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7 October, 2010, Mahalaya Year 1, Issue 1
 t/Index
1.
m / Editorial
11. nn / The Kitchen
2. 
 - an
я (Agomoni – Antara - Maloy Chakraborty
Mukherjee)
- Debolina Coomar
3.  -   (Biday – Bipasha De)
- Santanu De
4. Triumph of courage – Sayandip Datta
12. Eternal Values – Rupa Das
5. My unforgettable experiences – Maloy
13. %t / Photography
Chakraborty
- Riddhi Das
6. Myth Busters – Dr. Anurupa Roy

7.
 - aя k (Munibabu – Abhijit
Chakraborty)
m - n 

8. Kalaivani..a real life story – Sumit Das Editor – Santanu De

9.  !
" / Poems

- Dr. Neeru Bhagat Banerjee n !, ie k %&' ( ) ! k!

k)+ '), ' p') |  s st k) |
- Shantanu Banerjee
Published by Mrs Meenakshi
- Sunanda & Bhaskar Choudhury Chakraborty on behalf of Deshantari,
Dubai. All rights are reserved.
- Meenakshi Chakraborty

10. ##  / Paint & Brush

- Geetanjali Majumder

- Shinjinee Majumder

- Koena Mukherjee

- Ritwika De

- Malaika Chakraborty

- Antara Mukherjee

- Ronita Datta
 m&' '& From the Editor’s desk
'
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Bengali month of Ashwin and the season of
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 Triumph of Courage

Sayandip Datta
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Once upon a time, there was a boy named Louise. Louise was born in 15 century. His family was very poor.
When Louise was only 5 years old, his father passed out. The family was in deeper trouble. His mother was a maid
servant who worked in many houses but still get less money. Louise wanted to become an adventurer. He received his
education for free. At the age of 20, he set out for his first adventure.

He met a person named Charlie. Charlie taught Louise how to fight with sword & shield. One day when they
were practising, suddenly Charlie fell on floor and his last word was “The stronger you become the stronger sword you
will get.” Feeling sad at his teacher’s death, he left for adventuring. On his way, he met a person named Andre. Andre
taught him wood cutting & carpentry.

Louise earned money by cutting woods, making various goods & selling them. With all the money he had, he
went to learn how to make sword. He became even richer. He bought costly swords. One day, when Louise went
out for wood cutting, he saw a poster on the tree and it was written that the one who could go to the ‘Wilderness’ of
France and find he Prince, he/she would get 1 million gold coils.

Louise set out for this quest, which became his last adventure. He trained himself for the job and bought the
strongest sword with all the money he as got. Now he is left with only 5 coins. After a very long journey of 24 days, he
reached the ‘Wilderness’. He took rest in the nearby inn.

After resting, he went to the wilderness. He saw more than 20 dead bodies. He got bit worried, but still
continued. After some time, he felt that he couldn’t run anymore. He had to walk all the way.

Louise walked and walked till he reached a cave with metal gate which was locked. He used his sword to get into
the cave by breaking the lock. Once he went in, he saw that a demon who was going to slay a very rich person. The
demon had a very strong sense of smell. It smelled Louise and turned back. The demon told “I’ve killed 20 people who
came to kill me. I bet you saw them outside. You’ll be the next one!”

Louise was outraged. He swung his sword but the demon was so strong that no one could attack him and his
sword broke. The demon put the rich man and Louise in a prison. There Louise got to know that the man is the Prince.
He also got to know that the demon has a metallic body. Knowing this Louise planned for his next action. With all his
knowledge and experience, he started to carve another sword which will have the power of fire.

The demon opened the prison and got in. It lifted the Prince and was telling him some thing. Taking this
opportunity, Louise took his new sword and stabbed him in his chest. The demon died.

Louise took the Prince back to the palace and got his prize of 1 million coins. On his way back to his tent, he fell
ill. The people examined the sword and found that there was poison on the fiery essence. Anyone who touched the
sword will die is two days.

The whole city prepared for a grand funeral for brave Louise, who gave his life to save the Prince. All of them
contributed two coins beside the body. His body was put into the grave with great respect. His prize of 1 million coins
was distributed to the poor people as his last wish. The royal family built a statue holding the sword, put the statue on
main road of the city.
 My unforgettable experiences

Maloy Chakraborty

I would like to narrate few of my horrifying experiences which are unforgettable.

A) During my college days in my Engineering College, we all used to be excited when we used to be nearing
our vacation. In those times, my dad was posted in Jammu and to reach Jammu from Belgaum in Karnataka,
we had to change 4 trains viz Belgaum- Mirage( Meter gauge), Mirage- Pune( Broad Gauge)/ Pune to Delhi &
Delhi to Jammu. Normally in college days we used to never believe in reserving seats.

The experience goes this way. We somehow managed to reach New Delhi Railway station and were to catch
Shalimar Express from Delhi to Jammu and to our utter disbelief there was not even a place to keep our feet
in any compartment leave apart the luggage (not even in the toilets! ☺)

Finally myself and one of my good friends decided that we would climb the roof of the train and travel till
Jammu. We got on the roof of the train and slept on the roof of the train for the entire journey of 16 hrs. It
would be worthwhile to mention here that it was an overnight train. I still can’t forget that experience.

B) This happened at a time when I had started my career after passing out of Engineering College and was
put on a project in a place called Nanded in Maharastra. It was a thermal power plant and we were
responsible for the Ash Handling Plant.

On completion of the project I was to go back to Mumbai and was supposed to catch the train at 4.30 P.M
from Nanded. The power plant was almost 20 kms away from the station.

The next part of the story goes like this. I reached the station 10 minutes late and was running towards the
platform when I saw the train was already leaving the station. I started running to catch the train with a hand
bag in one hand and a suitcase in another. The people around were shouting at me to stop but I turned a deaf
ear to them and kept running. With much difficulty, I could get hold of the last compartment by jumping into
the train and also was lucky enough to manage to put my foot on the bottommost part of the foot rest. My
whole body weight was tilted backwards with 2 heavy bags in one hand. After sometime, some generous co-
passengers pulled me inside the compartment.

Disclaimer: Both the incidents were extremely foolish on my part and I strongly suggest people not to
imitate or try to follow suit.
 Myth Busters
A sweet smile from a healthy mind, is like a free pass to anyone’s heart !

Dr. Anurupa Roy

Some tortures are physical,

Some are mental.
But the one, that is both
Is dental . ~ Odgen Nash

Unfortunately, still today, our so called educated society somewhere, is still tied to the old string of myths ,
that needs to be busted ,and chain of passing them to next generation be stopped. Dental problems can be
as severe as any medical ailment ,and any infection inside your mouth can compromise entire immune
system !

Finally, the failure to seek routine dental care can result in missed opportunities to diagnose oral cancer in its
earliest - and most treatable - stages.

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A severe myth is playing in your mind right now. Right ??

1. DENTISTS ARE SCARY AND PAINFUL.

Well, not anymore ! With the advancement of science and technology, dentistry is almost painless today (of
course ,when you are in right hands !), thanks to anesthesia and other modern equipments. At the forefront of
these advances, are computer-controlled anesthetic agent delivery systems that controls the pressure of
solution inside tissues while injecting. Also better interiors at dental clinic can make you feel at
home. “Anxiety often comes from not knowing what’s about to happen. When you know what the dentist is
going to do, you won’t be taken by surprise.”

So, don’t feel shy to communicate with your dentist!

2. CLEANING/SCALING CAUSES LOOSE TEETH.

This is something you, me and everyone is still nurturing. Isn’t it? But it’s not true.

Regular professional cleaning (6 months) is very important since many of us are unaware of right brushing
techniques or is too lazy and negligent to care. As a result, plaque and calculus accumulates, that seems to
splint your teeth. And during scaling, dentist removes the calcified deposits from the teeth and not the enamel,
as is wrongly believed.

May be if the deposits are removed too late, at a stage when most of the bone is lost and teeth are
temporarily cemented together with hard calculus, tooth may move after scaling. Hence scaling does not
make teeth loose, they have already become loose due to calculus. Only the removal of patch of calculus has
set in the visible mobility.

In fact scaling prevents further aggravation of the disease by removing microbial niche!

3. EXPENSIVE TOOTHPASTES ARE ALWAYS GOOD.

What matters is the ingredients your teeth need ,and also is different for different people along with special
needs for few other than daily cleaning like desensitizing, remineralizing, whitening etc. Consult your dentist to
know your one today itself!

May be you are using the one you don’t need and missing the real shine!

4. UNLESS THERE IS ANY PROBLEM,THERE IS NO NEED TO VISIT A DENTIST!

This is related to the underlying fear we all have for dentists and dentistry. But, these delay may at times
cause irreversible damage ,since we common people tend to neglect mild to moderate visible signs and
symptoms out of ignorance or negligence. Dental issues do happen no matter how diligent you are with
brushing and flossing. Cavities can form in hard to reach places or teeth can chip or crack. If left unnoticed,
they gets severe. Also one might lose out treatable stages of oral cancer or any detectable cosmetic
abnormality in permanent teeth that can be corrected at earliest by looking at a child’s milk/primary teeth set.
Rush today to your nearest doctor! Who knows, you may get saved by an inch!

Prevention is always better than cure.

5.CHOCOLATE CAUSES TOOTH DECAY.

It’s not the chocolate, it’s the amount of time it’s is in contact with the tooth surface. Foods that contain
fermentable carbohydrates (FCs) are the nasty cavity-causing culprits! Chocolates and other sticky & oily
food particles containing FC if remains adhered to tooth surface for longer duration of time ,forms more
metabolic products of oral microorganisms &causes tooth decay.

Rinse your mouth after eating and treat your buds generously!
6. MILK TEETH DON’T NEED ATTENTION SINCE THEY GETS REPLACED WITH PERMANENT TEETH.

Reality is that they too need attention since premature loss of milk tooth can cause crowding of permanent
teeth, malocclusion ,alter shape of jaws and face due to space loss and damage the permanent tooth bud
beneath them. Also, they are very important for chewing to obtain adequate nutrients during the development
period of a child. Moreover, any ailment in the oral cavity causes detrimental effect on overall body and mind
.It is also important to indulge your child in correct oral hygine practices from an early stage of life. Role of
milk teeth are also important in helping a child to speak & develop self esteem.

Milk teeth act as a ‘blueprint’ for permanent teeth.

7. USE OF TOOTH-PICKS WIDENS GAP IN-BETWEEN TEETH.

Toothpick only removes lodged food particles from in-between teeth. It has no relation with widening of space
between two teeth .To create a gap, requires a constant unit of force that temporary use of tooth picks to
dislodge food particles can’t do.

But, it’s pointed end may injure soft tissues of oral cavity .Normally therapeutic wooden picks are advised.
Never use metal sharp pins. But, flossing is much better.

Visit your dentist to know how to floss for a better healthy smile!

8. HARD BRISTLES TOOTH BRUSH CAN CLEAN & WHITEN TOOTH FASTER AND BETTER!

The type of bristles depends on the one’s oral health. For normal person’s regular usage, medium to soft
bristles with round edges is usually recommended since, hard bristles mostly tend to abrade enamel, and
cause soft tissue laceration. Cleaning depends on proper brushing technique and mostly people use
excessive force while brushing. So, hard bristles are not recommended except for special needs.

Visit your dentist today to know your type of brush and technique!

9. RUBBING WITH SALT OR SODIUM BICARBONATE WHITENS TEETH.

This practice is very harmful since these substances are strong abrasives and cause the out layer enamel to
abrade, causing hypersensitivity and microscopic surface irregularities with accumulation of more plaque on
tooth resulting in decay.

10. TOOTH EXTRACTION IS HARMFUL TO EYES.

There is absolutely no relation between eye-sight and tooth extraction carried out under correct surgical
procedures.

11. LOOSING TOOTH IS HEREDITARY.

Very rare percentage of oral disease is hereditary. Healthy teeth mostly depend on the amount of care you
take to maintain a clean oral environment surrounding and hard and soft tissues, and on overall nutrition and
immunity of your own body.
12. CHEWING SUGAR FREE GUMS REPLACES BRUSHING.

Not really ! Sugar free gums only helps partial cleaning by increasing saliva flow inside mouth, muscular
movement, pH normalization, remineralization, corrects bad breath and dry mouth. But food lodged in
between teeth or hard to reach areas can be removed only with the help of proper brushing and flossing
techniques, or professional cleaning/scaling.

13. WHEN THERE IS ANY PROBLEM, EXTRACT!

Fortunately, with the advancement of science and technology, this is not practiced any more, since the
benefits of saving ones natural tooth is much higher. It can act as a natural support for the crown or cap,
prevents bone loss & reduces pressure to adjacent tooth, retains arch length during growth period in children,
prevents malocclusion after extraction due to the migration of adjacent tooth in empty space, maintains
proprioception, aesthetics and helps in chewing food particles in better way since it provides more stability,
strength and support to the placed prosthesis.

It can be easily saved after root canal therapy followed by placement of suitable prosthesis, according to your
need and comfort, keeping your medical, cosmetic and financial considerations into mind!

14. ORAL DISEASES AT OLD AGE IS NORMAL.

Retaining natural teeth in a healthy state even at old age depends on the overall health status and the
cleanliness you maintain inside oral cavity. Since, our folks are not that aware of the real reason behind tooth
loss, health and oral hygiene is neglected more with the increase in age. Hence, it effects dental health too,
resulting in tooth loss .Also, with the increase in age, people tend to take medications for health disorders or
PMS (in women), that in turn causes dry mouth or soft tissues changes in the oral cavity. Also, physical
weakness makes it tough at old age to maintain oral hygiene. But today, we are rich with modern equipments
& your dentist can familiarize you with, that requires less effort.

You can always smile wider while being clicked with your daughter-in-law !!

15. ONE SHOULD NOT BRUSH DURING BLEEDING GUMS.

Bleeding gums is of the earliest sign of abnormalities developing and approaching severity and requires
immediate consultation with your dentists as soon as possible .But , if you cannot reach dentist due to any
reason, cleaning of teeth with extra soft brush mildly is advisable taking care not to harm your gums/gingiva,
in order to prevent spread of infection by physical trauma from brush & further accumulation of debris and
microorganisms.

16. PLACING AN ASPIRIN CURES TOOTHACHE.

Aspirin can’t cure toothache permanently. Besides, it causes chemical burns ( aspirin burns) to the soft
tissues in your mouth . Therefore, it is better to use natural analgesics, such as clove oil or tea tree oil, until
you come under a dentists supervision as soon as possible .Experimental erosion of enamel and dentin is
also noticed when aspirin comes in contact topically. Visit your dentist and eradicate the prime cause !
17. DENTAL ILLNESS IS RESTRICTED TO ORAL CAVITY.

Save your life !

If you are thinking that tooth problems are going to stay within your oral cavity, then you are putting your life at
risk. It is well proven that oral micro-organisms are responsible for several systemic diseases including heart
attacks, stroke, bacterial pneumonia, low/very high birth weight of new born babies (when an expecting
mother suffers from periodontitis) , diabetes and osteoporosis.

Oral micro-organisms can enter blood stream, attaching themselves to fatty plaques of coronary arteries and
form clots or may cause swelling of arteries as a result of inflammation.

Severe periodontal disease can increase blood sugar, contributing to increased periods of time when the body
functions with a high blood sugar level. This puts diabetics at increased risk for diabetic complications.

Scientists have found that bacteria that grow in the oral cavity can be aspirated into the lungs & cause
respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, especially in people with periodontal disease. These droplets
contain germs that can breed and multiply within the lungs to cause damage or can aggravate existing
disease.

It’s time for a new resolution, to spread healthy smile everywhere, knowing real facts about your
health!

ASOTOMA SADGAMAYA

TAMASOMA JYOTIRGAMAYA

MRITURMAAMRUTAM GAMAYA.



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 Kalaivani..a real life story

(Originally written by a senior journalist from Washington Post. This story reflects the greatness of our
country which has produced great people and still has a lot many not who haven’t been tapped properly.
Shared with all the friends of Deshantari by Sumit Das.)

As a Journalist, from Washington Post I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing many famous people
from Paris Hilton to Oprah Winfrey and this experience of my Interviewing, Kalaivani, near the Mylapore
Karpagambal Temple, is unique indeed. Come with me to share my few minutes with this wonderful girl.

Sept 2008, me and Padma, decided to spend as much time in our own Mylapore...after all we don't have to
again explore the Coral Reefs of Australia or the kind penguins in Antarctica and hence we took an
apartment near the temple and started building our roots in Mylapore.
One day, we decided to buy some Vedic Books and cassettes and that’s how we met Kalaivani.
My knowledge of Vedas and Upanishads are as good as any one of the ordinary mortals in Mada Street
who chose to live in a faith of their birth by refusing to indulge in the extravagance of exploring anything
about Sankaracharya to Swami VIvekananda. One day I came across a lecture in Bharathiya Vidya
Bhavan, where Goda Venkatesa Sastri explained the beauty of "Thathva Bodha" which made my simple
mind strain a bit to at least go through the text of this astonishing Adi Sankara's works. After a simple
Temple Darshan we entered a shop called Giri Trading and started searching for this Book on Thathva
Bodha.

I was looking for this Book while my wife started collecting Bharathiar's songs and MS's music. I searched
everywhere for this book..
There was this girl Kalaivani, standing next to the Cashier, sincerely watching all our movements. She was
a black girl, should be from a nearby village, might be 17 or 18, should not have crossed 8th Std. My entire
journalist's brain unnecessarily calculated about this gullible Girl and though she was repeatedly watching
me, I ignored her and started searching for Thathva Bodha.
I saw many books from Sandhya Vandanam to Swami VIvekananda's “Chicago Speech".Having spent a
good 40 minutes, I looked at her. She also looked at me curiously..
I asked her, knowing well that such a girl cannot have any idea of anything, leave alone Thathva Bodha.
"Sir, shall I help you?"(in Tamil)
"Yes I am looking for Thathva Bodha."
"Sanskrit Text or English /Sanskrit?"
God! She knows.
"Sanskrit& English"
"Do you like to have the publication from Chinmaya Mission or Indu Publications or by Ramakrishna Mutt?"
"I don’t know. I just want to only learn you see I don’t really know indeed"
"Do you read Tamil Sir?"
"Yes I am a Tamilian "
(thinking to myself how most of my lifetime I like to act in most other places that I am not) "Then Sir, you
can take this". She ran to the shelf where I had searched for 30 minutes, removed the books in the front
side and came out with a Book in Tamil.
"This one in Tamil by N. Sivaraman by Indu Publications in fact is simple and wonderful. You have the
Sanskrit text too inside."
My God. Why did I under estimate such a Genius? Is it because of my arrogance that I am an NRI? Or just
because I presumed such a black & gullible girl, who would have come for this Job out of absolute poverty,
wouldn't have any idea of Thathva Bodha.

I decided to change my attitude and realise that I am absolutely an 'Idiot' at this moment in front of this
wonderful girl and submitted myself in all humilty..
"Madam, I really don't have any idea of even who wrote Thatva BOdha till Yesterday. I just attended a
lecture on this subject and was fascinated by the lecture and hence NNN"
"Did you attend Goda Venkateswara Sastri's lecture in Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan?"
"Oh God! How did you know?"
"He regularly takes classes on such subjects N infact he is one of the best in the city on such subjects"
"You are interested in such subjects?"
"Yes Sir,I read a lot about Swami VIvekananda and Ramakrishna and Thathva Bodha incidentally is my
favourite Subject"
"You mean to say you have read Thatva Bodha?"
"I have read this one by Sivaraman and once you read it you won't feel like keeping that book on the table
at all.."
"Why what is so great about this book?"
"Sir,you must be Joking that you don't know about Thathva Bodha."
"Really I accept my ignorance.."
My wife was watching from the corner,admiring all her CD collections.
"Sir,according to me if you read this it gives the entire Vedanthic Saramsam and one would become a bit
more humble in life leaving ahamkaram once for all.."
"Is it a fact that reading this simple book one would get so humble..
"Ofcourse one should be involved totally into the text N needs a lot of conviction and devotion."
My wife joined the conversation and she felt this girl is indeed a very very talented intelligent girl. So she
told me, "Why don't you interview her for Washington Post? Why at all you should think of Paris Hilton?"
I also felt that I owe something to her. So I asked her whether she can spare sometime for an interview.
She politely refused saying, "My boss has to give me permission. Besides many people are looking for
guidance like you and hence I have to go."
"What is your name anyway?"
"Kalaivani".
My wife's admiration for her devotion to duty and her total involvement in her work made her go direct to the
Boss.

"Sir, that girl Kalaivani."

"Yes very hard working Girl."
"This is my husband Viswanath .."
"Nice meeting you Sir"

"He is the Senior Journalist in Washington Post.."

Boss stood up. "Washington Post?"
"Yes Sir. I would like to interview this girl. I am highly impressed with her ethics."
Boss called her. The time was 5:45 pm..
"Kalaivani, they have come all the way from USA. They would like to spend some time with you. Can you?"
"Sir, there are so many customers waiting for some guidance. It is a rush time. If they can come again
tomorrow."
"It’s OK! I can come again tomorrow."
I again came next day morning leaving all my appointments with Times of India just to see this girl. It was
no rush hour.
My wife and I found out NN
Kalaivani is from a nearby village near Arcot. She has 5 sisters. She is the eldest one. Her father was a
drunkard and he died a few years ago caring for none of them. Her mother used to work as a helper in
Masonry and passed away two years back leaving all the six children on the streets.
This girl who had completed her 9th std decided to search for a job and Giri Trading came forward to help
her out. She brought all her 5 sisters with her and with her meagre salary she is taking care of the all the 5
sisters are going to a nearby corporation school.
"Kalaivani, but when did you get this enthusiasm to learn about Thatva Bodha?"
"Sir after joining here, I decided that the best way to be of help to the customers is to know the subject first.
I took small Books on Swami VIvekananda and started reading. I found the subject so fascinating. I decided
to read other books in Tamil like Bhagavad Gita and Viveka Choodamani.
"What is your salary?"
"Rs 2500, Sir"
"Are you able to manage all your expenses with the 5 sisters?"
"Not at all Sir but my Boss helps me a lot?"
"What is your aim in life?"
"I want all my sisters to get education. Then they would get employed easily, is it not?"
"If I give monthly Rs 10000 for meeting all your expenses, would that suffice?"
"It is indeed too much but that also I would accept only through my Boss."

We took her to the Boss and told him that we wd like to send Rs 10,000 every month so that all her sisters'
education would be completed. Boss said, "She deserves it Sir. You can trust me. I will hand over the
amount to her every month or alternately you can open an account in her name and start transferring."
My friend John Paul, who is the Regional Manager of Times of India had also come with me. He said, "You
have done a good thing."
My wife said, "I pray that Karpagambal helps Kalaivani to become an expert in Vedantha and start giving
lectures in USA. We can arrange for her lectures."
We left wonderstruck. I was wondering that If we go to the interiors of BIhar and Barrackpur, how many
more jewels can be found! I really became humbled.

~*~*~*~*~*~
 Inner voice

Dr. Neeru Bhagat Banerjee

Prologue: This poem was written by me on the eve of my Ph.D. thesis submission. PhD was my dream, which was
almost achieved. That night I was requested to dance on a Shiv Stuti. Dance is my passion, which I did that night after
years. The feelings afterwards are expressed in the form of this poem.

I hear a voice
From deep inside
That tells me
I’m not what I should be.

A distant sound
Echoing in my mind
Touching my soul
Showing me my past
And future
What am I doing today?

I could have been

What I might still be
Rewrite my past
And future with my present
In search of happiness
That is deep within.

Bliss is that moment of

Ultimate pleasure
Or that long plateau of
Contentment and happiness
Yet worlds have been made and destroyed
For that split second.

I reach the height

And feel
“Is That It!!’
Waiting for tomorrow
When this would happen again.

What am I waiting for ?

Which new place,
Which new venture?

I want to be
Where bliss would be
When my soul dances
To the tapping of my feet
And my heart sings
With the twinkle in my eyes.
 Life’s Little Pleasures

Shantanu Banerjee

I would be in office and busy through the day

I didn’t have much time to play
The little games you asked me to
I didn’t have much time for you.

You would wait all day to steal a look

And when you’d bring your picture book
And ask me, please, to share your fun,
I’d say, “A little later, son”.

I’d tuck you in all safe at night

And hear your prayers, turn out the lights
Then tiptoe softly to the door
I wish I’d stayed a minute more.

For life is short, and years rush past,

A little boy grows up so fast.
No longer is he at your side,
His precious secrets to confide.

The picture books are put away.

There are no children’s games to play.
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear.
All that belongs to yesteryears

My hands once busy, now lie still,

The days are long and hard to fill.
I wish I could go back and do,
The little things you asked me to.
 Translation of poem of Rabindranath Tagore
(Translated by Sunanda & Bhaskar Choudhury (parents of Meenakshi Chakraborty) on May 27th, 1991. The translated
poem was broadcast on All India Radio, Shillong for a Rabindra Jayanti Program in 1991).

Rabindranath Tagore, April 1, 1939, Jorasanko, Kolkata

Throughout the history of tumultuous strife on earth,

The blind fury of tempest comes roaring,
To demolish the pinnacles of civilization.

Virtue yields to the ravages of doubt;

All the fruits of sage wisdom, of vision,
Gathered through the ages
Are reduced to dust at the cruel feet of monsters.

Come, ye young nations, bravely call others to join the war for liberty.
Hoist the invincible flag of conviction.
Ride the chariot of victory, overcome all barriers
Strewn on the blood-stained, decaying, grueling path;

Build bridges with your own lives.

Do not fear the blows that would come,
Or accept dishonor on your heads and forget yourselves.

Do not use falsehood and evil shrewdness

To build a cave to hide in, to mock your courage.
And never sacrifice the lives of the vulnerable, the weak,
At the feet of the stronger,
To save your own.
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Geetanjali Majumder, Class V Shinjinee Majumder, Class IV

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Malaika Chakraborty, 5 years

 Antara Mukherjee

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Chicken with Coriander Leaves

Maloy Chakraborty

INGREDIENTS: METHOD :

- Wash the Chicken thighs and keep them separately.

- 800 GMS Chicken Thigh pieces
- Medium Sized Onions ( 3 Nos)
- Medium Sized Tomato ( 2 Nos)
- Garlic Cloves - 4 Nos
- Green Chillies- 3 Nos
- Coriander Leave- 1 bunch
- Bay leaves/ Cardamom/ Clove/
Pepper balls/Cinnamon stick- small
quantity
- Garam Masala powder - 1/2
Tea Spoon
- Heat Oil in a Pan
- Put the Bay leaves( 1nos)/ Cardamon ( 3 nos)/
Clove( 2 nos)/ pepper balls( 6 nos)/Cinnamon stick(
1/2 pcs) and fry for 30 seconds
- Add the onion till golden brown
- Add Garlic cloves finely chopped and fry for 2-3
minutes
- Add tomato to the above mixture
- Add chicken pieces and cook on low flame for 10-15
minutes till cooked
- Add Salt to taste
- Add 1 cup of boiling water
- Finally add little Garma Masala powder and full
bunch of Coriander leaves finely chopped and close
the lid.
 TEL - KOI

Debolina Coomar

INGREDIENTS : METHOD :
Koi Fish : 6 pieces
Mustard Paste : 1 tablespoon First, clean and wash the koi fish (Climbing Perch).
Onion Paste : 1 teaspoon Then rub salt and turmeric powder on the fish.
Garlic Paste : half teaspoon Heat mustard oil (optional) in kadai....sunflower oil can
Tomato grated : half also be used.
Turmeric Powder : 1 teaspoon Once the oil is very hot, lower the flame and dip in the
Red Chilli Powder : 1 teaspoon fish slowly, fry till golden fried (it shouldn’t be deep
Black Cumin Seeds : a pinch fried).
Coriander Leaves : few to garnish Strain the fish out from the oil and keep aside.
Green Chillies : 3-4 split In the same oil, add a pinch of black cumin seeds.
Mustard Oil : 6 Tablespoon Once they begin to sputter, add teaspoon onion-garlic
paste, grated tomato, mustard paste, turmeric
Salt to taste powder, red chilli powder, salt to taste and stir well.
Once the oil begins to separate from the masala, add
water.
Dip in the fish pieces in the gravy, cover and cook for
10-12minutes till the fish becomes soft.
Once the fish is soft, add 3-4 split green chillies, a
pinch of chopped coriander leaves and pour 1
teaspoon of mustard oil (for the taste).
Boil the gravy for more 5 minutes and serve hot.

OPTIONAL: One teaspoon mustard oil can be poured

on the gravy before serving.
 MUTTON – MOHANBHOG

Debolina Coomar

INGREDIENTS : METHOD :
Mutton : 1 kg
Potato : 300 gms Chop 500 gms onion, fry and make into a paste.
Simply chop the rest 500 gms onion & keep
Onion : 1 kg
aside.
Ginger Paste : 1 teaspoon Clean the mutton pieces and marinate with curd,
Garlic Paste :1 teaspoon fried onion paste (500gms) and ginger - garlic
Tomato chopped : Half paste, minimum for 2hrs...maximum overnight.
Curd : 2 tablespoon Fry the nutmeg and mace on a dry pan and
Whole Garam Masala : 2 cinnamon ground to powder.
sticks, 4 green cardamoms & 4 cloves Cut the potatoes into long pieces and deep fry
them in oil. Strain the potato pieces and keep
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder : 1 teaspoon
aside.
Coriander Powder : 1 teaspoon Heat oil in a kadai and fry the rest of the
Nutmeg and mace powder :half teaspoon chopped onions (500gms) till reddish brown in
Coriander Powder : 1 teaspoon colour.
Salt to taste Keep aside, little fried onions for garnishing.
In the same oil, add bay leaves and whole
Sugar to taste
garam masala (green cardamom, cinnamon &
cloves).
Once they begin to sputter, add the marinated
mutton, kashmiri red chilli powder, sugar to
taste, salt to taste, coriander powder, chopped
tomato, nutmeg and mace powder.
Mix all the masala and stir well.
Add little lukewarm water and cover and cook till
mutton becomes semi-soft.... (optional: Can
pressure cook)
Once mutton is semi-soft, add the fried potatoes
and cover & cook till mutton and potatoes are
fully done.
Bring to a boil, till the gravy becomes thick.
Add the rest of the fried onions on the top and
serve hot.
 Stir fried prawns with asian vegetables

Santanu De

INGREDIENTS : METHOD :

Prawns Prawns

Medium sized prawns - 500 gms (de-shelled
& de-veined)
Onion - 3 nos medium (cut into juliennes)
Capsicum - 1 no (cut into juliennes)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (cut into thin strips)
Garlic - 3 to 4 medium cloves (chopped)
Green/red chillies - 4 nos (slit into 2 parts)
Corn flower - 1.5 tablespoon
Water - 1 cup
Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon
Chilli sauce - 1 teaspoon
Thai fish sauce (Nam pla) - 1 teaspoon
(optional)
Canola/sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt & sugar - as per taste
Asian vegetables
Wash the prawns thoroughly and mix with
soya sauce, vinegar, fish sauce and set it
apart for 30 minutes.
Heat up oil in a frying pan and when it is hot,
add all other ingredients except cornflower.
When the capsicum & onion have become
softer, add the prawns.
Add salt & sugar as per taste.
Stir fry in high flame for around 3 - 4 minutes.
Do not overcook the prawn.
Mix the cornflower in a cup of water and add
the mixture in the frying pan. Mix it properly.
Let it get cooked for 25 - 30 seconds in high
flame and then get it off the flame.
Serve it at the centre of a serving dish.

Cabbage - 500 gms (cut into juliennes)

Baby corn - 4 nos (cut vertically into longish
strips)
Asparagus - 4 baby sticks (cut vertically into
longish strips)
Pok choy/spinach/gir gir - 1 thick bunch
(chopped into 2 inch pieces)
Zucchini/cucumber - 1 medium size (cut into
juliennes)
Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon
Red wine - 1 tablespoon (optional)
Canola/sunflower oil - 2 tablespoons
Garnishing

Hard boiled eggs - 2 nos

Asparagus - 3 baby stick
Stir fried prawns with asian vegetables Ccontd

Asian vegetables
Wash the vegetables thoroughly and after
draining the water fully, keep them in a plate.
Heat up the oil in a frying pan.
Add all the vegetable when the oil is very hot.
Stir fry in high flame for around 4 - 5 minutes.
Add soya sauce & red wine and toss all the
ingredients in the pan 2-3 times.
Continue stir frying for another 2 minutes.
Serve the vegetable in the periphery of the
serving dish all around the prawns.

Garnishing & serving

Cut the boiled eggs in thin round shaped

pieces and place them on the edge of the
serving dish.
Cut the asparagus in vertical strips and place
them decoratively on the dish.
Enjoy the dish with hot steamed rice or fried
noodles.
 Eternal ValuesC..sayings of great people

Compiled by Rupa Das

1. To become great one must become humble. The tree laden with fruit always bends low.

2. The iron must be heated several times and hammered a hundred times before it becomes good steel.
Only then it becomes fit to be made into sharp sword and can be bent in any way you like. So a
person must be heated several times in the furnace of tribulations and hammered with the persecution
of the world before he/she becomes pure and humble.

3. Human beings are quick to praise and quick to blame; so pay no heed to what others speak of you.

4. Do yourself what you wish others to do.

5. One should not hurt others even by words. One mustn’t speak even an unpleasant truth
unnecessarily. By indulging in rude words one’s nature becomes coarse. One’s sensibility is lost if one
has not control over one’s speech.

6. As you change your thoughts towards people, people change towards you.

7. The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.

8. People become fools when they stop asking questions.

9. People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do.

10. While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and
becoming superior.

11. A handful of persons have become very rich simply by paying attention to details that most others
ignored.

12. A person who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. One who doesn’t, remains a fool forever.
Painting her eyes Riddhi Das

Spreading their wings

Village Boy

Dawn at Suez

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~