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Kolkata, Apr 5 () A tour of the city is never complete without a visit to the iconic Victoria Memorial and this includes a ride around the majestic structure in Maidan area on a gleaming horse carriage. But the area is deserted now due to the lockdown as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, except for many horses, turned pale due to lack of care, loitering around.More than 100 horses, which in normal circumstances draw beautifully bedecked carriages for tourists and city-dwellers on a day out, or carry children on their backs during joyrides around the famous Victoria Memorial here, are now an abandoned lot, said Ajay Daga, a senior member of People For Animals (PFA).The NGO has come forward to feed these animals till the situation normalises, Daga said on Sunday."I got a phone call from Mrs Maneka Gandhi on Friday enquiring about the condition of the horses," Daga said.The former Union minister, known to be an avid animal lover, has assured assistance to PFA in taking care of these animals whenever required, he said. "At present, PFA is feeding horses with the help of public donations," Daga told .While some of the owners of the horses have gone back to their native states in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by abandoning the animals since the lockdown began, some have stayed back, of whom, only a few are taking care of their horses. "Even when the lockdown is lifted, who will be there to ride our carriages since there will be no tourist for sometime thereafter," Salim, one of the owners said.Daga said the PFA has funds to feed horses only for the next seven days.The cost of feeding the horses is around Rs 15,000 per day."We have decided to feed the stray horses till the situation normalises after the lockdown is lifted," he said. Daga said that city-headquartered Emami Group's joint-chairman, R S Goenka, who is a trustee of the PFA, chips in whenever there is any requirement. Local councillor Susmita Bhattacharya said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is filling the troughs, near the Victoria Memorial, built to store drinking water for the animals. "As a local councillor, I got information that more than 100 horses have been abandoned by their owners and were loitering in the maidan area, following which I had contacted the NGO for feeding the animals," she said. She said that a sack of fodder, which normally costs Rs 800 to Rs 850, is now costing Rs 1,150. "I got a call from a senior official at the West Bengal State Secretariat 'Nabanna' inquiring about the condition of the horses and he has assured that the government will do the needful to ensure that the animals are taken care of," Bhattacharya said. AMR SBN RAXRAX

COVID-19: Horses used for joyrides left in Maidan to survive on their own

Checkout the names of the containment zones in Kolkata, West Bengal

Retaining some old-world fantasies is a huge challenge when technology is out to provide modern-day comforts at your fingertips. Conservatives would swear by books and would hate to replace them with any convenient gadget as they become ecstatic… feeling the books, leafing through the pages, breathing in the typical smell of the printed pages – be they old or new. Innovations can’t make its way through some innate things and these things only intensify with time. But the pain point is either you are born with some kind of antenna to experience such bounties of life or you are just plain unlucky. Like the intellectualism of the Bengalis and also their <keyword id="2052955" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Love-for-books">love for books</keyword>! How else would you explain the sheer addiction to books, books and more books and yet the event draws more than 2.5 million <keyword id="456096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Book-lovers">book lovers</keyword> every year? 
 <keyword id="100667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata-book-fair">Kolkata Book Fair</keyword> is now well into its late 30s (<keyword id="793067" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="KBF">KBF</keyword> celebrated its 38th birthday this year) and witnessed huge crowds milling around the stalls, set up by about 109 publishing houses operating in India. The book fair was a 13-day affair this time – from the inauguration on January 28 to the closing ceremony on February 9. Interestingly, KBF is the world’s <keyword id="2052986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Largest-non-trade-book-fair">largest non-trade book fair</keyword>, which means it essentially caters to the general public, instead of wholesalers. So it’s no wonder that the who’s who of the Indian and global literati are mostly here at the plenary sessions. <keyword id="6360497" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Peru">Peru</keyword> was the theme country of 2014 but Peruvian poet <keyword id="2052952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rodolfo-Hinostroza">Rodolfo Hinostroza</keyword> and Peru’s cultural minister <keyword id="2033619" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Patricia-Balbuena-Palacios">Patricia Balbuena Palacios</keyword>, who were to inaugurate the event, could not attend the <keyword id="6363379" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Opening-ceremony">opening ceremony</keyword> following the political situation at home. 
 In actual terms, <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> is one of those states in India which has a high concentration of <keyword id="54033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Scholars">scholars</keyword>, <keyword id="6498302" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Academicians">academicians</keyword> and <keyword id="105357" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intellectuals">intellectuals</keyword>. As social movements are often fuelled by the litterateurs and <keyword id="60303" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Leftist">Leftist</keyword> overtones exist there among the so-called intellectuals, it could have been the prime reason why <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> Book Fair has remained a non-trade affair throughout these years. 
 Organised by <keyword id="2052951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata-Publishers-and-Booksellers-Guild">Kolkata Publishers and Booksellers Guild</keyword> and largely supported by book lovers, the annual event had some tough times when <keyword id="26497" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="environmental-issues">environmental issues</keyword> compelled it to leave the Maidan greens (near Park Street-Rabindra Sadan) at the centre of the city. The fair was shifted from the Maidan area in 2007 and finally found a home at the <keyword id="532071" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Milan-Mela-ground">Milan Mela ground</keyword> opposite Science City. 
 By now, readers must be feeling curious about the hottest selling books at the event. The 38th edition of the book fair was inaugurated this year by none other than <keyword id="670521" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chief-minister-Mamata-Banerjee">Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee</keyword> and (believe it or not) her books turned out to be best-sellers even this year. A <keyword id="2052958" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="regular-writer-and-a-poet">regular writer and a poet</keyword>, Mamata started writing in 1995 and has penned 45 books so far. Last year, her books worth Rs 10 lakh were sold, earning her a royalty of Rs 1 lakh. This year, the sales are supposed to shoot up even further as new books penned by her had been released on the inauguration day. 
 Yet, all might not be well at this global gathering of great minds. Just as it happened at the Jaipur Literary Festival two years ago, <keyword id="25391" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Salman-Rushdie">Salman Rushdie</keyword> was stopped from participating at the Kolkata Book Fair last year. And do you know the irony of it all? It’s the <keyword id="2052997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Author-CM">author-CM</keyword> who might have played a key role and stopped the internationally acclaimed but equally controversial Rushdie from coming to the event. 
 
It was said at that time that Rushdie himself had decided to stay away from the event. The author, however, had reportedly told he was informed by the government that the protests against him could be ‘dangerous.’ Photos, too, had swarmed the Internet, featuring hundreds of men brandishing placards that said ‘Rushdie Go Back.’ 
 
It’s understood that Mamata, who was touring North Bengal at that time, had told the police commissioner she didn’t want Rushdie to land in the city. And the reason was obvious – she didn’t want to antagonise the minority community if she could help it. 
 
The whole drama of not hosting Rushdie was played out in many shades and across many episodes. When finally it was learnt that Mamata was completely against Rushdie’s participation at the book fair, the grave concerns around his security and the gravity of the situation (with the number of protestors increasing every day) were conveniently played up to persons in charge of Rushdie’s itinerary. Then the easy way rolled out by itself. The statement issued to the media read: The ‘author decided to stay out of the event’ for reasons known to him. And Mamata had won her game. 
 This way, the world’s largest book fair held a mirror to India’s so-called democratic values and assured <keyword id="60937" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fundamental-rights">fundamental rights</keyword>. But never mind. <keyword id="5258" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CM">CM</keyword> Mamata’s books have turned her into a literary sensation over the years. And it’s quite an indicator how the scale is tipping in the <keyword id="2053000" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-of-literature">world of literature</keyword>. 
 
Image: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Kolkata
Book Fair: Leafing Through The Pages In The Era Of E-readers

The Indian traveler is more adventurous than believed before. A report by the hotel platform <keyword id="2808667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> analyzed all hotel bookings in 2016 done on its platform. 
 
It confirms that a majority of Indian travelers are increasingly driven by impulse with 61% of all the bookings made on OYO platform were made within 24 hours prior to check-in. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/exclusive-what-moms-want-from-the-budget-2017/articleshow/56872243.cms">ALSO READ: Exclusive: What moms want from the Budget 2017</a> 
 
The research further highlights that despite the last-minute bookings, travelers’ expectations in terms of service, facilities, and experience are pre-determined and non-negotiable. WiFi, Breakfast and Hygienic rooms are the three biggest priorities for guests. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/this-co-working-space-is-tailor-made-for-ai-data-science-iot-startups/articleshow/56874042.cms">ALSO READ: This co-working space is tailor-made for AI, Data science, IoT startups</a> 
 
OYO’s research identified: 
 
● Chennai, Goa, and Gurgaon as the top contributors to hotel-booking via the app. ● <keyword id="57704" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shillong">Shillong</keyword>, Coorg, Darjeeling, Vishakhapatnam, and <keyword id="6389278" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Munnar">Munnar</keyword> as most popular winter holiday destinations in 2016 ● Paharganj continues to cement its reputation as the go-to spot for backpackers in the nation's capital while <keyword id="6517501" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arambol">Arambol</keyword> is the most affordable locality in Goa despite ranking high on popularity. 
● Impulsively planned trips emerged as the top driver for outstation trips both in business and leisure travel segment. 
 
OYO also identified the most expensive and most affordable localities for budget hotels in top travel destinations. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/take-a-tour-of-oyo-rooms-attractive-new-property-townhouse/articleshow/56781794.cms">ALSO READ: Take a tour of OYO's attractive new property: OYO Townhouse</a> 
 
City- Most Expensive Locality Average tariff (in INR)- Most Affordable Locality Average tariff(in INR) 
 
Ahmedabad -Vastrapur 2023- GIDC Vatva 607 
Bangalore<keyword id="4123464" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="-bangalore-airport">- Bangalore Airport</keyword> 2137 - Indiranagar Extension 1181 
Chennai- Vadapalani 3008 - Egmore 770 
Delhi - Pragati Maidan 3800 - Paharganj 1292 
Goa- Candolim 3172- Arambol 2238 
Gurgaon- Manesar 2711- <keyword id="6400808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sohna-Road">Sohna Road</keyword> 979 
Hyderabad - Kondapur 2380 - Abids-Nampally 1436 
Jaipur- Amer 1608 - Sindhi Camp 1194 
<keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> - Ballygunge 2014 - <keyword id="2381550" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ruby-Hospital-Kolkata">Ruby Hospital Kolkata</keyword> 1324 
Mumbai - <keyword id="6361338" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="south-Mumbai">South Mumbai</keyword> 5276 - Thane 2231

Indian travelers take a lot of
last-minute holidays, according to OYO

Much before Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' moment stirred the football passion in the region, it was the Brazilian maestro <keyword id="96776" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pele" source="Orion">Pele</keyword> who began Bengal's tryst with the 'beautiful game'. Playing against <keyword id="6355782" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mohun-bagan" source="Orion">Mohun Bagan</keyword> on a slushy and jam-packed Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977 in the twilight of his career, the three-time World Cup winner was overwhelmed by the depth of talent a "little known" Indian club possessed. Desperately seeking a revival after the dominance of arch-rivals East Bengal, the PK Banerjee-coached Mariners not only stopped the 'King of Football' from scoring a goal, but almost won 2-1 before a controversial penalty made it a 2-2 draw against the star-studded New York Cosmos. PK had given mid-fielder Gautam Sarkar the big task of man-marking Pele and playing in the dream match of his life, he had given it all, something that was later acknowledged by the legend himself. In the evening, Mohun Bagan had organised a felicitation ceremony for Pele where he was to be handed a diamond ring but the 'Black Pearl' was more interested in meeting the players first. Goalkeeper Shibaji Banerjee was the first one in the list. When the name of the sixth player was announced, Pele, surrounded by a galaxy of people, came out of the barricade and hugged the player. "Sporting a wry smile he told me, 'So, you are that number 14 who did not allow me to move...' I was left awe-struck," Sarkar remembered that evening vividly, even after 45 years. "Chunida (Chuni Goswami) was there standing beside me on the dias and heard all this. He soon told me: 'Gautam you now give up football -- what's there to achieve after hearing this compliment'. Indeed, this was the biggest achievement of my football career." "I don't want to boast about myself, but according to a newspaper report my photo is still hanging in the New York Cosmos club. He was so overwhelmed by our play that he wanted to meet the players first. Never thought a club team from a country like India would play like this." The exhibition match could see the light of the day because of the initiative of Dhiren Dey, a revered football administrator in Kolkata Maidan, then at the helm of Mohun Bagan as the general secretary. "It seemed unreal when Dhirenda told us that Pele would play against us. We all told him to 'stop lying, it's unbelievable'. But as days passed and we got to know about it, we all had sleepless nights," Sarkar told PTI. Preparation began three weeks in advance and Mohun Bagan had to prove a point. "The prospect of playing against Pele was one of the reasons why I moved from East Bengal to Mohun Bagan. As it happened, it all changed our club's fortune," <keyword id="786963" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shyam-thapa" source="Orion">Shyam Thapa</keyword> who famously gave Mohun Bagan the lead said. Four days later, Mohun Bagan were to play against East Bengal in the coveted IFA Shield final and as it turned out, the Mariners won 1-0, ending their arch-rivals' title- winning streak. "It was a platform for us to revive our fortunes. The result gave us much-needed confidence to face East Bengal. We found our mojo back," well-known Mohun Bagan defender <keyword id="58350" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="subrata-bhattacharya" source="Orion">Subrata Bhattacharya</keyword> remembered. They continued their revival as they went on to win the Rovers Cup and Durand Cup. "We wanted to give everything in the field. The match helped us grow as a team," said then Mohun Bagan midfielder Prasun Banerjee, now a TMC member of Parliament. The best chance for Pele to score came off a free-kick from the top of the box. The ball rose and spun in towards the left upright before being saved by a diving Shibaji Banerjee. Pele revisited the city seven years back during the festive season of Durga Puja, this time with a walking stick but his aura had left everyone mesmerised, including the city's cricket icon Sourav Ganguly, a self-proclaimed Brazil fan. "I've played three World Cups. There's a big difference between being a winner and a runner-up. To hold that World Cup and a few Golden Boots must be phenomenal," Ganguly said in awe of the great man in the felicitation ceremony at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Pele also reunited with the Mohun Bagan batch of 1977 including the legendary PK, <keyword id="536980" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="subhash-bhowmick" source="Orion">Subhash Bhowmick</keyword> and Shibaji Banerjee who are no more. "I accepted to come here in India because I love the people here," Pele said. The King of Football also had his sense of humour intact and gave a cheeky reply when someone in the dias asked him if there could be another Pele. "Listen, I'm sorry. My father and my mother closed the machine. There will be no other Pele." His last words before signing off were: "If I can help someway, I'll be here again."

When Pele was left mesmerised in 'football capital' of India

Kolkata, May 3 () West Bengal reported two more COVID-19 fatalities, raising the death toll due to the disease to 50 in the state, officials said on Sunday.A total of 41 fresh COVID-19 cases have emerged in West Bengal, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department.Till Sunday afternoon, there were 927 coronavirus cases in the state, it said. The Union health ministry, however, has put the figure at 922.The number of active cases in the state stood at 663, the bulletin said.The officer-in-charge of the Pragati Maidan police station in the eastern parts of the city and a senior state government official have tested positive for the disease and have been admitted to a private hospital, officials said.A total of 22,915 samples have been tested for the novel coronavirus in West Bengal so far, they added. SCH RBT RC

Two more fatalities take COVID-19 death toll to 50 in West Bengal

Kolkata, Apr 12 () I-League champions Mohun Bagan on Sunday cancelled their customary 'Bar Puja' this year due to COVID-19 pandemic. An annual ritual worshipping of the goalposts on either end of the ground, the Bar Puja is held on Poila Boisakh, the Bengali New Year's Day slated for Monday, to officially mark the start of a new football season. "It's very unfortunate that we need to call off the customary ritual that we follow on Bengali New Year's Day every year," Mohun Bagan general secretary Srinjoy Bose said in a statement. "But in present condition safety of our fans, colleagues is our topmost priority and keeping that in mind, we had to take this hard decision. We sincerely hope that tough time will be over and football will be back in Maidan very soon." Mohun Bagan have clinched the I-League title with four rounds left in the competition which has been suspended due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. TAP PDSPDS

Mohun Bagan cancel Bar Puja due to COVID-19 pandemic

Kolkata, Jun 23 () The annual Rath Yatra was a low-key affair in West Bengal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with just a handful of devotees visiting the ISKCON temples in Kolkata and Mayapur, and some offering prayers at the Lord Jagannath shrine in Hooghly district. No chariot was taken out in any part of the state to avoid public gatherings, but priests and devotees performed the rituals, while maintaining social distancing norms, official sources said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her greetings to the people on the occasion. "Greetings to all my brothers and sisters on the occasion of the #RathYatra Festival. May the blessings of Lord Jagannath be showered on all, specially during this disturbing time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jai Jagannath," Banerjee posted on her Twitter handle. The nine-day festival is usually marked by a procession of chariots, in which the three deities -- Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra -- embark on an annual journey to Gundicha temple and back. At the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Kolkata, all rituals were performed on the temple premises, its spokesperson Radharaman Das told . "Three small chariots, similar to the ones pulled by children, were taken out briefly on the temple compound by the monks, as a symbolic gesture. Every year, idols of the three deities are taken to Maidan area in chariots. This year, all rituals will be performed in the temple," Das said. Last year, around 4 lakh people had gathered to pull the chariots on city streets, he said. "We are praying to Lord Jagannath for strength to fight the crisis. People should be able to turn up in large numbers next year on this day," he said. At the ISKCON Mayapur centre, which also happens to be the global headquarters of the religious order, only a restricted number of followers, along with servitors and monks, were allowed inside the Chandradaya temple. A makeshift 'Gundicha' temple has been constructed on the premises, where idols of the three deities will be kept for eight days. Devotees will be given permission to offer prayers, only after screening and proper sanitisation, ISKCON Mayapur spokesman Subrata Das said. "As part of our 'Mercy on Wheels' initiative, people can watch the observance of rituals online by logging on to our website," the spokesperson said. The chariot festival, which is marked by traditional feasts and commemoration in Mahesh, in Hooghly district -- home to the 624-year-old Jagannath temple -- was also observed without any pomp and show. "Three shaligram shila (seashell stones representing the deities inside the temple) were taken along the usual rath yatra route to a distance of one kilometre and kept there. The chariot at the shrine will be illuminated for the next eight days," Piyal Adhikary, the working secretary and managing 'sevayat' of the temple committee in Mahesh, said. The centuries-old Tarapith Temple, one of the shakti peeths, in Birbhum district reopened its doors to devotees on the occasion, having taken care of all safety protocols. "Not more than 10 devotees will be allowed inside the temple at a time. Each of them will have to pass through three sanitation tunnels," a temple spokesperson said. SUS RMS TIR TIR

You Searched For "Kolkata Maidan" and got 8 results

COVID-19: Horses used for joyrides left in Maidan to survive on their own

PTI

Checkout the names of the containment zones in Kolkata, West Bengal

BI India Bureau

Kolkata Book Fair: Leafing Through The Pages In The Era Of E-readers

Preetam Kaushik

Indian travelers take a lot of last-minute holidays, according to OYO

Tanya Dubey

When Pele was left mesmerised in 'football capital' of India

PTI

Two more fatalities take COVID-19 death toll to 50 in West Bengal

PTI

Mohun Bagan cancel Bar Puja due to COVID-19 pandemic

PTI

COVID-19 eclipses Rath Yatra celebrations in W Bengal, no fanfare, no chariot on city streets

PTI

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