Sharadia Kisholoy 2023

A note about the artist of the drawing in the cover page

A Willow Tree- Saranya Naik Zaveri drew this when she was 9 years old. This painting is done on 9x12 canvas using acrylic paint. Saranya donates one painting every month to Morris Habitat for Humanity for selling to raise money for the charity. This painting is one of many such paintings donated so far.

Introduction of the artist of the drawing in the back page

Gupi Bagha - Drawn by Jahar Basu (a well-wisher). This cartoon drawing was created from the theme of a famous Bengali movie - Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is a 1969 Indian fantasy adventure comedy film written and directed by Satyajit Ray - an internationally known Bengali flim director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer.

Acknowledgements

Sponsors: Anjan and Purba Lahiri, Anup and Soma Rakhit, Arun and Rita Bhowmik, Ashok Rakhit, Biswajyoti Nayak, Biswajit Sarkar, Debajyoti and Sikha Chatterji, Dipak K. Sarkar and Shirley Sanderson, Indrani and Subrata Dhar, Jai Prakash Biswas, Mita Sinha, Mitra Purkayastha, Nilotpal Paul, Prabir Biswas, Pradip and Chumki Majumdar, Rik Sen, Riteka Ghosh & Soumyadeep Sen, Sajal Mukherjee, Shyamal Sarkar, Surya Dutta, Utpal Sengupta

Contributors:

Drawing: Cover page: Saranya Zaveri (age 9); Back page: Jhar Basu (well -wisher); Inside: Asha Kuriyan (age 8), Saranya Zaveri (age 9), Myeisha Chakravarty (age 10), Maya Arya Kundu (age 6), Elina Daw (age 8), Charulata Sengupta (age 9), Anahita Mitra (age 5), Anay Mitra (age 8), Kaivalya Dutta (age12), Anooshka Sen (age 10), Myeisha Chakravarty (age 10), Soumyanil Jana (age 14), Hanshit Dutta (age 8), Anish Lahiri (age 18), Jahar Basu (wellwisher); Photographs: Anooshka Sen (age 10), Sophie Sarkar (postgraduate)

Article: Saranya Zaveri (age 9), Sahil Ghosh (age 13), Mireya Chakravarty (age 10), Ishanaa Banerjee (age 7), By-Anooshka Sen (age 10), Maya Stoker (age 13), Auroni Sen (age 14), Soumyanil Jana (age 14), Tiyasha Sarkar (age 17), Shama Dinesh (age 23), Sreya Mukherjee (postgraduate), Biswa Bhai (our priest), Soumi Jana (well-wisher)

Editors: Utpal Sengupta, Dipak K. Sarkar, Sudipta Choudhury

Magazine Composer: Dipak K. Sarkar

Kisholoy is produced by members of Ananda Mandir The articles or photographs of this magazine are copyrighted and should not be reproduced in any other forms without the consents of the owners. For information contact Dipakksarkar@hotmail.com

Durga Puja is here

By - Sahil Ghosh (age 13)

Behold the festive season, as it has finally come, Put on a new smile, and prepare for more fun,

It comes once a year, a special time to cheer, Durga Puja, of course, our iconic time is here,

Set the colors, light the candles, Liven up the worldly temples, Leave your regrets, vanquish your fears, Be joyful and ready for the new year,

Buy new clothes, buy new shoes, Be a new person, there is nothing to lose, Buy new sweets, buy new foods, Satisfy your stomach, and brighten your mood,

Dance to the beats, sing for the ear, Recite for many, performances are near!

Share your music, share your love, Please other’s hearts, and always look above,

Gather around her murti, pray for your desires, Be amazed by her brilliance, her spirit of fire, Fix your eyes on the manifestation of courage, Indulge in the significance, of its mere image,

We all pray together, Our favorite time of year, We all hope together, For success to appear, We all pray together, Our favorite time of year, Be excited for more fun, Maa Durga is here!

By- Elina Daw (age 8)

Durga Puja

By - Mireya Chakravarty (age 10)

The festive mood sets in each home Everyone in beautiful outfits loves to roam

Colorful light fills the streets

While people wait in line to buy sweets

Family and friends gather to pray As the light takes over and saves the day

Maa Durga is honored for all she has done For she has beaten the evil and therefore won

By-Myeisha Chakravarty (age 10)

By - Maya Arya Kundu (age 6)

By - Maya Arya Kundu (age 6)

Rath Yatra

By - Charulata Sengupta (age 9)

Rath Yatra is devoted to three main deities- Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama, and Devi Subhadra, the siblings of Lord Jagannath. Rath Yatra is also known as the festival of chariots where three chariots are pulled by the devotees. This festival is an example of the unity in diversity.

Shri Ganesha

By - Kaivalya Dutta (age12)

I have drawn this artwork where Shri Ganesha is in Maa Parvati' lap. As any child seeks his/her mother's love and affection, so does the God even. Mighty Ganesha finds the utmost happiness in his dearest mother's proximity.

Narwhal’s rainbow dreams come true

By - Anahita Mitra (age 5)

Red Cardinal on a snowy night

By - Anay Mitra (age 8)

Nighttime sceneries

By - Anay Mitra (age 8)

Colorful Colors

By - Ishanaa Banerjee (age 7)

Red means danger like a way too big snake, Blue is the color of a pretty little lake, Green is grass or leaves from a tree, Peach is a color for the skin of me, Black is the color of N--O--thing, White is the color of everything, Orange is the color of a sunset that’s bright, Its when the sun can’t give more light, Yellow is the color of a sunflower, It blooms by the light of Sun power, Indigo is the color of a blueberry, Pink is the color of a raspberry, I know I will never forget, That lavenders are color violet, And I am just a newborn poet!!!

Living with a Rhino

By - Saranya Naik Zaveri (age 8)

There are holes in the walls, There are pillow feathers in the halls. The plates are shattered, The picture frames are battered. This is what happens when you live with a rhino. The stairs are clunked, The beds are bunked. The doors are smashed.

The potatoes are mashed.

This is what happens when you live with a rhino. Although my rhino is messy, he is my rhino. Although my rhino is destructive, he is my rhino. Although my rhino is disruptive, he is my rhino.

In the midst of it all, this is my rhino, my peculiar pet. And this is what I love about him.

I am cool,

ME… Saranya

By - Saranya N aik Zaveri (8)

Writing is delighting, I am not a fool, Imaginary, funny, and cool. so I go to school. I like to splash in the pool.

Smelly flowers give me powers, and help me climb tall towers. I like to watch movies, I don’t eat anchovies.

Otters are cute, they live deep down in I am tall, the tropical trut! not curvy and round like a ball.

And ice cream makes I like the snow, my face beam! the way it glows, You can see it below

I love painting, It is never daunting for me! I like books about crooks and hooks.

Fencing is my favorite sport, I always play a tournament with glee! Zebras are stripey, and they make me all hypey. This is me, and it will stay me I don’t like the forever. end of the day, because I have to put everything away.

By - Maya Arya Kundu (age 6)

By - Asha Kuriyan (age 8)

Landscape using oil pastel, water-color and oil paint.

Ginger Cat

By - Anooshka Sen (age 10)

My day out at the MET

By - Anooshka Sen (age 10)

I pushed my way through the crowd. They were all gathered around one specific spot, but I couldn’t see what the commotion was about. Ok, I should probably start from the beginning. I stepped out of the car and shut the door behind me. I caught up with my cousin and nudged her, she nudged me, I nudged her harder she nudged me harder. Then we looked away from each other, turned back and broke into giggles. We started walking down the streets of New York, skipping, and my legs were already getting strained just a few blocks from the parking garage. Imagine what would happen after a few hours. I looked around for anything eye-catching, when I saw two cats against the window of some apartment gazing at the street with very wide eyes. Most people wouldn’t find it to be that interesting, but to me seeing two cats is quite interesting. We reached and saw a wide stone staircase leading up to the grand pillars where the doorway stood. We carefully walked up the stairs and through the doorway where a group of people was waiting for checking in. This was the kind of place where you didn’t want to get lost.

We started with the ‘Egyptian Section’ but everything looked familiar. I was somewhat bored. My dad and I skimmed the section. We left my cousin browsing at her own pace, because it was her first time there. There was a lot of cool stuff on display. We reached a resting point and studied the map together. We walked around this section called ‘Sword and Armor’. It showed the evolution of swords and shields used in warfare over the ages. I walked through the doorway. It led to a massive room with glass art windows and an enormous gate. Around the room were sculptures on stands. I looked around. My stomach felt empty. It was probably lunch time. Time passes quickly here - I thought. I followed my dad down a staircase and into a cafe. I saw my cousin there and ran up to her. We all got our food and sat down at a table. My cousin and I shared a plate of sushi. She tried teaching me how to use chopsticks but for some reason I wasn’t getting it. I gulped my last piece of sushi and got up.

We then went to the ‘Greek and Roman Art Section’. There were giant sculptures. It was cool! I followed my cousin as she stood in this long line. We went into this room full of paintings and sketches. I later found out that they were paintings by Vincent Van Gogh (Comment : make sure if it was the Greek and Roman section; Van Gogh was a Dutch – French Expressionist Artist and would have been better be displayed in Dutch-French section!.). My cousin and I went to each painting together. At one spot there was a crowd and I couldn’t see what the commotion was about. As the crowd cleared up, I saw what it was. It was ‘The Starry Night’ - the real painting. There wasn’t any glass case protecting it for some reason but instead there were bars up to my waist for security reason! I had heard so much about it and couldn't believe it was right in front of me. Later that day my cousin told me it was a special exhibition about Van Gogh’s ‘Cypresses’ and the Met had brought in paintings from other museums and private collectors. I hung around for a while and then followed my cousin to the Asian section.

It was a large section and there were tons of sculptures. Time was running out quickly. I wanted to see the musical instruments. I saw some string, percussion, woodwind and brass instruments. I myself play the violin. So I wanted to see the special Stradivarius they had on display. It was nice, but I didn’t get much time to look at the instrument. There was only 5 minutes left before closing and everyone was rushing out. So, I followed and went out through the Exit. I met up with my cousin. She was digging in her knapsack and gave me a mint. She sneakily popped the mint into her mouth and I followed her. Then we skipped down the streets and this time, my legs were definitely tired.

By - Mireya Chakravarty (age 10)

Papa, you are very kind. You have a very strong mind.

Your heart is full of love, And you're as gentle as a dove.

Papa, you are very athletic, Which makes you energetic. You like to stay organized, Which keeps you prioritized.

Dear Papa, that is all I have to say, So why don't you have a great Father's Day!

By - Myeisha Chakravarty (age 10)

The person w ho changed m y life

By - Maya Stoker (age 13)

I would like to make a profound statement about the world and life. I would like to pretend that I know what I'm doing and that everything makes sense. However, I do not know much about the world or how it works and I spend every waking hour working to find ways to navigate through it.

Everyone's journeys are different and none is easy. One person's journey I look at and one person I look to when I feel lost is my grandmother. This is because her story is one of the most powerful ones I know.

Growing up the youngest child of a large family in India is certainly not easy. My grandmother had eight siblings. Four sisters and four brothers. There was a very large age gap between her siblings and her. Because her father died when she was less than four her brothers often acted as her father-figure in life. As for her mother and her, they had a very close relationship. My grandmother being the baby, she was all her mom was left with, with everyone gone. She was also very close with her sisters. Being a woman in the 50's where women had less rights and women in India had far lesser rights, she was expected to marry and become a housewife just like everyone else.

However, my grandmother had other plans. In her early-twenties she had an arranged marriage. Then in her mid-twenties she went against everything she had ever known and immigrated to America with her new husband. Immigrating was extremely hard. There were so many challenges, big and small. She had no idea what to do and knew nothing whatsoever. She did not know the language or culture or weather or even how to drive a car, count and do tasks as simple as grocery shopping. Knowing nothing, she decided just to do what she did best. Talk to someone. Being the people person she is she became very close friends with her neighbor, Connie. But, even with a friend there were many racial and gender boundaries. In the late 70's and early 80's there was a lot of prejudice and hate crimes against people who were different, and colored. Because of this she tried to hide parts of herself, and then eventually also parts of her kids, that were different. Immigrating also had many effects on her family life. Immigration was a rare opportunity and most certainly not expected or highly praised by her family. While they still loved her they became somewhat resentful towards her. Her children also had an interesting family dynamic due to being the first generation. They did not have relationships with their family members. My aunt and mother only had each other and their parents. Raising children without much knowledge or help could be extremely difficult. Especially, while trying to become accustomed to knowing things and trying to hide your true identity out of fear. However, like the strong woman she was, she pushed through and built a beautiful life for her husband, her kids, herself and eventually my brothers and me. My grandmother started from scratch and built a foundation for me and my family. This is one of the reasons I admire her. I strive to be like her in many ways as well. I strive to be as brave, kind, adventurous and just as problem solving as she was and still is. I strive to have the same caringness and tenderness that she has for everything in her path. I strive to build something as beautiful as she did that can be appreciated from generation to generation. My grandmother has taught me so much about the world. She has taught me how to take risks and chances, and has shown me that the

parts of myself that I may try and hide from other people are actually some of the best parts of me. She has taught me how to love others and I every day, and I strive to have the kind of life she built from nothing. I admire everything about her and love her with every fiber of my being. The things she taught me would stay with me forever and the time we spend will always save me from the bad of the world. I will always admire the way she makes people, including me, feel safe and comforted in a world that is big and scary.

Therefore, while I may not know much about the world and life, I do know something. One I will always have my grandmother no matter what and because of that I will never be alone on my journey. I have also learned from her and her story that I do not need to know much to make life great. No one starts out knowing things. It is not about what we do not know, it is about how much we are willing to grow and learn. My grandmother spent so much time learning and every day I strive to be like her and learn and grow just as much and maybe even a little bit more.

By - Anooshka Sen (age 10)

A Well Spent Summer Vacation

By - Auroni Sen (age 14)

In recent years, I have noticed that there has been a change in attitude towards school work among my peers, in the sense that my classmates are becoming more competitive. My school is fairly ambitious, and students or graduates from my school have gone on to receive countless honors and rewards. Because of this, the shift in academic preparedness of my peers has been a significant one. One of the ways this is noticeable is by the courses most of my school is taking. Everyone is competing to try and get the highest grades and be in the highest classes. This environment can be stressful for students, but at the same time can be encouraging and motivating.

Math has never been my strongest subject, and I used to dread it. I have had some tutors and tried out some math programs in the past, but nothing ever got me interested or confident in the subject. However, many of my friends were good at Math and were trying to take the highest Math courses they could. This made me want to elevate and push myself to try harder to see if I could succeed. So, when I heard about this opportunity to take a summer math course to move up a math level, I jumped at the chance and applied immediately. When I told my parents about my idea, they were hesitant to agree. They had never been overly concerned with my grades, and always trusted me to take courses that were right for me. They didn’t want to pressure me or overwhelm me with the competition. They told me that it was perfectly fine if I wanted to stay at my current math level, but I wanted to be with the majority of my peers in the higher level. I asked them to fill out the application and pay the fee, and eventually they agreed.

This was a 5- week geometry course. It was the whole year's math course, so every week we had 2 quizzes and 2 tests. Naturally, my parents were skeptical about me being able to keep up with the course, but decided there was no harm in my trying. They said anyway, it would be a good preview for next year. But I was determined, especially after I considered the fact that my parents were not totally confident about my abilities. I wanted to make the most of this opportunity.

During my time in this course, my phone had broken. I was devastated, because it was like my lifeline, and the only way I could communicate with my friends over the summer. So my parents and I made a deal that I would be able to get a new one if I successfully completed the course and moved up to Algebra 2 in 9th grade. In hindsight, I’m glad that this happened right before the course. As a result of this, I had to use my dad's old iPhone 6, just for me to communicate with my parents. I couldn’t download any form of social media on it, which I was disappointed about at the time.

A day for me in the course looked like this: I would wake up at 5:00 am, study my notes and get dropped off at school at 8:00.am I was in class until 11:00 am when I had 30 minutes to eat lunch, and had to return to class at 11:30 am and work until 1:50 pm when I got picked up. When I got home, I would take a break for an hour then study and do my homework until 11:00 pm, when I went to bed. In the beginning of the course, I had a little bit of time after class to go to swim practice, but as the material got harder, I had to skip practices to keep up with my work. On the weekends, I would try to get my work done as soon as I could, so I could spend the rest of the weekend with my friends.

There was no time in my schedule to scroll on social media, and because of this, I was able to step back and look at the bigger picture. Now when I’m on social media, I realize that I can notice myself getting distracted, and sometimes I can’t stop scrolling. Last year, this impacted my grades significantly, although I never admitted it because everyone would use social media. Now that I’m aware of this, I find that I spend a lot less time on social media and can recognize when I’m getting sucked in.

I had a few friends in my class, who, like me, had wanted to move up a level for the next year. While I was doing the course, my friends would ask me where I found the energy to spend half of my summer doing math, a subject which I openly despised. But surprisingly, I enjoyed it. It gave me something to do so I wasn’t bored at all over the summer. I occasionally got overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do, but it was never to the point where it was unhealthy. Having friends in the class really helped, because we all supported each other and helped each other learn. The last week of the course was hectic. We had 2 quizzes and the final at the end of the week. Taking the final was also a new experience for me. We were assigned a desk we had to sit at and were only allowed a pencil and a calculator. There was a multiple-choice section and an open-ended section, all for a total of 100 points. After turning in our tests, we were allowed to walk out and go home.

After the course was over, I noticed some habits that I took away from it. I got better at managing my time and creating a schedule for the amount of work I had to do balanced with other things. This is a skill that is especially useful in high school, and even beyond school. I also had to make tough decisions for my benefit and recognize my priorities, be it a decision to get off my phone and study or, stay home and finish my work, rather than going out with my friends. This also includes a decision to take a break when I need it. After a couple of weeks, the results came out and I found out that I had successfully completed the course to move up a level. Overall, this course proved to be beneficial for me in many ways, and I am glad that I decided to try it out. I feel very fulfilled.

After this ordeal, I still had a whole month of summer vacation remaining, which I enjoyed to the fullest. My mother had made it very clear that I would not look at a book for this month, only relax and enjoy. We even did our yearly trip to India in this time.

By - Anooshka Sen (age 10)

Two Suns

By - Soumyanil Jana (age 14)

It was a sunny morning, Blue skies everywhere, Making the space above the ground like an ocean. Buildings

Big and small, Short and tall, Making up the city of Hiroshima. It was August 6, 1945, And until now, The sun was shining on the city of Hiroshima.

Kids in school, Parents at work, WWII is still going on,. The city was living a Monday, So it was sure to be especially busy.

Despite how tiring and busy the day was, And how gruesome the world outside was, It was still beautiful in the city.

It was all peace and quiet,

All while the sun was shining on the city of Hiroshima.

Up in the sky, was a plane.

A Boeing B-29 Superfortress, or the Enola Gay, to be exact. An advanced bomber plane, With a crew of 12 members,

And the scariest, bone-chilling part was what the plane contained:

A nuclear bomb, known as the “Little Boy”, weighing 9,700 lbs., and has a force of 15,000 tons of TNT. One of the first of its kind.

While the sky above the city contained the biggest nightmare to ever exist, The sun was still shining on the city of Hiroshima.

At 8:15 AM, the end began. The bomb was dropped, and around 43 seconds later, It hit Hiroshima.

In an instant, 80,000 people perished. Another sun shone on the city of Hiroshima.

So many people and buildings vanished, to the point the city looked like an abandoned civilization, or perhaps like a torn, stained piece of clothing.

Debris covered the whole city, Like salt spilled on the dining table. The sky was full of clouds,

As well as radiation, So much that many more died due to the sickness caused by it.

It was a devastating, gruesome morning Clouds of smoke everywhere, Making the space above the ground like it was above a volcano Buildings

Tarnished and shattered, Crumpled and ravaged, Making up what was once the city of Hiroshima. It was still August 6, 1945, but now, The sun disappeared from the city of Hiroshima.

By - Sophie Sarkar (postgraduate)

Pandemic Days

By - Tiyasha Sarkar (age 17)

No more social gatherings. No more seeing the union of two people in love. No more attending quinceañeras and watching a young girl turn into a woman. No more dancing on the dance floor until feet get sore. No more in-person Thanksgiving parties filled with the smell of turkey and Indian delicacies. No more seeing people dressed in sarees and suits waiting in line for their turn to get food. No more hearing elders encouraging students to study hard for a strong future. No more Christmas parties and unwrapping gifts as a huge family. No more joint families. No more consoling hugs from aunts and uncles who care about the authenticity of the hug rather than the illusion of love.

No more seeing football and baseball stadiums filled with people cheering their teams and booing the competition. No more distinction between home and vacation. No more exhilarating evenings in the Big Apple. No more rushing around the bustling streets of New York City to catch a subway. No more rushing into New York City with the hopes of watching Hamilton in theater. No more seeing the beautifully lit-up skyline of the city that never sleeps. No more marching through the streets of Time Square to get to a “Nutz 4 Nutz” stall on the other end. No more people crammed behind fences in Time Square when the ball signals the arrival of the New Year.

No more air travel. No more getting excited to go on a 14-hour journey back home. No more getting on board and fighting with parents for the perfect seat: the window seat from which you can see the amazing castles created by the clouds and watch as the sun paints the sky with its breathtaking rainbow-colored rays. No more staring at the Sierra Nevada from high up in the sky. No more stalking people’s backyards and counting how many pools they have from thirty thousand feet in the sky. No more observing cities lit up in the night. No more staring down at the black abyss that separates me from my home. No more getting awoken by an air hostess offering me the option of veg, non-veg, or continental for dinner. No more binge-watching old television shows without the fear of being judged by other people’s gazes.

No more hiding from social media. No more hiding in society and constructing a fake persona for the web. No more having the option of chatting face to face without screens dividing. No more seeing the smiles of my classmates after hearing my obnoxious jokes. No more seeing the smiles of the extended family after a long time. No more going to school and walking beside friends. No more celebrating birthdays and hearing the celebratory cheers of loved ones. No more hearing the five-year-old in the backyard squealing in delight after learning he has a piñata filled with candy for his birthday. No more hearing the laser beam sound from laser tag guns at every early teenager's birthday party. No more laughing at inside jokes with friends after eating too many scoops of ice cream. No more having embarrassing trips and falls and getting laughed at by friends.

No more falling in love with new places, people, and things. No more being able to stop for a “quick minute” without wearing PPE. No more leaving the house without gloves.No more leaving the house without a mouth guard, preventing one from seeing faces. No more distinguishable representations of happiness…smiles.

No more “living” in those melancholic pandemic days. Now, we spend time “remembering” them.

The Fear of the Unknown

By - Shama Dinesh (age 23)

At one point in my life, everything seemed predictable - I knew who my friends were, I knew what I wanted to do the next day, and most of all, I knew myself. I never knew the comfort this knowledge brought me until I was deprived of it.

Every day I spend my time split between two worlds - my physical world where people see me, and my virtual space where I am a voice amongst millions of strangers- yet I never truly exist in either world. I hide away a part of my life behind a screen where I give a voice to my thoughts that exist without a face, while the person I am outside the screen remains voiceless and powerless. This division happened once I was struck with reality - that I do not know who I am. Am I the person who fights for her beliefs till the end, or am I the person who cowers away from a fight, afraid to displease another?

The fear of what lies ahead started grappling with my thoughts the second I realized the certainties in life I rely upon are truly not so certain anymore. Friends and family pass, power and influence are lost, beauty and confidence fades, knowledge and memories become forgettable- in the end everything that makes me human shall end up making me obsolete instead. When the very ground that you trust to tread upon crumbles into dust and leaves you falling into the abyss, what hope can you truly have?

When I try to think about the future, I cannot see one. It remains an endless hell-loop of ‘what-if’s’ and regrets that manifests itself, its voice growing louder and louder, feeding into the fear of uncertainty that I harbour. I do not know what tomorrow holds for me anymore. I do not know who I am anymore either. With every passing second, I hear the war cries of conflicting thoughts swallow the silence that rests deep inside my mind.

I write this, not as a reflection of my thoughts alone, but as a reminder- the one thing everyone in this world can be certain about is uncertainty. Irrespective of our social and economic standing, or our personal growth, we all survive the night and greet a new day with the same void of nothingness awaiting us as our ends draw near. We fear what lies ahead and try to make peace with the living and amends with the dead, for we are all lonely soldiers that must fight a battle with an enemy we do not know or desire to know. Afterall, is it scarier not knowing what lies ahead for us, or, is it scarier knowing exactly what awaits us at the end of this pointless charade?

A Big Hungry Cat

By - Maya Arya Kundu (age- 6)

Turning Pages

By - Shama Dinesh (age 23)

Turning the pages now, the rusting of the paper seems to mourn

Running my fingertips along its sides, stroking, forlorn

The stories escape to the beyond, breaking from their chains

The children with lovely laughter, the maidens with dark manes

The tales of joy and heartbreak do come to an end

The final chapter dawns at the close of a book opened

The lingering memory fades into the night unheard

The raven spreads its wings, shadowing the songbird

Heavy hearts filled with grief

Lost in the seas of relief

Dulled lights, dark minds

Blend with the shadows and shut the blinds

The skies remain dark, hues of blue breaking through

Heaven mourns the loss, tears of rain falling askew

Disposable, replaceable

You could never be invisible Incapable, despicable Trapped within, invisible

By - Maya Arya Kundu (age- 6)

Ten Years

By - Shama Dinesh (age 23)

Ten years further down the road from today

Gazing at the stars illuminating the midnight of May

The moon glows softly, its light breaking through the leaves

The air is still, quiet without the cries, as no one grieves

Ten years further down the road from today

This house stands empty, cold, when the skies turn grey

The pitter-patter of footsteps ceases to be heard

Evenings are silent yet loud, with sounds of a dying songbird

Ten years further down the road from today

The dying embers snatch my breath slowly away

Blood runs cold, emptied into the embrace of the raging flames

The void unrelentless, as you succumb to a sleep of eternal pains

By - Hanshit Dutta (age 8)

I love mountains, trees, and colors. I painted grey mountains with beautiful tall trees which are bursting with colors.

Celestial Joy: Durga Pujo in Kolkata’s Embrace

This poem has been written for all the souls celebrating this marvelous season away from home

By - Sreya Mukherjee (postgraduate)

In Kolkata’s heart, where the Ganga flows, Durga Pujo’s splendor in full grandeur shows.

A city alive with lights and sound, In this joyful carnival, we are bound.

Kolkata, the Queen of the East,

During Puja, she’s a jubilant feast.

Pandals arise in artistic delight,

In the city of joy, they shine so bright.

The Howrah Bridge, adorned in grace, Reflects the smiles on each devotee’s face.

Amidst the crowd, a fusion of sound,

The drums and cymbals, in harmony, resound. With every step down the crowded lane,

A myriad of colors, a vibrant terrain.

The scent of incense and flowers so sweet,

In Kolkata’s embrace, our hearts do beat.

In Kumartuli, where artisans toil, Creating idols from fertile soil.

Goddess Durga, so divine and fair, A masterpiece of love and artistic flair.

The street food vendors, a culinary delight, With savory and sweet, a tempting sight.

From phuchka to roshogolloa’s embrace, Kolkata’s food, a taste of grace.

In every heart, a joyous song,

In Kolkata’s pujo, we all belong.

A time of togetherness, spirit and cheer, Durga pujo in Kolkata, a celebration so dear.

Beneath the azure sky, we unite,

In the City of Joy, our spirits take flight.

Kolkata’s pujo, a feeling so true,

In its warm embrace, a happiness anew.

From the Ananda Mandir Priest

ডাঃ িবধানচ) রায়

।। িব ভাই ।।

ডাঃ িবধানচ* রায় " ধ-.ির " নােম খ2ািতলাভকেরিছেলন, িচিকৎসা জগেত <য িচিকৎসক তাঁর ?@া র বেল <রাগীর যথাথCিচিকৎসাকের মৃত E 2পথ যাGী <রাগীর আেরাগ2 এেন িদেতপােরন জনসমােজ িতিনই" ধ-.ির " Lেপ পিরগিণত হন । এইধ-.ির <ক ?

িতিন িক িচিকৎসক িছেলন? সংিPQ আেলাচনােত জানাই <য<দবাসুেরর সমুSমTন

কােল িতিন সমুS হেত অমৃতভাV হােত উXYত হন , এLপ ও?চিলত আেছ <য কমVলু হােত উYািপত হেল <সই কমVলুেত অমৃত িছল, ধ-.ির হেতই মেতC2

অমৃেতর আগমন ।

অমৃত িযিন[হণ করেবন িতিন িচরজীবী থাকেবন মৃত E 2 তােক [াস করেত পারেবনা এইেসৗ ভাগ2 লাভ পরম ধনলােভর সমতEল2 । মানুষ যখন আেরাগ2 লাভ কেরন তখন <সই আেরাগ2 লাভ পরম ধন ও <সৗভাগ2 এেন <দয় , মহাভারেত " আেরাগ2 লাভ "

<ক যুিধ^_র <`_ লাভ বেল আখ2া িদেয়েছন । ধ-.ির নােমর মেধ2 ধন কথা^ট আেছ

- সমুেSর মেধ2কার <ভষজ বা নানান সাম[ী জানেত হেব অমৃেতর ন2ায় কাযCকরী। " ধনেতেরসা " নােম িদওয়ািলর আেগ Gেয়াদশীর িদন <য পূজা হয় <সপূজা ধন ও <সৗভাগ2 কামনার পূজা । ধনেতেরসা পূজার সােথ ধ-.ির র নাম সdিকCত হেয়েছ । আeযC সূG খুঁেজ পাই যখন <দিখ <য "ধনেতেরসার "পর িদন ১৪ শাক ভPেণর রীিত,<য ১৪^ট শাক ভPণ করেত বলা হয় কিবরাজ<দর কােছ তা <যন এক এক^ট রh বা পরম ধন , এই ১৪ শাক একেG িমি`ত হেল ওসুিসiবা

পj হেল তা <দহমন পুk কের । আমরা পুরােণ <দখেত পাXl <য ধ-.ির

আয় ু েব C দ <ক ৮ ^টভােগ ভাগকেরিছেলন।ধ-.ির আয়েব C দেক ৮ ভােগ ভাগ কেরন তাঁর িnতীয় জেo , সমুS হেতআিবভূCত হেল িবpু বলেলন তEিম জল হেত উদ্ভূত এই কারেণ তEিম অr নাম খ2াত হেব , মহালPীও জল হেত জাত বেল অrা নাম <পেলন, যাই<হাক ধ-.ির িবpুরআিশেষ কাশীরােজরপুG িহসােব জo [হণ কেরন এবং ভরnােজর কাছ হেত আয়ূেবCদ িশPা লাভ কের িতিন আয় ু েব C দ শাsেক ৮ ^ট ভােগিবভt কেরিছেলন । চরকসংিহতা ধ-.ির র কথা উেuখ না করেলও হিরবংেশ তাঁরউেuখ আেছ এবং িতিন <রাগ িনরামেয়র <দবতা Lেপ বিণCত হেয়েছন । আয় ু েব C দ ?াচীন ভারেতর আিবvার । সকল ?কার ব2ািধ িনরামেয়র উপায় এই শােs আেলািচত হেয়েছ ।

!া#$ইস'দ

!সৗিম জানা (well-wisher)

!ছাটেবলায় ক+ নাম িছল আমার

আর !সইসব নােমর এক একটা গে5া

আমােদর বািড়েত একটা !ছা9 বাগান িছল

!লবুপাতা আর হংসরােজর গ?ভরা

এক টকেরা সবুজ রাজB

!সই বাগােন অেনক কাজ আমার

!বেছ !বেছ দেDা ঘাস !তালা িকংবা

মুেঠাভিতG জল এেন কচপাতায় জমােনা

!রাIর রঙা Kক আর দই িবনুিন

ভীষণ !ছাটাছOট আর কুিমরডাঙা l

সQাল সQাল বুেধার মা আসত

Oটেনর কSােন গTর দধ িনেয়

ওেদর দেটা ধবধেব সাদা গাভী িছল

বুেধার কাজ গT চড়ােনা

!গেটর ওধার !থেক হাঁক পারত

বুেধার মা, !গটটা !খােলা !গা !পাজাপিত

দধ খােব না ? নইেল বড় হেব িক কের ?

আমােদর পাড়ায় একটা [মOট !দাকান িছল

ওখােন ঝাল লেজ] পাওয়া !যত

সবুজ হলুদ খেয়ির কমলা আেরা কত

গােয় মাখােনা িমিহ িচিন [ঁেড়া

আর ওেত িছল আমার _থম `াধীনতার `াদ

পাঁচ দশ পয়সা জিমেয়

একাএকা !কনা ঝাল-লেজেনর

একিদন ইbুেলর পেথ !যেত !দখলাম

কারা !যন [মOটটা ভাঙেছ

cনলাম লেজন কাকু উeাf

তাই এক িভেট !ছেড় অনS িভেটয়

কাকু আমায় ডাকত বুলবুিল পািখ

বg কথা বলতাম !তা,তাই l

একটা সমেয় অেনক `i !দখতাম

ইয়া বড় হওয়ার `i ইbুেলর jাস[েলা পটাপট িডOঙেয়

য+ তাড়াতািড় বড় হওয়া যায়

তখন আর !কউ বকেব না

বড়রা অিফস !থেক িফরেল

মিণ িপিস বানায় ঠাlা সরবত

আহা সারািদন কােজর ধকল

একট mজিরেয় নাও িদিক l

আর আমার !বলা -

সDার কড়া শাসন

সারািদন !টােটা কের !ঘারা

পড়ােশানা লােট উঠেব নািক !

বািড়েত বানােনা নরম সেnশ

কাঁেচর !oেট সাmজেয় এেন

চেল িবিল !কেট আদর িদত

তখন মিণ িপিস

আবার রাগ !হােলা বুmঝ

তAিম !তা আমার মা সর`তী l

বড় কেব হেবা ভাবেত ভাবেত

একিদন সিতSই বড় হেয় !গলাম !

বুেধার মা, লেজন কাকু , মিণ িপিস

ওরা আর !কউ ডােকনা আজ

!পাজাপিত , বুলবুিল পািখ , মা সর`তী

সব নাম[েলা !কাথায় !যন হািরেয় !গেছ

তাই এখন আমার cধু একটাই নাম :

দায়বr l

Bitter Time

By - Anish Lahiri (age 17)

Media: graphite on paper, Size: 9 x 12. Description: Bitter Time is a drawing I made to visualize what all the time I have wasted throughout my life may look like as a human being. It turned out to be a disgruntled, wrinkled and bitter old man.

By - Jahar Basu (well-wisher)

Ananda Mandir Youth Group Magazine

Saradia Kisholoy

Kisholoy group is the youth group of Ananda Mandir. Any youth member of Ananda Mandir can join this group. If you are interested to join please send an email to Dipakksarkar@hotmail.com.