¡ w m¡ − c n £ ¢ n Ò f £− L B e ¡ q − h, HC h É¡ f¡− l f l ¡ j nÑ −Q − u − h H ¢ lu ¡ h ¡ w m ¡− c n H −p ¡ ¢p −u n −e l f r −b − L p L m p cp É− c l L ¡− R C − j − m j a¡ j a −Q − u f¡ W¡ e q− u ¢R m z p ¡L¥− m É E š l H − p ¢R m R u ¢ L p¡ a¢ V z H C k Me B j¡ − c l p w ú«¢ a − f Ë− j l e j¤e ¡ , aMe B j ¡ − c l B l h s h s L b¡ h m ¡ p ¡− S e ¡ z

l h £¾c Êe ¡ − b l −p C N¡ eV ¡ j − e B − R - " " ¢ L f ¡C ¢ e , a¡ l ¢ q p ¡ h − j m¡ − a j e − j ¡ l e− q l ¡S £z '' q ¡ u , B j l ¡ − a¡ B l L ¢ h… l ¦l j − a¡ j q¡ j ¡e h e C - B j ¡ − c l ¢ L ¿¹¥ ¢ L f¡ C ¢ e a¡ l ¢ q p ¡ h − j m ¡− aC − h ¢ n B e¾cz a− h B ¢ j − p C L ¡S V¡ − b − L Bf ¡ aa R¥¢ V ¢ e −u H h¡ − ll h ‰ p− Ç j m −e ¢ L ¢ L i¡ m m ¡ N m a¡ C ¢e −u c¤Q ¡ l L b ¡ hm hz

¢ L R ¥ i¡ m m ¡ N ¡¢ L R ¥ i¡ m m ¡ N ¡¢ L R ¥ i¡ m m ¡ N ¡¢ L R ¥ i¡ m m ¡ N ¡

p h A e ¤ù¡ e − Le , A ¢d L ¡ w n Ae ¤ù¡ e − cM¡ pñ h q u ¢ e , a¡ p ñ hJ e u z ¢ e −S k ¡ V¤L V ¡ L − c − M¢R a¡ l − b −L ¢ LR¥ i¡ m m ¡ N ¡ l L b ¡ ¢ m M¢ R z

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B l lb £¾c Êe ¡ b l ¡ u N ¡ e − N− u − N − m e z −n o c¤S − e l p j u c n Ñ L p j¡ N j B− l ¡ − h ¢ n q Ju ¡ h ¡ “e £u ¢ Rm - − L¡ b ¡u ¢ R − m e h¡ w m¡ − c n £l¡ ?

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B j S e a¡ −L A h n É Ù ¹ì L − l ¢ c − u − R A − ðo ¡z H L l ¢ š − j − u , ¢ L c ¡ f− V l p¡ − bC e ¡ ma¡ j − ‰ n L − l l N¡ e N ¡C m z öd ¤ N ¡ C m e¡ , j − ’ Af§h Ñ üµ R ¾c a¡ l E f ¢ ÙÛ¢ az H C ¢ n Ò f £

− k H L¢ c e M¤h h s q − h a¡ − a − L ¡ e p− ¾c q −e C , B l h‰ p − Ç j m− e l B− u ¡S L − c l ¢ h− n o A ¢ ie ¾c e c n Ñ L − c l H l

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ae ¤n Ë£ n ˆ − l l c − m l e ªaÉ B j ¡ l − h ¢ n i¡ m − m− N − R z l ¡ O − h l E µ Q¡ ‰ p‰ £a J B d¤¢ e L p‰ £− al fusion i¡ m − m − N −R , B l n Ë£L ¡ ¿¹ B l − m ¡ f ¡ j¤â ¡ l − k ± b p‰ £a i¡ m − m − N −R z

j’ p ‹ ¡ u p h − Q− u h s j − ’ B sð l ¢ R m p h − Q− u − h ¢ n , B − m ¡ l L ¡S J ¢ R m − Q¡ M d y¡ d ¡ e z a− h B j ¡ l A − e L − h ¢ n i¡ m − m − N −R ¢ à a£u j − ’l p ¡ S p ‹¡ , ¢ h − n o L− l

f V B ¢‰ − L l A mˆ lZ i¡ ¢ l cª¢ øe ¾c e ¢ R m z

k ¡ i¡ m m ¡ − N ¢ ek ¡ i¡ m m ¡ − N ¢ ek ¡ i¡ m m ¡ − N ¢ ek ¡ i¡ m m ¡ − N ¢ e E − à ¡ de £ A e¤ù¡ e H LV¥ c £O Ñ q− m J p h ¢ j ¢ m −u i¡ m C

− m − N −R , a− h a¡ l B − N H a … − µ R l hš ²«a¡ − c h ¡ l h¤¢ Ü V¡ L ¡ l E h Ñ l j ¢Ù ¹×L f Ëp§a, S ¡ e − a C − µR q u z H − L l f l H L

f ¡ ¢ a l ¡ Se £¢ aL l ¡ h ¡ −S h − L − N− m e , H l ¢ L − L ¡e f Ë− u¡ Se ¢ R m ?

B l p j ¡ fe £ A e¤ù¡ − e crowd control H l h É¡ f ¡ − l B − l ¡ k aÀh ¡ e q Ju¡ h ¡ “e £u ¢ R m z B l H LV ¡ L b ¡ -

f Ë¢ ah ¡ l H a L b ¡ , H a − Q ø¡ l f lJ − L e A e¤ù¡ e ¢ L R¥− aC p j u A e¤k ¡ u £ L l¡ k¡ u e ¡?

E f p w q ¡ lE f p w q ¡ lE f p w q ¡ lE f p w q ¡ l

B j ¡ l j − e q u h ‰ p − Ç jm − e l E − Ÿn É J m r É p ð − å e a¥e ¢ Q ¿¹¡ i¡ h e¡ L l ¡ l p ju H − p− R z j ¡e ¢ R L− u L q¡ S¡ l − m ¡ L B− p Ae¤ù¡ − e , ¢ L ¿¹¥ H a A e ¤ù¡ e L l¡ ¢ L k b¡ b Ñ? C w − l ¢S − a H − L h − m overkillz H − a p L − m l p h ¢ LR ¥ − cM¡ h ¡ − n ¡e ¡ pñ h q u e¡ , − pV ¡ e¡ q u j ¡ e¡ − N m , ¢ L ¿¹¥ L M− e ¡ L M− e ¡ ¢n Ò f £− c lJ − a¡ Ap Ç j ¡e q u z

a¡ l j − d É B —¡ p¡ j ¡ ¢S L a¡ −a¡ B − RC , a¡ − a ¢ n Ò f p w ú«¢ a Q QÑ ¡ l fË¢ a f §Z Ñ j − e¡ −k ¡ N − cJu ¡ p h p j u p ñ h qu e ¡ z Bp − m H a h s B u a− e h ‰ p − Ç j me B− u ¡S e ¢ L k b ¡ b Ñ p w ú«¢ a − fË− j l f ¢ l Q u hq e L − l, e ¡ ¢L HV ¡ Bp − m

H − L Af l − L −V ‚¡ − c h¡ l − Q ø¡ , − p C p w nu ¢ L ¿¹¥ M¡ ¢ e L V¡ − b − L C k ¡u z f¤− l ¡ h É¡ f¡ l V¡ l j − d É H LV ¥M¡ ¢ e − cM¡ −e f e¡ B − R ¢ L e¡ −p V¡ B − u¡ SL l ¡ H L V¥ − i− h − cM− a f ¡ − le z a− h p £j ¡ h Ü a¡ k ¡ C b ¡ L , HC ¢ h n ¡ m B− u¡ S −e l Se É B − u ¡S L − c l fË¡ Z Y ¡ m¡ A ¢ ie ¾c e ¢ c − a ¢ h ¾c ¥j ¡ œ L¡ f Ñ Z É L l − m −p V¡ M¤h C A e É¡u q − hz

f s n£ f ¢œ L¡ l n Ë¡ h Z , 1 41 6 , p w M É ¡ −b − L f ¤Z Ñj §¢â az f s n£ f ¢œ L¡ l n Ë¡ h Z , 1 41 6 , p w M É ¡ −b − L f ¤Z Ñj §¢â az f s n£ f ¢œ L¡ l n Ë¡ h Z , 1 41 6 , p w M É ¡ −b − L f ¤Z Ñj §¢â az f s n£ f ¢œ L¡ l n Ë¡ h Z , 1 41 6 , p w M É ¡ −b − L f ¤Z Ñj §¢â az

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 26

h‰ pw ú«¢a p −Çj me 2 009 h‰ pw ú«¢a p −Çj me 2 009 h‰ pw ú«¢a p −Çj me 2 009 h‰ pw ú«¢a p −Çj me 2 009 ---- p Çf ¡c−L l pw −k¡S e p Çf ¡c−L l pw −k¡S e p Çf ¡c−L l pw −k¡S e p Çf ¡c−L l pw −k¡S e

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N u e ¡ l − c ¡L ¡ −e k− b ø i£s q −u − R z N¡ −e l J R¢ h l ¢ p¢ X ¢ h œ²£ j ¾c q u ¢ e z h ‰ p w ú«¢ al H … − m ¡ J A ‰ z h¡ ‰¡ m £ ¢ q − p− h − h y− Q b ¡L ¡ l S e É H … −m ¡ lJ c l L ¡ lz c l L ¡ l l ¦e ¡ m ¡ u m ¡ l N ¡− e e¡ Q¡ , nË£L ¡ ¿¹l N ¡ −e i¡ h¤L q Ju¡ (A ¿¹a: i¡ e L l ¡ ) H hw A hn ÉC h ¡‰ ¡ m £ − p¢ m ¢ h Ë¢ V ¢ nÒ f £ n ¡e -H l N¡ − e

(− p C N¡ e −k i¡o ¡ − aC − q¡ L e¡ − L e ) j ¡ a¡ m q Ju¡ z ¢ L R¥ j ¡ e ¤− o l A¢ i− k ¡ N hC H hw p ¡ ¢q aÉ ¢ e − u z " Be ¾c'

H h ¡ l ØV m − c u ¢e , öd ¤ " j¤š ²d ¡ l¡ ' ¢ L R¥ h C H− e ¢R m z h C J p ¡ ¢ q− aÉl j ¡ e¤o ¢ Q l L¡ m C Lj (p ¤¤e £m J −p ¢ j e¡ − l a¡C h m − m e ), ah ¤ p ¡ ¢ q aÉ B − m ¡ Q e¡ l p i¡ − a − Q u¡ l M¡ ¢ m ¢ R m e ¡ z A− e− L cy¡ ¢ s− u ö− e −R e z q u − a¡ A −e − LC p¤¤e £m - p j − l n −L − cM− a H −p ¢ R− m e H hw h ¡ w m¡ − c n £l¡ ýj ¡u¤e B S ¡ c− L (i¡ l a£u h ¡‰ ¡ m £l ¢ p wq i¡ N a¡ − L − Q− e e e ¡ )z ah¤

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öd ¤ − f ¢ ¾p m ¢ e− u h¡ s£ − k− a q u a¡ q − m L h¡ l − h m am ¡ u B p ¡ k¡ u z p¤¤al ¡ w

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− n o L b¡ z HV ¡ g¥l ¢ al p − Çj m e z − h n £ ¢p ¢ l u¡ p e ¡ q Ju ¡ C h ¡ “e £uz a¡ C H a h s h ¡ ‰¡ m £l p j ¡− h n c¤C h ¡w m ¡ − b − L C pm ¡ j £ − j ± m h¡ c £− c l à ¡l ¡ ¢ h a¡ ¢ sa L ¢ h − L ¢ e j ¿»Z L l ¡ l p vp ¡ qp − cM¡ − N m e ¡ z k ¢ cJ L ¢ h h− p B −R e Ø V É¡Q ¥ A g ¢ m h ¡ l ¢ V l n q l ¢e E Cu l −L z L m L ¡ a¡ e ¡ jL L ¡ f¤l ¦o n q − l l L ¢ h l¡ H hw a¡ − c l −n Ë¡ a¡ l ¡ a¡ C L ¢ h p −Ç j m −e ap ¢ m j ¡ l R¢ h p q fË¢ ah ¡ c £ − f¡ Ø V¡ l ¢ V e ¡ − cM¡ l i¡ e L− l L ¢ h a¡ f − s − N − me z j −e iu , k ¢ c ¢ LR¥ − h gy¡ p h− m − g−m L m L ¡ a¡ u ¢ g− l C j¡ − j l L¡ −R e¡ L Ma ¢ c − a q u z

p h − n −o NABC − L de Éh ¡ c HC − j m ¡ l B −u ¡S e L l¡ l S e Éz

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 27

NABC 2009 H hw B j¡− cl e¡V L ¢ e−u ¢L R¥ Lb ¡ H hw B j¡− cl e¡V L ¢ e−u ¢L R¥ Lb ¡ H hw B j¡− cl e¡V L ¢ e−u ¢L R¥ Lb ¡ H hw B j¡− cl e¡V L ¢ e−u ¢L R¥ Lb ¡ S u c£ f l¡u

i ¢ j L¡i ¢ j L¡i ¢ j L¡i ¢ j L¡

" q C − a p¡ hd ¡e 'e¡ V L ¢V p É¡ œ²¡− j −¾V ¡ − a fËb j L − l ¢ R m ¡ j 2009 p l üa£ f §− S ¡ − az n VÑ −e ¡ ¢ V− p , p £¢ j a fËÙ ¹¥¢ a− a, j ä f p ‹¡ , B − m ¡ Lp ‹¡ , H hw L p Ú¢ V E j − h n £ S ¢ V m e¡ L − l B j l ¡ e ¡V L ¢V L − l¢ R m¡ j - C w − lS £− a k ¡− L h− m , 'Quick & Dirty' H É¡ − f Ë¡ Q z c n Ñ L − c l − b − L k− b ø f Ën w p ¡ −f − u E vp¡ q £ B j l ¡ kMe " H lf l ¢ L -L l ¡ -k¡ u ' − N ¡ −R l i¡ he ¡ ¢Q ¿¹¡ L l ¢R , aMe B ¢ c c ¡ (B ¢ c −Q ± d¤l £)

H L ¢ c e Lb ¡V ¡ f¡ s− m e - ""NABC -− a H h ¡ l e¡ V L f Ë¢ a− k ¡ ¢N a¡ q− µR , − a¡ j l ¡ − a¡ e ¡ V L ¢V − p M¡ −e L l − a f ¡ lz '' NABC Ab Ñ ¡ v E š l B − j ¢ l L ¡ h ‰ p − Ç j me H j e C H L ¢V j’ −k M¡ −e c¤C h ¡w m ¡ l ¢ nÒ f S N − al − nËù e r − œl B N j e O −V , − p M¡− e B j ¡ − c l fË¢ ai¡ f Ëc n Ñ − e l p ¤¤− k ¡ N ¢ e :p − ¾c − q − m¡ ie £u fËÙ ¹¡ hz a¡ R¡ s¡ k Me H J S¡ e¡ − N m − k e¡ VL fË¢ a− k ¡ ¢N a¡ l ¢ hQ ¡ l L q− h e V¡ ¢ m N ” ab ¡ h ¡ w m ¡ l e ¡ j £-c ¡ j £ − m ML H hw A ¢ i− e a¡ l ¡ - aMe B l B j ¡ − c l − l ¡ − M − L !

f ËÙ¹¥¢ af ËÙ¹¥¢ af ËÙ¹¥¢ af ËÙ¹¥¢ a j’ k Me NABC, aMe f ËaÉ¡ n ¡ J A − eL z B j l ¡ J

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- ¢ h − n o a al ¦Z c nÑ L − c l L ¡− R z j§m e ¡V L ¢V − a − h n ¢ L R¥ f ¢ l h aÑ e L l m ¡ j - HL ¢V e ¡V ÉL ¡− l l Aw n ¢ R m , − p ¢ V− L B j l ¡ L − l ¢ c m ¡ j V ¡ ¢ m N− ”l B VÑ ¢ g−m È l ¢ e − c Ñ nL z − h n ¢ LR ¥ Aw − n p ¡ Ç fË¢ aL O V e¡ l E − õ M − Y ¡ L¡ − e¡ q m - − k j e Ab Ñ° e ¢ aL j ¾c ¡ , ¢ p‰¥− l S ¢ j cMm C aÉ¡ ¢ cz H − a p w m¡ f … ¢ m B −l ¡ j S¡ c ¡ l H hw Ab Ñ f§ZÑ q − u E Wm z

f l h aÑ £ L ¡S q m e¡ V L ¢V l Background Score B − l ¡ Eæ a L l ¡ z ¢ WL q m , Pre-recorded V ÊÉ¡ L − h n £ h Éh q ¡ l e ¡ L − l, A −e L V¡ V LÚ-− n ¡ l dy¡ − Q m ¡C i h ¡ S e¡ − cJu ¡ q − hz ° al £ q m B j ¡− c l 'Music Team' -p ”£h c ¡ l (p ”£h p lL ¡ l) − e a«− aÆz H h É¡ f¡ − l − p¡ − j e -c¡ l

(− p ¡− j e e ¾c £) A h c ¡e J E −õ M− k¡ N Éz

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f ¢ l h aÑ e L − l Q¢ l œ… ¢ m − g¡V ¡ −e¡ l − Q ø¡ L− l ¢ R m¡ jz −k j e " v' k Me hM¡− V R¡ œ aMe ay¡ l N m ¡u S s¡ −e ¡ ¢ p − ól l ¦j ¡ m , B h ¡ l k Me ¢ gm È ¢e− c Ñ n L aMe ay¡ l N ¡− u L ¡ n È £l £ n ¡m z j §m − f ¡o ¡L H hw − j L Ú-B f H L C b¡ L − m¡ z ¢ L ¿¹¥ H h ¡ l B j l¡ B lJ p¡ q p £ q m ¡ jz ¢W L q m ,

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−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 28

a¡ R ¡ s¡ B j¡ − c l j ae H L¢ V al ¦Z e ¡ V Éc − m l L ¡− R H C A ¢ i‘a¡ l j §m É A p ¡ j ¡e Éz e ¡ VL ¢ V l j§MÉ Q ¢ l œ Q ¾c Ê¢ h ¾c ¥l i¡ o ¡ u h m− a − N − m "B j l ¡ q ¢ m E X eC c ¡ c¡ , B j l ¡ H É¡− j Q¡ lz B j l ¡ B − j ¢l L ¡ l n q− l-n q − l e ¡V L L − l − h s¡ C z − LE i¡ m − h −p q ¡ aa¡ ¢ m − c u , − a¡ − LE O ªZ ¡ i− l N ¡ m¡ N ¡ ¢ m − c u’z q¡aa¡ ¢ m − k j e B j¡ − c l E vp ¡ q £ H hw B aÈ ¢ h nÄ¡ p £ L −l − a¡ − m , − aj ¢ e h Éb Ñ a¡ B j ¡ − c l B lJ i¡ m L l − a −f ËlZ ¡ − k ¡ N¡ u z p gm q− a − N − m HC c¤C H l C − k h s f Ë− u¡S e z

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−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 29

B ¢é L¡ ï jZB ¢é L¡ ï jZB ¢é L¡ ï jZB ¢é L¡ ï jZ n Ë£ − m M ¡ in Ë£ − m M ¡ in Ë£ − m M ¡ in Ë£ − m M ¡ i –––– ¡Q ¡k Ñ É¡Q ¡k Ñ É¡Q ¡k Ñ É¡Q ¡k Ñ É

9C − p − ÃV ð l 2007 p ¡ m z p L ¡− m S ¡e m ¡ l d¡ − l

airport H l N ¡ s£l A − f r ¡ u h − p B ¢ R z B S B j¡ − c l h ýf Ëa£¢ r a African Safari p¤¤l ¦ q − µ R z − X¢ ip , L É¡ ¢ m − g¡ ¢e Ñ u¡ − b− L e ¡C − l¡ ¢ h, − L ¢ e u¡ m ð ¡ l ¡ Ù¹¡ - p É¡ œ²¡ − j − ¾V ¡ − b − L ¢ j¢ e u¡ − f¡ ¢ mp , B Éj Ø V ¡ l X¡− j − fÔe h c m L − l Nairobi Overseas Adventure Travel-H l H C Safari − a Q − m − R B j¡ − c l ¢ e−u 13 S e z B Éj Ø V ¡ l X¡ j airport H p L − m H − p ¢ j − m−R z a¡ l j − d É B j ¡ − c l A É¡ ¢ l − S¡ e ¡ l h å¥ p ¤¤lb B l ¢ pe ¢b u ¡ z

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p L ¡− m −q ¡− V m − b − L − h ¢ l− u , f ¡ − u − qy− V h s nq − l l p Q l ¡Q l − k p h â øh É b ¡ − L −p … − m¡ − c − M lunch H l S e É k ¡ Ju¡ q − m¡ Carnivore Restaurant H z − p H L A ¢ ie h A ¢ i‘a¡ z j ¡ e¤o B l h ¡ O -¢ p wq R ¡ s¡ ¢ L R¥ h ¡ ¢ L − e C - L¥j £l, E V f ¡ M£, h ¤− e¡ n§− u ¡ l, − S hË¡, Wildobeast, C aÉ¡ ¢ c k al L j f öf¡ M£ JM¡ − e B − R , p h j¡ wp e ¡ e¡ l L j " pp ' ¢ c − u M¡ Jz −p ± i¡ N Éh n ax p¤¤f , l ¦¢ V , p É¡ m ¡ X, B Cp ¢ œ²j, − L L J ¢ Rm z a¡ C ¢ c − uC M¡ Ju¡ p ¡ l m¡ jz a− h − L ¢ eu ¡ l Q¡ -L ¢ gl f Ën w p ¡ e¡ L − l E f¡ u − e C z M¡ Ju ¡ l fËp −‰ B − l¡ h ¢ m , − L ¢e u ¡ H hw a¡ e S¡ ¢ e u¡ l − h ¢ n l i¡ N Buffet-− aC − h…− e l −T ¡ m ,

f ¡ m w n¡ L i¡ S¡ , j ¤lN £l − T ¡ m , ¢ p P¡ s¡ , f − L ± s¡ , h ¡ p j a£ Q ¡ − m l i¡ a, X¡ m , Q ¡ f ¡ ¢V CaÉ¡ ¢ c b ¡ L az H A’− m i¡ l a£u f Ëi¡ h A − eL ¢ c − e lz

k ¡ C − q¡ L , lunch H l f l k ¡ Ju ¡ −q ¡ m Karen

Blixen H l h ¡ s£ − cM− a - C ¢ e Isaac Dermison R c È e¡ − j ¢ m M− ae , H lC S £h e £ ¢e − u ° al £ Q m¢ µ Q œ "Out

of Africa" z a¡ lf l HL ¢ S l ¡ g − p ¾V¡ − l − c¡ am ¡

h ¡ l ¡ ¾c ¡ u E − W M¡ h ¡ l ¢e − u q ¡a h ¡ s¡ − aC Rothschild

Giraffe l ¡ H −p 17 C ¢’ m ð ¡ Q VÚQ −V e £m ¢ S i h¡ l L − l ¢ e¢ ÕQ ¿¹i¡ − h B j¡ l q ¡ a −b − L − M− u − k − a m ¡ N m - B l B j ¡ l A h ÙÛ¡ " "− R− s − c j¡ − Ly− c h ¡y¢ Q ''!

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Safari-l f Ëb j c ¤− V ¡ l ¡ a L ¡ V ¡m ¡ j Sweetwater

Private Reserve Park-H , ¢ W L ¢ h o ¤h − lM¡ l E f − l, ¢ L ¿¹¥ E µ Q a¡ l S e É − h n W¡ ä¡ z Tent-H l − f R− e h¡ l ¡ ¾c ¡u h −p ¢ h n q ¡ a c§l − aÆl j − d É − cMm ¡ j L a S ¿¹¥l B e ¡− N ¡e ¡ - ¢ S l ¡ g, q ¢ l − Z l c m , h ¤− e ¡ n§− u ¡ lz Tent-H l p ¡ j −e electric fence H l N ¡ − u − m M¡ Halari (− p ¡ u¡ ¢ q ¢ m i¡ o¡ u ¢ hf c-H l f Ë¢ an ë)z − cMm ¡ j Marabon Stork,

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f ¢ l − h n ! ¢ L ¿¹¥ a¡ l C j − d É B − R Western style

bathroom, B l N l j S m ! M¡ h ¡ l h Éh ÙÛ¡ A e É tent-H , ¢ L ¿¹¥ ¢ e −S l tent − b − L − h − l ¡ h¡ l p j u i¡ m L− l Q ¡ l ¢ c− L zipper h å L − l − k − a q − h, eu − a¡ S ¿¹¥-S ¡ −e ¡u ¡ l Y¥− L f s− hz

B j l ¡ − L ¢e u¡ B l a¡ eS ¡¢ e u¡ ¢ j − m fy¡ Q V ¡ animal

park H ¢ R m¡ j, a¡ l j − d É Amboseli (Kenya) B l Serengati (Tanzania) S N v¢ hMÉ¡ az f Ë¢ p Ü d j Ñ … l ¦ H hw d e £ h Éh p ¡u £ B N ¡ My¡ H C A’− m A − e L f up ¡ m ¢NÀ L − l − Re z Jyl e ¡ ae £ Serena l e ¡ − j Serena Lodge

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tent-H − fy± − R − c− hz pL ¡ −m − h ¢ l − u − c ¢M f¤l ¦o B l − j − u l¡ p h¡ C L ¡− S − m − N − N −R - h ¡ N¡ −e l L¡ S , Ol

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f ¢ l ú¡ l, L ¡ f s − Q ¡f l − d ¡ u¡ - − cM¡ q − m C Jumbo

(Hello) h m ¡ C iâ a¡ z − L E p −l ¢N − u − a¡ j ¡ l f b −R − s ¢ c − m h m − h Asante Sena (Thank you very much)z − L ¡ e − L¡ e Lodge H p å É¡u e ¡Q N ¡ −e l c m H− p f k Ñ VL − c l Be ¾c − c u z − h n £l i¡ N S ¡u N ¡ u Internet

connection B − R H hw A Ò f f u p ¡ u h ¡ s£l − m ¡L − c l p − ‰ − k¡ N ¡− k ¡ N l¡ M− a f¡ − l¡ z

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value"-− L j e c m − h y− d f l Ø f l− L p ¡ j− m Q − m− R z ¢ h− n o L − l, q ¡ a£− c l ¢ h n ¡ m f ¢ l h ¡ l M¡ h ¡ l B l S − m l p å¡ − e j ¡ C − m l f l j¡ C m Q − m− R , ¢ n ö− c l ¢ W L c − m l j¡ T M¡− e − l − Mz HL S ¡ u N¡ u f − b l d ¡− l H L − S hË¡ c Çf ¢ a c¤¢ V h ¡ µ Q¡ ¢ e− u Q− l M¡ −µ R , H j e p j u H L r¥d ¡ aÑ ¢ pw q £l B ¢ h iÑ ¡ hz m ð ¡ O¡ −p l j − d É … y¢ s − j − l H L f ¡ -c¤f ¡ L − l

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A − e L … ¢ m tribal village H J ¢N − u ¢ R m¡ j, a¡ − c l j − d É Pokot, Turkana, Samburu B l pL − m l f ¢ l ¢ Q a j ¡ p ¡C − c l e ¡ j j − e B p− R z B l ¢N −u ¢ R m¡ j HL

" " j ¢ q m¡ -NË¡ − j'', H C j ¢ q m¡ l ¡ ü¡ j £− c l A aÉ¡ Q ¡− l O l − R − s H− p ¢e − S− c l ü¡ h m ð £ N Ë¡ j N − s− R z e ¡e ¡ q¡ − al L ¡ S fk ÑV L − c l L¡ −R ¢ h œ²£ L − l - H − c l ° al £ Q Js¡

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H M¡ − e H C E Ÿ¡ j fËL «¢ al p ¡j − e c y¡ ¢ s− u , pËø¡ l f ¡− u j ¡ b ¡ e a q − u B − pz H C f ¢l ¢ Ù Û¢ al j − d ÉC B j ¡ − c l

f §h Ñ f¤l ¦o " " j ¡ e¤o '' q − u ¢R m , c ¤f ¡ − u cy¡ s¡ − a ¢ n − M¢ R mz Serengeti l Olduvai Gorge-H f ËaÀaš Ä¢ h c Ú Louise

Leakey H hw − R − m Jonathan Leakey f Ëb j Hano

Habilis (earliest toolmaker) H l p å ¡e f ¡ e , H l − b − L C B S− L l j ¡e¤o Homo sapiens H l E vf ¢ š z

H M¡ e L¡ l ¢ j E ¢ Su ¡− j B ¢ c j j ¡ e¤− o l f c ¢ Q q ² pw l ¢ r a B − R z

B ¢ é L ¡ l L b¡ i¡ h − m C j− el j − d É − i− p J− W Serengeti l a«Z i ¢ j l Jf l q ¢ l − Z l c m R¥− V Q− m −R , ¢ p w q B l ¢ pw q £ O¤j ¢ c − µ Rz j −e f − s Night Safari − a − cM¡ ¢ h ¢ iæ S ¿¹¥l SÆm ¿¹ − Q ¡ M, l ¡ − œ tent-H l ¢f R− e S m q Ù¹£l X¡ L z B ¢ é L¡ B ¢ c j, B ¢ é L ¡ lq p Éj u £z

Srilekha Bhattacharya is a 29 year resident of Davis

and a caring and beloved Grandmother of four

Grandkids from Los Angeles and Connecticut. She

enjoys nature, travelling, reading, and cooking. She

can be reached at (530) 758-1480.

−Q ±l ‰ £ 2 0 0 9 Chowrongee 2009 31

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− c − M − j l £ h m m − a¡ j¡ − c l S eÉ L M¡ e ¡ Indoor plants

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Wishing Utsav A Happy

And Prosperous Durga

Puja 2009

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The Fry-of-the-Year Battle (Why Burger King is better than McDonalds?)

Neel Chanda

It was time for the battle of a lifetime. Team

Burger King was going against McDonalds for the biggest honor a fry company could have, the Fry-of-the-Year Award. “Representing McDonalds in the Fry-of-the-Year battle is Nick “Pickle” Marakas!” exclaimed an excited announcer. “Representing Burger King is last year’s winner, Garret “Fry Cook” Swell!”

These two fries were no ordinary fries. Each one of them had extreme super powers that fries could only dream of having. Pickle had telepathic powers and acid vision. Anything that the acid touched would dissolve. Also, he could pick up anything and throw it all the way to China! Garret had beaten the last super fry last year. That was Davis. Garret used his fry-vision to fry Davis into ash! Garret had fry-vision which could fry anything well overdone. He also had something even better. He could shoot fire balls out of his hands that would burst anything, including Pickle, into flames.

“Hey, we're back with the Fry-of-the-Year Battle, oh look, looks like they are starting the battle!”

Garret started off by sprinting at Pickle like a madman. Pickle used his telepathic power and flung Garret right against the roof of the stadium. Unharmed, Garret swiftly landed with a bulls-eye aiming... right in Pickle's head! Responding to Garret landing on his head, Pickle sprayed a good round of sizzling hot acid on Garret’s hand. Horrified by the sight of his arm melting away, Garret used his extremely hot fry-vision to torch Pickle's feet off! “Ha-Ha, you'll never have your feet back.” Then using his flame hands, he burned Pickle's hair off. “I'm sorry Garret, I'm sorry for spraying you with acid!” cried a now hysterical Pickle. “You better be!” exclaimed the angry “Fry Cook.” “Cause I'm going to roast you... well... OVERDONE!!” And on that note,

Garret summoned up all the power he had in his crazy little head, and blasted Pickle with a 2000 degree ray of extremely bright fry-vision. The blast was so bright, that even the astronauts in space saw it. The audience in the star-studded stands screamed! People thought a volcano had erupted.

After all the smoke cleared, all that was left in the place of Pickle was a little heap of still-sizzling ash. The audience that loved McDonalds wailed and mourned for their now beaten hero. And the Burger King lovers stood up and clapped for Garret as he set his foot on the ash and flexed his guns, “Presenting the Fry-of-the-Year award is Kanye West!” Kanye West walked up to Garret, clapping like crazy! “I'm proud to present the defending champion, Garret Suell with the Fry-of-the-Year award!” Garret assertively thanked him and exclaimed, “FOR BURGER KING!”

And that is the story of why Burger King is much better than McDonalds, and why McDonalds is going down the drain.

Neelanjan Chanda (Neel) is 12 years old and a 7th Grader at Excelsior Elementary School, Roseville. Basketball is his passion. He can be reached at neelchanda@yahoo.com or (916) 797-6789.

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33G Notebook: Destination Paris Biswanath Mukherjee

33G is my favorite seat on the Boeing 777-200 Jubilee aircraft which is typically used by Singapore Airlines on many of its flights. (Please see Chowrongee 2005 for an explanation.) 33G Notebook is a travel notebook which has evolved from the Sacramento Notebook columns which appeared in Chowrongee 2006 and Chowrongee 2007. This edition of 33G Notebook is devoted to Paris, France.

Paris is one of the most attractive travel

destinations in the world. It boasts a rich history, extensive art collections, wonderful monuments, etc., all within easy walking distance of one another. Combine these with a diverse culture, excellent climate, wide boulevards, an efficient subway system, the beautiful Siene River (with its river cruises, river taxis, and breath-taking scenery), and the gastronomic capital of the world, so Paris is my favorite city as well, especially due to the last item.

Beware: food in Paris is expensive. But bad restaurants don’t exist here because Parisians, with their exquisite tastebuds, would drive the bad restaurants out of business. There are several Indian restaurants in Paris. It is amazing to see how wonderfully Indian food can be presented, e.g., a dollop of potato salad on the side of your tandoorie chicken order. The French wouldn’t have it any other way, so I thank them for enhancing our food decoration art.

When French people speak English willingly, there is no other speech that appears sweeter to my ears! On all of my business trips

to Paris, I have spent at least one day on each visit with my French friends and colleagues conversing in English and soaking in their pleasant accent. This is enough reason for me to visit France again and again. On my business trips to Montreal, I find the English spoken by my French Canadian colleagues to be equally honey-laced!

My last trip to Paris was followed by a visit to Istanbul, Turkey. These are the two most beautiful cities in the world: Istanbul with its rich history from the Byzantine, the Roman (when it was called Constantinople), and the Ottoman Empires as well as with the beautiful Bosphoros Strait dividing the City of Istanbul across the Europe and Asia Continents and connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea as a major thoroughfare for large ships traveling long distances. Some day, I would like to travel with my family on the Orient Express Train, which used to provide service between Paris and Istanbul, but these days I hear it is only a tourist attraction (and an expensive one) with a once-in-six-months service. On my flight from Paris to Istanbul, I learned from my neighbors seated next to me (Mrs. and Mr. McCrachen from Chicago) that they also are visiting Istanbul (for the first time) after visiting Paris (as lucky as me, I thought), so I felt honored when they asked me to suggest places to visit in Istanbul. Later, I learned that the McCrachens are luckier than me because their current trip will also take them to Berlin, another one of the most beautiful cities in the world besides Paris and Istanbul.

It is well known that Americans love to travel, as my neighbors who could be any

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random passenger turned out to be the McCrachens. On my first return flight home (from Istanbul to Frankfurt), there were many Americans, who were engaged in conversations and who did not know one another before… they were returning to Colorado, Iowa, etc.

Another random young man I met on the Paris subway (on my way to catch the flight to Istanbul) turned out to be American as well. It was early Sunday morning and there were very few passengers. Both he and I were at the Denfert subway station to catch the RER B train to the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. But on the same line, there were other RER B trains going to a different destination (Mitry). Seeing that I did not get on a Mitry train, he gave me a curios look and asked if I knew English and if I was also going to the CDG airport. He was very relieved when I said “Yes” to both questions, and he said “then I am just going to follow you”. I felt empowered that my limited knowledge of French and the Paris subway could help someone else.

This young man was Pat Eaton from New York. He was visiting family from his mother’s side which is French. Apparently he visits Paris almost annually (so I was surprised that he had to follow me to get on the CDG train). He is in the film-production business, serving as an assistant to the Assistant Producers (I forget their title). After high school, he got a job in the film industry, passing up going to college for a film-making degree. He spends long days (averaging 16 hours), but enjoys his work. He aspires to be an Assistant Producer some day, when his workload will reduce as he will then have his own assistants to get the work done. I will be looking at the detailed credits at the end of films – something I normally don’t do – to see his name.

I should get back to writing about Paris. Most visitors will come here for a week or an extended vacation. But if you are in Paris for business (like me) or on transit, please save at least a day to sample what Paris has to offer.

(By the way, I have visited Paris with my family as well, but not on this trip.)

Let me (slightly) digress once more to orient you with Paris. The Siene River flows from east to west (and eventually to the English Channel), meandering with many turns and dividing Paris in two approximately equal halves. Paris is served by two subway systems which are integrated together (so a single ticket will suffice for travel on both). The Paris subway includes a set of five RER lines (whose trains are like the Kolkata local trains, which travel faster, and which take you out to the suburbs, perhaps 50-100 km from the City Centre) and ten shorter-distance trains (like the San Francisco BART). It will cost you 8.5 euros to travel from CDG airport to the City Center (on the RER B train); and any travel within the City Center will cost 1.6 euro. Taxi fare from CDG airport to the City Center will be approx. 40 euros, so this may be a better bet if you are a party of four or three people with a lot of luggage. Before leaving the CDG airport, be sure to pick up a Paris map, tour brochures, etc. at the Airport Tourist Office and about 200 euros from the ATM machine next to the Tourist Office. A Perfect Day in Paris.

7:30 am: Breakfast:: Most European hotels will have breakfast included in the room tariff. Breakfast will usually contain juices, coffee, tea, several varieties of bread (of good quality), jams, fruits, yogurts, cereals, cold cuts, cheeses, and perhaps boiled eggs and fresh cut-up veggies (such as cucumbers and tomatoes). After breakfast, catch the subway to the Louvre station, and get there before 9 am when it opens because it will get crowded very soon thereafter with many many tourists.

9:00 am: Louvre:: Louvre (suppress the “r” when pronouncing this word) (admission: 9 euros) is a major museum in Paris, boasting extensive (35,000) works of arts from all over the world. Its pyramid main entrance is a world-famous landmark. The Louvre is divided into three sections, so if you are short

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in time, please go to the Denon section, where you will find the main paintings (e.g., Michaelangelo’s Monalisa) and sculptures (e.g., Venus) from Italy, Greece, Egypt, etc. While there are many large paintings, the Monalisa is a rather small one, but it attracts a large crowd; but I felt others were seeing more in this painting than what I could see. One can spend several days viewing the Louvre’s collections, but for a one-day Paris visit, two hours are enough for the Louvre because other attractions are waiting. On my trip, I forgot my camera, so I did not have to stress over what pictures to shoot. I also did not have to stress over reading the descriptions of the various artifacts because the explanations were written in French.

11:00 am: Champs-Elysees Walk:: From

Louvre, enjoy a walk through Tuileries Garden heading west towards the Champs-Elysees (pronounced: Shom-shelly-say, with only 25% of the m being pronounced and the nose coming into the equation as well). Champs-Elysees is one of the widest boulevards I have seen anywhere in the world, and walking on it always gives me a nice feeling. From Louvre itself, you can see the Arc de Triomphe far away at the other end of Champs-Elysees, and that is where you are heading. On the way, you will pass by numerous designer shops and boutiques as well as cafes with both inside seating and open-air seating on the sidewalk. Take a short break from your walk, sip a latte, and savor the moment. (Safety tip: What do you do when a woman tries to attract your

attention near the Louvre, (apparently) picks up a ring from the ground in front of you, asks if it is yours, and after you ignore her, she asks if it is made of gold? Well, you keep walking away, wondering if that was a genuine situation. But when the same incident is repeated by a man 30 minutes later further up your walk on the Champs-Elysees, you just run. I hurled a few choice words at the guy, but fortunately or unfortunately he did not understand English.)

12:00 noon: Arc de Triomphe:: It is time to climb the Arc which is in the middle of a very large and very busy traffic circle. There are probably 8-10 roads heading out from this circle, including Champs-Elysees. You have to take an underpass from Champs-Elysees side to cross over to the middle of the circle and then take an elevator to climb the Arc. The Arc is a testament to the military victories of Napolean I, and the views from the roof are beautiful… especially the Eiffel tower which is not that far away.

1:00 pm: Lunch at Ratn (meaning jewelry in Hindi and most Indian languages and called Roton or Rotno in Bengali):: Ratn (9 Rue de la Tremoille) is an Indian restaurant, which is a 10-minutes walk from Arc de Triomphe. Walk down Champs-Elysees, turn right at Rue Marbeuf, and left at Rue du Boccador. Try to go there on a weekday for the lunch combo of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. (At other times, you will pay nearly double for the same items.) In restaurants in France, such combo plans are common, typically consisting of three items (an entrée, a dessert, and either an appetizer or a drink). Ratn’s cuisine is Moghul style, so try the kababs. (Budget option for lunch: Get a sandwich combo (with dessert and drink) for seven euros at Pomme de Pain on Champs-Elysees (Rue Marbeuf crossing), where sandwiches are made with tasty French baguette.)

2:00 pm: Eiffel Tower:: After lunch, take a short walk south to the Siene River, and then head westbound on either bank of the Siene

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until you reach Eiffel Tower. Chances are the queue to climb the tower in one of its several elevators will be long. The best way to beat the crowd is to get there in the morning, but you have only one day, and you cannot be at Louvre and Eiffel Tower at the same time. It is hard to believe that the Tower was considered to be an eyesore when it was built for the 1889 Universal Expo and Centennial of the French Revolution, and it was supposed to be torn down after the event. But we are glad that this did not happen. The panoramic views of Paris and its surroundings from the top of the tower are superb. This Paris landmark is magnificently illuminated in the evenings, which is another time when you can climb the tower.

4:00 pm: Batobus (River Taxi on Siene River to Notre Dame):: After sipping another latte at the top of Eiffel Tower, you head down and catch the Batobus River Taxi to travel to the Notre Dame Cathedral. On the way, you soak the beautiful scenery that is on offer.

4:30 pm: Notre Dame Cathedral:: The Notre Dame is a Gothic masterpiece where the cathedral has remarkable stained-glass windows. It is actually located on the Île de la Cité, which is one of two natural islands in the Seine within the city of Paris. This island is also the centre of Paris and the location where the medieval city was refounded.

6:00 pm: Discover Latin Quarters:: Walk around the Siene in the Notre Dame area, crossing the various bridges, which hide the fact that the Ile de la Cite is an island. On the south bank of the Siene across the Notre Dame is the Latin Quarters, where many of the universities in Paris started (and some have now relocated) and where Latin was used as the international language of learning in the Middle Ages. This area has narrow roads and numerous restaurants with inexpensive food from all parts of the world.

8:00 pm: Dinner at Restaurant Au Moulin Vert (www.aumoulinvert.com, 34 bis, rue des Plantes):: You are in the gastronomic capital of

the world, so you should try French food. My French host on my recent trip took me to this restaurant, so it has to be one of the best. From the 150-year-old restaurant’s website: “The Paris Elite romantic such as Musset, Georges Sand, and Victor Hugo amongst others used to gather often in this tavern. The place was so charming that everybody took advantage of the great atmosphere and the exquisite food. It’s still the case today!” Remember to order a “combo dinner” and they will throw in the wine also. Of course, you don’t consider cost when you are having good food. (Budget option for dinner: Try French cuisine at the numerous Latin Quarter restaurants.)

10:00 pm: Show (optional):: Paris is

known for its cabaret shows, so this is an option if you are visiting with your spouse or significant other. (Note: no children allowed.) I haven’t had a chance to visit Paris with only my wife, so I have no suggestion to offer.

If you have more than one day, then you

should visit the Versailles Palace (45 minutes by RER A train on the west), for which you should budget at least half a day. Another suggestion is to take one of the open-top, hop-on-hop-off tour buses with running commentary (e.g., L’Open Tour) to get to see all the major sites in the City, and then determine which ones you want to spend more time at such as the following. The Bastille Prison was stormed in 1789 to start the French Revolution. The Opera is a great modern theater of bold design and has guided tours. There are numerous other monuments and museums that you can visit, spending many more days in Paris.

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A Perfect Day in Paris is ending. I feel very fortunate to have had another chance to enjoy this beautiful city, but also sad that I have to leave tomorrow (and I wish my family was also here with me for this trip). As I stand on the bridge on the Siene River near the Notre Dame Cathedral, looking west at the setting sun, I become nostalgic and get reminded by Md. Rafi’s song from way back when: “Aji aisa mowka phir kahan milega

Hamarey jaisa dil kahan milega

Aao tumko dikhlata hoon Paris ki ek rangeen saam

Dekho dekho dekho dekho daaeeekhhooo An Evening in Paris…”

Biswanath Mukherjee is Professor (and Past Chairman) of Computer Science at University of California, Davis, where he has been for the past 22 years, and currently holds the Child Family Endowed Chair Professorship. Readers can visit the author at: http://networks.cs.ucdavis.edu/~mukherje/.

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Struck by “Lightening”: Puja Pandals in Kolkata.

Sajni Mukherji

Many years ago when one was still young enough to be tremendously excited by the onset of the Puja month, the cotton wool white clouds in an otherwise blue sky, and the occasional gentle breezes, we had gone with my young daughter to visit friends in Kasba. An elderly local standing outside the skeletal structure of the pandal that would stride the road in a few days told my daughter: “Khukumoni, aajke eshechhish? Ko-din baade ele partish. Aamader pandaler lightening khub sundar habe!” (Little girl, why have you come today? In a few days, you would have seen the beautiful lightening of our pandal.”) Since that time, we have always affectionately referred to the illuminations of Puja pandals as “lightening”.

The master lights persons belong to the old French town of Chandernagore. They get more imaginative each year, incorporating among their themes, the events, political and otherwise of the year gone by, using the themes of the Puja pandals to create a world which should be described not as ‘lighting’, nor ‘lightening’ nor even ‘illumination’ but by some exotic word like the appropriately French ‘lumiere.’

Where a Puja pandal had Harry Potter books as its theme one year, the pandal committee tried to incorporate magical lighting (indeed bolts of ‘lightning’) to go with the pandal design of Hogwarts. I believe J. K. Rowling’s lawyers tried to sue the

organizers for this encroachment on intellectual property rights. I hope that in the end they were persuaded that in fact the pandal organizers had given the novels even greater publicity than they already enjoyed. The Titanic keeling over after colliding with the glacier was also very popular. Characters from ‘Abol tabol’, the ‘Tintin’ and the Asterix narratives mingle seamlessly with more traditional illuminations like the dhakiwala, all actually performing in the dazzling displays. I loved the ‘tandava’ dance of Kumropotash.

I think it must have been 1993 or thereabouts: I noticed lighting that showed people writhing in agony and nearby a bunch of rats falling in a veritable shower from a nearby wall and realized the possible outbreak of bubonic plague or ‘kala azar’ which had made headlines in the press just a few months earlier, had been ingeniously – if somewhat gruesomely – portrayed.

Another gruesome one showed Rajiv Gandhi walking briskly out to be met with a girl holding a garland and in the next second fireworks with flying limbs in their midst.

The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was very popular and made for a dramatic terrifyingly mobile display. Every few minutes the twin towers would be standing tall and then, a few minutes later, the predatory plane would appear threateningly and then fly straight in, leaving them in smithereens.

All of these demonstrate the skill of the craftsmen: there appears to be little or no political content or malicious intent in them, nor in the spectators who throng the pandals. Nor do they take umbrage seeing a Saraswati in jeans or a Lakshmi advertising the jewellery

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of a traditional jewellery store. When we lived in the Gol Park area, there was a ‘Disco’ puja with the gods and goddesses dancing to strobe lighting and disco music within, and strobe lighting and disco music that entertained the spectators while they waited patiently in a queue.

I am afraid I cannot say the same for themes which are being readied for this year’s show: the events leading up to the abandonment of

the Tata ‘Nano’ project or the inauguration of new trains with Mamata Banerjee in the forefront of both. It makes me long for the simple twinkling ‘tuni’ bulbs of my childhood.

Sajni Mukherji is a retired Professor of English who taught for many years in Jadavpur University's Department of English. She has written occasionally for The Telegraph before and is now doing a regular column for senior citizens called "Autumn Flush" that appears twice a month on alternate Sundays.

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Change Patricia Chatterjee

I was in India for most of January this year

and was unexpectedly talked into another trip in August whilst in the U.K. visiting a nephew whose parents were going to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Unlike the January trip, which basically seemed to consist of the usual mundane round of visits to the relatives, overeating, and the jostling through crowds to get a little shopping done, this visit seemed somehow a bit different. The influence of Western materialism, for better or for worse, has become immensely transparent, environmental issues are being seriously addressed, and the city seems to be pulsating in a more constructive and jovial way.

This time I made a concerted effort to visit

South City Mall because I was beginning to think I was the only person of Indian origin who hadn’t been there – yes, I have a PIO card which makes me an official Person of Indian Origin. I have to admit the soaring apartment towers behind the mall were pretty impressive. After leaving the mall, my thoughts were with the NRIs who can now, quite confidently, boast of India having become a developed nation. Trotting over from their modern bathrooms and Italian modular kitchens to this San Francisco Nordstrom type mall complete with a Marks and Spencers no less, (Marks and Sparks in English) cosmetic counters galore, and Spencers in the basement complete with a Bel Air type deli and bakery, what more could they possibly ask for?

Hustling through my favorite haunts,

Hatibagan and Shyambazar, I noticed, not

without some glee, the absence of Lays potato chips which appeared to have been totally eclipsed by bigger packets of the home-made variety plus an assortment of other new looking local snacks all very nicely packaged and which are undoubtedly increasing the belly fat of many females. However, being partial to a good potato chip, this was a welcome change. If Indians can copy expensive foreign drugs, why not improve expensive foreign potato chips? (crisps in English). My hope is that before my next trip an innovative business person will begin canning on a large scale the zillions of mangoes which go to waste every year and replace the tasteless Libby brand.

One of the most significant changes which

took place only twelve days or so before our arrival concerns the environment. The West Bengal Government had ordered the removal from the roads of all vehicles over 15 years old. While this action caused the usual demonstrations and bus burning, the protests, given the subsequent magnitude of economic hardship for many, were surprising short lived. In fact, there is tremendous support for this action. The result in just a matter of days was something like a 60 percent reduction in polluted air which was already visibly noticeable on our arrival. I also had to adjust to not having to dust every day. Crossing the footbridge in Salt Lake one afternoon, I took a photo of VIP Road. The clarity of the air was such it could have been taken here in Fair Oaks.

This time I sensed rather than observed a

transparent change in people’s attitudes which was not palpable in January. India’s huge middle class has become more relaxed; the rather severe austerity of past generations is disappearing. A lust for life and good times

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European style is developing which is sorely lacking here. The recession has not hit the middle class much although the upper echelon has been affected which is evident in places such as South City Mall where everything is 50-60 percent off as Puja shopping season gets under way.

It has become obvious that economic reform has changed the landscape quite positively for those in a position to take advantage of it. However, a few visits to a government hospital were a brutal reminder of the lack of social development for millions.

Patricia Chatterjee spent the first 5 years of her 45 years of married life in India. She visits India at least once a year. Her Masters thesis, completed in 2006, successfully defended the lack of equitable distribution in India.

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Alaska : Here Comes Utsav Gang Barin Kumar

Sixteen of us Utsav members cruised to

Ketchikan, Tracy Arm/Juneau, Skagway of Alaska, and Victoria of Canada from August 9th through 16th on Star Princess ship covering about 2,000 nautical miles at an average speed of 20 knots. We started the journey after boarding the ship in Seattle at around 4 pm. Few of us reached Seattle a day before to explore some unique attractions such as the unforgettable view of the city from the Space Needle and the world famous flying fish market of Pike Place to name a few.

The next day, we sailed on the Pacific

Ocean on a north-westerly course steered through Puget Sound from Seattle. For all of us, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the comfort level of the journey was pretty close to that of an international flight by a jumbo jet from Boeing or Airbus. In other words, none of us experienced any sea sickness. Some of us carried preventive medicine but none used on board. The 16-deck cruise ship was huge with state rooms for boarding of passengers, swimming pools, hot tubs, theaters, spa and workout facility, restaurants, simulated golf course, open air theater, casino, ping pong table, etc. There was something to do for everyone all throughout the day from a coach potato to an active outdoor person. The total population of the ship was about 4,000 people (with 2800 passengers and 1100 crew for a ratio of 1 crew per 2.5 passengers) which was much more than some of the places we visited such as Skagway with a population of around 800.

The food on the ship was, in general, excellent in quality, enormous in variety of selections and huge in quantity encompassing everybody’s taste from omnivorous to finicky eaters. In the restaurant, they serve wine, liquor and cocktails. The last all-you-can-eat Captain’s formal lobster and tiger shrimp dinner in Capri restaurant was superb. Another item worth mentioning is the impeccable service by the crew. We enjoyed, in particular, room service breakfast and room cleaning service almost to the hour.

Our first port excursion was in Ketchikan,

also known as Alaska’s ‘First City’ because the first major community travelers come here as they journey north. At Ketchikan, we separated into two groups. Five of us went for fishing to take advantage of the seasonal abundance of Salmon run, bagging 26 Salmons in less than 2 hours of boat-fishing. The rest of us took a ‘Duck’ tour in a state-of-the-art amphibian bus traveling through rustic streets and waterways of Ketchikan to witness salmon ladder in Ketchikan Creek, Dolly’s House museum in the red-light district, totem poles, and a bald eagle. For lunch, we enjoyed the most delicious homemade clam chowder and fresh fried halibut from a street shop in downtown Ketchikan.

We were thrilled by the splendor and scenic

beauty of Tracy Arm Sanctuary with mountains rising straight up from the ocean, waterfalls, and glacier on board while the ship cruised to Juneau from Ketchikan.

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At Juneau, we had the most wonderful experience of a helicopter ride and landing on the famous Mendenhall glacier, a part of Juneau’s Icefield, at an elevation of 1500 feet. We landed at around 7 pm and stayed there for about half an hour. The temperature was around 40°F. The majestic blue color of crevasses of glacier is beyond imagination. Before the helicopter ride, we roamed around beautiful downtown Juneau, the largest city and the Capital of Alaska with a population of about 30,000.

Our next field excursion was in Skagway, a

gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada with the hope of striking rich over 100 years ago. At Skagway, we organized an exclusive Utsav tour with a 14-passenger van and a 7-passenger van with tour guides to experience the dramatic scenic landscape with mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and lakes on about a 150-mile one-way road trip. The scenic long ride along the side of Tutshi Lake and gorgeous Emerald Lake will remain in our hard-drive memory.

The last stop of our journey was in Victoria. Victoria excursion was another exclusive Utsav tour. We traveled together to enchanting Butchart Gardens and charming Victoria downtown. At Butchart Gardens, we moved at a brisk pace to cover Rose Garden, Italian Garden, cascading Sturgeon Fountain, Sunken Garden, and the magnificent Ross Fountain in this so-much-to-see world-renowned horticultural attraction.

Barin Kumar is a 24-year resident of Sacramento. He is an electrical and nuclear engineer, who worked for Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) at Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station and SMUD Power Distribution for many years. These days, he serves as a consultant. He can be reached at barinkumar@sbcglobal.net.

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Movie: The Perfect Woman

An Interview with Marvel and Subhra Gima – by Shashwati Roy The movie – The Perfect Woman – has been conceptualized, directed, and produced by our very own Marvel Gima and Subhra Gima (affectionately known as Marvelda/Subhradi by many of us.) - This movie has been screened at the “CCIFF” (Cinema City International Film Festival) held

at Los Angeles on September 10, 11, and 12, 2009.

- Recently, this film has also received the prestigious John Muir Gold Reward which will be

presented at the Yosemite Film Festival on October 24, 2009.

- One more feather in the cap… The film is selected for screening at the famous Southern

Appalachian International Film Festival being held at Tennessee in October 2009. Way to go! Here, I share with the readers of Chowrongee my interaction with Marvelda and Subhradi about their film and more!! What prompted them to embark on this venture – money? fame? intellectual hunger? What next? … Let’s listen from the duo. Q: Marvelda/Subhradi – Question for both of you from many of us: What prompted you to embark in Movie Production? Marvelda - When I was a teenager, I did plays, dramas, etc. and participated in various drama competitions. During these, when I started directing plays, I realized that I did better in direction than acting. In a particular instance, I directed a play which participated in inter-college competition involving 22 colleges. I directed this play in Marathi, which was also converted in Gujarati. I got the first prize in direction. This motivated me. As time passed by, I took initiative in direction and got involved in big drama, met actors and actresses, and since that time, the seed was sown in my heart. When I came into USA, I had the script in my mind. Subhradi - My husband is a very creative person, and he has always done creative activities such as singing and writing songs. He had the movie in his mind… so when he recorded the songs in India, he thought of

filming the movie. Today, his dream has become reality. Q: Marvelda: Did any particular incident in your life be a deciding factor for the story of the movie? No, not really. Nothing to do with personal life. The story stands on its own. Q: Marvelda/Subhradi: There are many facets of “Movie Production”. How did you know what is important and what all are the different aspects? What would be the source of all information? Marvelda - It took me one year to make the movie. I read dozens of books on how to make a movie. There are many subcategories of movie production but the main components consist of: actors, director, story, camera-crews, director of photography, costume, and sound. I wanted to study all the key aspects of making a movie so that I could understand and relate them.

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Subhradi – I read the books and discussed all the parts; and then we decided that there would be two key people: Marvel will be the director and I will be the producer. I took care of the payments, location crews, licenses and permits, while Marvel took care of the technical aspects. I did the scheduling with the assistant director. Besides reading books, Marvel took many courses. It was overall a great learning experience. Q: Subhradi – There are endless challenges for a movie production. Would you like to name any specific situation or incident which dropped out of nowhere? We recollect one incident in particular… it was the firts day of shooting. The whole team was very enthusiastic and motivated. Then, when we started to shoot, in Folsom Parks and Recreation, there was a person who was assigned to monitor the shoot and then she started taking pictures. The lead actor objected to her taking pictures. The shoot got stalled for some time… and the whole situation was totally unexpected!! It took some time to get everyone back in the mood. Q: Marvelda: How did you pick your technical crew? How did you know that they would do a good job? By talking to all of them personally. Sometimes, I would meet them for 2-4 days and talk about the movie, their interests, their attitudes, etc., and I felt comfortable about their capabilities. I found them to be very passionate. We had advertised in Craigslist and conducted casting calls. Lot of people applied and we went through the detailed screening process. Most of the people were film-school graduates and enthusiastic. I wanted to specifically assemble a team which would be multi-cultural with diverse background such as Vlady from Russia,

Director of Photography, Justin from China, etc. Q: Subhradi: Heroine for any movie is probably the most sought-after role and needs to form an immediate first time impression on the audience. What helped you identify your heroine for the movie? We were looking for the right kind of heroine. We did a casting call in Bay Area, San Francisco, Sacramento, New York, etc., held auditions… and then one day in Pasadena, we came across Sharleen (our heroine) and Ahmad (our hero). They seemed made for each other. Q: Marvelda/Subhradi – Any particular incident which you will cherish for the rest of your lives? Marvelda – I have fond memory of coming back to the scene when Sharleen started crying. It was a very touchy scene. Six-seven members of the technical crew also started crying. Subhradi – I fondly remember getting up in the morning, having pots of coffee, making breakfast for crew, everyday getting over, and looking forward to the next day. We had 21 days of continuous shooting. I miss those days. Getting lunch together, I was like a mother hen and these were young kids whom I used to feed and pamper. It was like a big family. Q: Marvelda/Subhradi – Congratulations for the movie being screened at the LA Festival. What next? As of now, we have been submitting the movie to various festivals. Our hope is that there will be more screenings and it will be picked up for distribution. Film Festival has investors, buyers, etc. who will look at the

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product, and since the movie covers the topic about a woman, we particularly want it to reach the different parts of the world and make women aware of different choices and options. We want to share the message with the rest of the world. Q: Marvelda – Did you have a target audience in your mind for this production? If yes, why? The only target audience is more or less an adult audience. There are some explicit scenes which are not appropriate for children under 18. Q: Marvelda/Subhradi – I have a strange question – What do you expect from this release? Is there a specific desire?

Our SM Production’s tag line is – Films that make a difference. We want to make a difference and we have a message. In this process, whatever money we make we will accept. The movie carries messages for both men and women. Q: Marvelda: Finally the regular question – Will you be producing more movies? Depends on how we do with The Perfect Woman. We want to see positive result for the movie!!!!! Marvelda/Subhradi – Thank you so much for the interview!!

www.theperfectwomanmovie.com

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Utsav Membership Roster (2009-10)

Platinum Sponsors (2009-10) (contribution: $1200 and above) Choudri, Adi and Mitra

Gold Sponsors (2009-10) (contribution: $600 and above)

Mukherjee, Biswanath and Supriya Nayak, Sanjib and Soma

Silver Sponsors (2009-10) (contribution: $300 and above)

Adoni, Anand and Subhra (Chakraborty) Chatterjee, Satya and Pat

Ghosh, Somnath and Sarbani Gima, Marvel and Subhra

Joshi, Ajay and Nupur Kriplani, Pramila and Indru

Mukherjee, Arun and Sharmila Nandi, Somen and Rashmi Roy, Manas and Shashwati

Sarkar, Sanjib and Hem

General Members * Denotes membership renewed for 2009-10 at press time.

Our apologies if the information has any inaccuracies; Please drop us an email at utsavpr@gmail.com with corrections.

*Acharya, Tapash *Adoni, Anand, Subhra (Chakraborty), Anish, and Aisha *Bagchi, Shyamal and Ossing *Bandyopadhyay, Barun, Sunanda, Sneha, and Hiya *Banerjee, Amit and Snigdha (Ghosh) Basu, Samrat and Madhurima Basu/Roy/Ghosh Family: Shantanu, Rina, Rupa, Kunal, Dhiya, Shobhik, and Rudrani *Basuroy, Nirupam, Sudeshna, Shimika, and Nirvik *Bhattacharya, Anirban and Archita *Bhattacharya, Prodyot and Srilekha *Bhaumick, Ashish and Tapati *Bhaumick, Rana Burman, Prabir Chakrabarti, Indro, Valleri, Mira, Anna, and Devin *Chakraborty, Prodosh, Mita, Joey, and Robby Chakraborty, Soumya, Priosmita Bhattacharya, Shohom, and Shohini Chakraborty, Sushanto, Sharmita, and Sambodhi Chakroborty, Shyama and Paris Powell

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*Chanda, Udayan, Seema, Neel, and Natasha *Chattaraj, Shyamal, Mousumi, Arka, and Ishan *Chatterjee, Satya, Pat, and Arun Chattopadhyay, Pranab and Jayashree *Choudri, Adi, Mitra, Neil, and Natasha Chowdhury, Arun, Rupa, Ayananta, and Aditya *Chowdhury, Pulak and Sanchita (Dey) *Chowdhury, Raj Chowdhury, Shyamal, Bipasha, Sudip, and Anindya *Das, Kaushik, Santana, and Debanshu Das, Debashish Dasgupta, Gautam, Swagata, and Shrayas Dash, Lakshmikanta, Sonali (Bandhyopadhyay), and Archit *Datta, Subrata, Alodipa, and Sayak De, Shounak and Debarupa *Dey, Saumen, Manjula, and Siddhartha *Dey, Suddha and Nandita (Roy Chowdhury) Duttagupta, Rakesh, Sudakshina, Rashi, and Neel *Ghosh, Somnath and Sarbani Ghosh, Sumanta, Paramita, Sumita, and Shayan *Ghoshal, Surajit, Tuhina, Tuli, and Tithi *Gima, Marvel and Subhra Guha, Kaushik, Anuradha, Riana, and Nyssa Gupta, Suvodeep *Joshi, Ajay, Nupur, Neha, and Veeraj Kar, Mukta Karmakar, Amit, Carol, Deven, and Asha Khan, Abdul Quyyum, Jasmin, Sami, and Nafi Khatua, Tara and Krishna *Kriplani, Pramila and Indru *Kumar, Barin and Anima *Mondol, Uttam Mohammad Billah (Rana), Baby, Farah, and Farhan *Mukherjee, Arun, Sharmila, Ballari, and Kajori *Mukherjee, Biswanath, Supriya, Bipasha, and Suchitra Mukherjee, Joy, Subhra, Rinita, and Ronit Mazumdar, Tapas, Saptarshi, and Souradeep *Nag, Avishek Nag, Sanjib and Gurmeet Najmus, Saquib, Lubna, Samhita, and Samara *Nandi, Somen, Rashmi, Sunoy, and Sharod *Nayak, Sanjib, Soma, Ena, and Ashna *Pal, Titon Chandra

Paul, Debashis Paul, Raja, Satarupa, and Arshia Paul, Shomeek, Mala, and Evani

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Paul, Subrata and Soma *Paul, Sumanta and Moushumi (Dey) Poddar, Biswajit and Moumita (Das) Ray, Joydeep, Dipanjali (Banerjee), and Siddhartha Raychaudhuri, Subhadip and Somkanya (Das) *Roy, Manas, Shashwati, and Mohana *Roy, Rajesh Roy, Soumen and Debrani (Mitra) Saha, Deb, Nina (Shetty), Rohan, and Ishaan *Saha, Rajat *Saha, Subir and Seema (Chowdhury) *Sarkar, Sanjib, Hem, Arunava, and Sonia *Sarkar, Subir, Lily, Sahana, and Sharon Sarkar, Sudeep, Suman, Aditya, Sandeep, and Simmy Sengupta, Tapas and Sharmishtha Sharma, Kingshuk, Ashrukana, Khounish, and Ishaan

* Denotes membership renewed for 2009-10 at press time. Our apologies if the information has any inaccuracies;

please drop us an email at utsavpr@gmail.com with corrections.

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With Best CompliWith Best CompliWith Best CompliWith Best Compliments Fromments Fromments Fromments From

Mindteck

Formerly

Infotech Consulting

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Utsav Members may wish to check out the activities of

The Vedanta Society of Sacramento

SSSSwami Prapannanandawami Prapannanandawami Prapannanandawami Prapannananda Utsav Members may wish to check out the activities of

Minister and Teacher Ramakrishna Order, India

1337 Mission Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

Phone: (916) 489-5137 E-mail: society@vedantosacto.org Web: http://www.vedantasacto.org

The Society was started in 1949 and made a branch of

Ramakrishna Math, Belurmath, India in 1952

Activities include:

• In the temple, daily worship at 8:30 am and group meditation at 6 am and 7:30 pm.

• Sunday Services: Worship at 9:30 am and a lecture on religious topic at 11:00 am. Vesper (Arati) at 6:00 pm with devotional songs.

• Wednesday Classes: at 7:30 pm on Vedanta scriptures. • Saturday Classes: at 7:30 pm on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature. • Celebration of the birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and

Swami Vivekananda and also Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Jagaddhatri Puja, Janmastami, Shivaratri, and few other festivals.

• Bookshop: Which sells religious books, children's books, religious articles, incense sticks, etc.

• Santodyana (Garden of Saints): A serene 4-acre retreat with Krishna and Lotus ponds having statues of Sri Krishna, Shiva, Moses, Shankaracharya, Sri Chaitanya, St.Francis of Assisi Guru Nanak and Our Lady of Guadalupe for peace and tranquility.

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Brief History of Utsav

“Utsav is a nonprofit, cultural

organization involved in promoting Bengali culture in Sacramento valley. Utsav was founded in 2002, with one goal: creating a positive and enjoyable experience of friendship, happiness, and harmony via our Bengali heritage. Although Utsav is predominantly a Bengali organization so far, we want to reach other communities as well. Therefore, membership in Utsav is not limited to any particular race, religion or ethnic origin”. The Journey

The Beginning: It was a fine afternoon of Saraswasti Puja of 2002. A few new Bengali arrivals in Sacramento were standing in front of 1317 Montridge Ct., El Dorado Hills, CA, reminiscing over the Puja celebrations in their homeland in India. The participants in that gathering - Deb Saha, Udayan Chanda (UC), Arun Chowdhury, Samrat Basu, Anirban Bhattacharya, Suvayu Bose, and Joy Mukherjee - all felt the need to host their own Durga Puja in Sacramento and the idea of an organization was thus born. In an hour, they came up with the name, Utsav, first proposed by Suvayu Bose. Later Mala Paul designed the Utsav logo.

Few weeks after that momentous gathering of minds, several Sacramento Bengali old timers were contacted with the help of Mita Chakraborty. Everyone who we spoke to got excited to have our own Durga Puja and to have our own organization. Through this process of joyous interactions between the new arrivals and the old timers of Sacramento, Utsav found few strong pillars in the names of Adi and Mitra Choudri, Somen Nandi, Biswanath Mukherjee, and others, who had an immediate impact to make Utsav a grand success.

In July 2002, Utsav was officially formed. Adi Choudri, Deb Saha, Udayan Chanda, Arijit Chattopadhyay, and Joy Mukherjee – with smiles, happiness, and glitters in their eyes – signed the official paperwork. We celebrated our first Durga Puja in October 2002. The participation of member families was outstanding and the joy was boundless. As days have passed, the Utsav tree has expanded and the bondage among families grew deeper.

The First Six Years: Days passed. The baton of responsibility transferred to other able hands from the hands of those who started the organization. But, the founders and senior members continued to remain very active in different roles.

Utsav membership includes 80-90 families, from which eight members are elected every year to serve as officers for a year. In the first seven years, many of our members have served our organization with the leadership of our following Presidents:

• 2003: Arijit Chattopadhyay

• 2004: Udayan Chanda

• 2005: Mitra Choudri

• 2006: Biswanath Mukherjee

• 2007: Dipankar Chattopadhyay

• 2008: Udayan Chanda/Deb Saha

• 2009: Adi Choudri Our Activities:

We organize three major annual events: (1) Durga Puja; (2) Saraswati Puja; (3) Clubhouse; and (4) Picnic + Annual General Meeting (AGM). All our events enjoy strong participation from our children. Our next generation – for whom the exposure to Bengali culture is invaluable – is very active in our cultural programs, literary activities, and puja activities. It is gratifying to note that many of our young members, even after going

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to college, still come back for our Pujas and look forward to attending them. Our other activities include the following:

• Cultural Program productions, as parts of Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Anandamela, India Day, California State Fair, etc.

• Our Past Durga Puja External Artists include the following famous performers:

o Mala Ganguly o Lopamudra Mitra o Antara Chowdhury o Bhoomi o Rezwana Chowdhury Banya o Somdatta Basu o Utpalendu Chowdhury o Nachiketa o Sougata Ganguli (Sarod) o Jojo o Anup Ghoshal o Raghav Chatterjee o Suchismita Das

• Bangla School: Currently meeting on the second and fourth Sundays of every month, thanks to our Past and Present Principals: Arijit Chattopadhyay, Arun Sen, and Shyamal Chowdhury. In addition to teaching Bangla to our kids and family members, we also teach song, dance, poetry recitation, and painting.

• High-quality production of our Annual Magazine, Chowrongee (please visit our website for archives), thanks to our Past and Present Editors: Dilip Roychowdhury, Arun Das, and Rashmi Nandi.

• Drama Productions, under the Direction of Somen Nandi, such as:

o Obak Jolpan (by Sukumar Roy), also performed at Durgotsav’07 by an all-

female cast under the direction of Sharmila Mukherjee

o Mamago (by Sukumar Roy) o Makuda Chole Gelen (by Gautam

Roy) o Bifole Mulyo Ferot (by Samir

Dasgupta), also performed at 23rd Annual North American Bengali Conference (NABC) (Bongo Sammelan), Long Beach, CA, July 2003

o Hum Do Hamara Do (by Amol Roy) o Public Servant (by Gautam Roy), also

performed at Bay Area Natyamela, May 2005

o Jampati (Sruti Natak) (by Sanjib Chattopadyay)

o Babuder Dalkukure (by Manoj Mitra), also performed at Bay Area Natyamela, June 2006

o Apaharan (Sruti Natak) (by Baidyanath Mukhopadhyay), performed at Bay Area Natyamela, June 2007

• Our participation in 23rd Annual North American Bengali Conference (NABC) (Bongo Sammelan), Long Beach, CA, July 2003: with a Children’s Dance Program (Production: Mala Paul) and Drama Bifole Mulyo Ferot (please see above).

• Our participation in 29rh Annual North American Bengali Conference (NABC) (Bongo Sammelan), San Jose, CA, July 2009: Dance Program (Production: Shashwati Roy and Mala Paul) and Drama Hoitey Sabdhan directed by Joydeep Ray.

• Trancefusion (November 2005; Producer: Mala Paul; Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ernie Bodai): A Fundraising Event through which we donated $5,000 to the Cancer Foundation of India.

Information for this write up is gathered from the past eight years with the objective to help new

and future members who are expected to take forward and improve the Utsav legacy.

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