SBA Puja Magazine Vol. 4 - 2012 by Somerset Bengalis

www.somersetbengalis.org

Somerset Bengali

Welcome to the 2012 Saraswati Puja of the Somerset Bengali Association.

Association A Non-Pro it New Jersey Corporation www.somersetbengalis.org Email: somersetbengalis@gmail.com Vol. 4 - Annual Magazine EDITOR Aparajita Sen CONTENTS Welcome to the 2012 Puja ............. The Tahitian Dancer .......................... My Move to New Jersey ..................... Yeah, It’s Me! ......................................... A Simply Amazing Trip ...................... A Beautiful Day .................................... A Sunny Day .......................................... A Golden Jewel ...................................... White Pants and a Colorful Sari .... My Vacation in India ........................... Welcome to the Neighborhood ...... My India Trip ......................................... Winter Rocks ........................................ My Trip to Puerto Rico ..................... Radhanath Sikdar Bengali Hero ...... New Year’s Resolution ....................... The Lush Greenery ............................. Baguette, Germans & Medinipur .... The Taste of Kul .................................... I Remember ........................................... Dear Shasuri ........................................... Cultural Program .................................

3 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 11 12 12 15 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 23 24

COVER ART

A mosaic of Saraswati images. Photo of our own Thakur accompanied by sketches (clockwise) from local artists Arka Ghose, Ankita Sen and Aparajita Sen.

This year marks the ifth year of Saraswati Pujo Celebration by the Somerset Bengali Association. As we approach this milestone, we cannot but marvel at the way our association has grown during the past ive years. The number of families attending the Pujo has increased from a modest 48 families in 2007 to 160 families this year. Along with the attendees, have grown our memberships, sponsors and capabilities of hosting such events. Today, we extend our warmest welcome to all guests, participants and sponsors of the 2012 Saraswati Pujo. As you may have noticed, this year we have chosen a brand new venue to accommodate our increased number of attendees. Our cultural program, will showcase both local and commercial artists. Our feature artist this year is Darshana Menon – the US winner of the well-known Saregamapa talent show. We hope she will inspire all the budding artists in our community. As with every year, this event would not have been possible without the signi icant efforts put forth by many individuals in our community, and we would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the various committees, choreographer, directors, participants and guest performers. Our organization has been very active this past year, and we hosted a fun-packed summer picnic and a glittering Diwali party. We are also excited to embark upon a few initiatives like “Bangla School”, “Community Work”, and “Kids Activity Trips over Summer”, details of which will be announced later in the year. We are becoming tech savvy and have launched a Facebook site, in addition to our website. As with any growing organization, we welcome any support offered. You could support us by being a member and getting involved in many facets of our organization like technology (We still need a twitter account !), community out-reach or any other areas of your interest. Please contact any of the board members for a membership form. Again, thank you so very much for your continued support and hope you enjoy this year’s Saraswati Pujo. Please visit our website at www.somersetbengalis.org and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=132216136801243

Board of Trustees -

Sangeeta Bhattacharya Rina Roy Sarbashis Ghosh Amit Ray Sudip Chakraborty Somesh Choudhury Saurav Ghosh 3

www.somersetbengalis.org

Somerset Bengali Association Saraswati Puja - January 2012 Of iciating Priest: Arijit Chatterjee Event Manager: Sanchoy Das Puja Arrangements: Molly Chowdhury, Lopa Das, Mausumi Majumdar Cultural Committee: Sharmila Ghosh, Amit Ray, Parna Ghosh Food Committee: Kallol Ghosh, Rajyasri Das, Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay, Nabanita Chakraborty, Nazneen Rahim, Anupam Saha Finance: Sarbashis Ghosh, Sudip Chakraborty Guest Relations & Registration: Saurav Ghosh, Somesh Choudhury, Kallol Ghosh Facilities Management: Dipak Roy, Subrata Roy, Amit Ray, Chanu Das, Prasun Chowdhury, Sumit Sen

Diwali Party - November 2011 Event Manager: Amit Ray

Summer Picnic - July 2011 Event Manager: Soma Choudhury Thanks to the many volunteers who made these events a success

Grand Patrons We would like to thank the following for their sponsorship of the 2012 Saraswati Puja

George & Molly Abraham Jayadratha & Tandra Bhowmick Sudip & Nabanita Chakraborty Chanu & Lopa Das Saurav & Sharmila Ghosh Sarbashis & Sudakshina Ghosh Somnath & Nazneen Mitra Krishnenedu & Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay Amit & Aparajita Ray Sunith & Prashanthi Roy

Chandrajit & Devi Bhattacharya Arijit & Baishali Chatterjee Prasun & Manjari Chowdhury Sanchoy & Rajyasri Das Kallol & Parna Ghosh Tamal Majumdar Santosh & Ambalika Mukherjee Nilotpal & Shubhechha Paul Anup & Soma Rakhit Sumit & Sharmistha Sen

www.somersetbengalis.org

The Tahitian Dancer - Ria Mukhopadhyay "Ready for take off', the pilot said. The sun was setting on a December day in Honolulu, I gazed out of the window and thought, "How mesmerizing the last four days were in this far away island". The lights were slowly dimming in the aircraft, so I made myself comfy and drifted off to sleep. "THUMP!", " What was that ", I thought as I awoke from my nap. "We have landed!", the pilot said. Then suddenly I realized that I was in the Polynesian center. But something was different, I was not in the audience, but I was in the show! "Are you ready" a woman dressed in yellow asked me. I did not know what she was asking me, so I looked around, and saw six loats, each loat had a name of a Polynesian island, and everybody on the loat dressed in the same color. Now, I tried to igure out which island I was from. Tonga?, No , they were wearing red, Fiji, no they were all wearing Magenta., New Zealand? no, they were wearing purple, Samoa?, no they were wearing green, Hawaii? No, they were all wearing blue, Tahiti, no they were....wait a minute, they were all wearing yellow, and so was I. So I was from Tahiti! Time for the loat, someone said. First came Tonga, then New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, and inally it was time for Tahiti. We were in the middle of the stream, with crowd surrounding, and I did not know what to do. I stared at the dancers next to me on my loat, they were all doing the Hula dance, so gracefully. I tried the Hula, but kept falling down. The crowd was going from "Yeah!" to a "Boo!". How embarrassing! Luckily it was time for the inale, as I saw all the boats gathering in the center of the stream from under the bridge. It was time for photos, I stood as still as I could imagining I was one of the British Royal Guards. After the photos, each loat turned around to go back. Tahiti was the last one to go so, they stayed longer. All of a sudden, the loat started shaking, it felt like an earthquake. Everything around me was shaking and then with a hard THUMP, it stopped. Wow! I thought, let's get back to our dressing rooms! But I looked up to see my mom asking me to put on my shoes. "Wake up, sleepy head, we have reached the Kona airport!" I looked back at the woman behind me, she was dressed in yellow, and gave me a grass skirt and a lower. "You left this behind" she said with a twinkle in her eye.

My Move to New Jersey - Prajit Kundu VROOOOM went Bowserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off-roader on the TV screen. Rishav (my friend) was playing Mario Cart on the Wii at his house in Frisco, Texas. I watched as his vehicle zoomed around a sharp bend with no railings in the course. My family and I were invited to his house to eat dinner because we were moving to New Jersey and the moving truck had already taken our stuff. I had a lot on my mind. Would New Jersey be a good place? Would my friends here remember me? Would I go to a good school? And who knows if I would make good friends? But I had to save those thoughts for later because it was time to have dinner. After we ate, we went to a hotel to sleep. Early the next morning, we headed to the airport to take a plane to New Jersey. The trip was long. I probably fell asleep. Once we got our luggage we rented a car. We went to another hotel. They had good food and games there. We spent most of our time watching TV, playing computer games or eating. We also went out a lot to look for houses to rent or buy. During the house search, we transferred to yet another hotel. After a lot of searching we (my parents) decided to rent a house in Bridgewater. We stayed in the hotel for most of the day but after dinner we went to our house and slept in our makeshift bed made out of blankets and pillows. Soon our stuff came and we moved into our house for real. It took a long time for most of my questions to be answered. As it turns out, New Jersey is a good place. I have good friends and I go to a good school called Milltown. And even though I am not in Texas anymore, my friends remember me. I guess my move was fun after all. 7

www.somersetbengalis.org

Yeah, It’s Me! - Aditi Roy Bark, bark goes a dog, as loud as thunder. He stops at the temple door, barking at everyone who comes in. I race to the closed door now that the dog is gone. I go down the stairs to the shoe room where I open my shoes with blue sparkles. I put them in the only space left in the sparkling white rack and rush to see where my mom is. The hall was now as crowded as people lining up for free things. I see my mom waving, signaling me just like a red flag signaling a train to stop. I walk slowly up to her and we enter the gods’ room. Once we enter the brightly decorated gods’ room,we get in line as long as a railroad track. There we touch the gods’ feet as lovely as a rose with soft pink petals. We all offer a white flower to one of the gods. Then we walk over to a table and get a banana. My banana is as mushy as mashed potatoes. We all sit down on the rug, as soft as a puppy. Now we can eat our bananas. Me and my sister Rishika pretend our bananas are swords. “Bhajans are going to start,” my dad tells me. I go and get a bhajan booklet for me, my dad and my mom. The bell rings and the prayers begin. Once the bajans begin, the temple feels like Santas’ workshop. Everyone is singing or dancing along to the music. The music goes on for almost an hour. I can’t believe we have to sing so long. Now it is time for the raffle to see who gets to sing into the microphone. “And the winner is …ADITI”. What? it’s me! I run as fast as I can to the stage. There I grab the microphone and start singing. Now I feel like I am Santa in my workshop, with everyone as my elves. The temple door is now wide open because as soon as bhajans end, the rush hour in the hall begins.

A Simply Amazing Trip

A Beautiful Day

Sunit Chakraborty

Aditi Roy

In December I went to India during the holidays. I met my grandparents, my cousins and many uncles and aunts in New Delhi and Kolkata. I also went to see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in Agra. In Agra I went to the marble factory to see how marble carvings are done using different colored stones like onyx, coral, mother of pearl etc. The artisans showed us how they do the carvings on marble pieces using a chisel, the same way they were done on the walls of Taj Mahal hundreds of years ago. In Agra I saw many animals such as monkeys, cows, camel and bull in the streets and in the fort garden. My favorite vehicle in India was the auto... It is a three wheeler with no doors and windows, and with no seat belt! It goes fast and can go into any narrow road. I also enjoyed all the different kinds of food in the food court of the malls. In short, the trip was simply amazing! 8

La la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la It’s such a beautiful day It’s windy and nice Good to fly kites Oh lets go out and play La la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la Oh lets go out and play It’s such a beautiful day Look at the trees and flowers Looks like there might be showers Oh such a beautiful day!

www.somersetbengalis.org

A Sunny Day - Ankita Sen The sun is drifting down to the bottom of the spinning green-blue earth. The sunset re lects all its colors onto the turquoise water. The grass is dancing and lowing with the blowing, breathing wind. The sun is blazing with burnt orange ire. Mahogany trees sway side to side with the lowing breeze. Night is close. We still have time to tell this wonderful, magni icent poem.

A Golden Jewel Shruti Roy Bright as the sun, in the night. Glowing like a star, just so bright. The moon come out, gleaming like gold. A giant jewel, made out of mold. It goes to sleep, on the river. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do as much, as a little shiver Bright as the sun, in the night. Glowing like a star, just so bright. 9

www.somersetbengalis.org

White Puffy Pants and a Colorful Sari Trisha Ghosh Do your grandparents live super far away? Mine do and it's really annoying because I only see them once in a while. When I visit them, I get very happy and I'm glad to see them. My grandparent's house is my favorite place to be. As soon as I go up the elevator, I see funny looking iron bars because the elevator is old fashioned. Then I see Grandma and Grampa. I call them Dadu and Dida which means the same in Bengali. Grandpa always wears white puffy pants and a white T-Shirt, and grandma always wears a colorful sari. Grandpa always sits on the polka dotted couch in front of the tiny TV that's as small as a window. Grandma's normally in the kitchen with the pot that's as loud as a train whistle telling a deer to get off the track. I always have to wait for the TV because Grandpa can use the TV for hours, so I watch Tom and Jerry in the guest bedroom. Did I tell you how much my Grandma loves to cook? She's always in the kitchen, so I have to wait but it's worth it. When I go outside of their house, I see the parking lot. It's as white as a sheep's wool right when it's cut. Then I see the big gate. It looks just like the bars in front of the elevator only much bigger. Open the gate and I see cars ,buses and taxi cabs. It's as loud as the whistle during recess. There are also mini-looking cars called Autos which look like big black carriages. The steering wheel is straight with a bunch of buttons and it's got no door, so I'm not allowed to sit on the outside When I go to India, I eat tons of yummy food. The best of all is my Grandma's cooking. She's got recipes that make her cooking special. I love to help and the kitchen is so tiny. She knows me so well--she cooks my favorites everyday! There are also great restaurants too, but they're not as good as my Grandma's cooking. Across the street, there's a candy stand with a bell as shiny as a queen's crown. Caramel is my favorite candy. It is as sweet as freshly made honey from a bee. Soon it's time to go. I give a great big hug to my Grandma and Grandpa. I can't wait to come back next year.

www.somersetbengalis.org

My Vacation in India Shreya (Tua) Ghosh I am a very lucky girl! I visited my family in India for the winter holidays. We packed our suitcases, dropped our dog Sandi off at Camp BowWow and drove to the airport. After a long seventeen hour light, we landed in Kolkata. I was very excited to see my family. My uncle and grandma came to the airport to pick us up. When we reached home, my cousin Anvita was very happy to see me. We unpacked our suitcases, took a shower and ate breakfast. Then I played with my cousin the whole day. In the afternoon we took a nap together. The next day my little cousin Aleya had her rice eating ceremony. She was dressed in a red saree and ate rice for the irst time. I took photos of my dad feeding her rice and other food. Her brother Avi was surprised at all the food that was put in front of Aleya. My cousins and I played games, painted pictures and read books together. We had to visit a lot of family. I was excited and everyone was happy to see us. We ate a lot of good food at their houses. My favorite foods were pulao, luchi, goat meat curry, ish kebabs, biryani, rosogolla and sandesh. I met all my cousins and played with them. My uncles, aunts and grandparents gave me a lot of gifts. I got chocolates, dresses, jewelry, books and games. We went to the Bakery Carnival at the Calcutta Club. I got my hands painted, played games, ate candy loss, watched the magic show and had lots of fun. One afternoon I went to a children’s party at the Bengal Club. Santa Claus came to give gifts to young children like me and Anvita. Anvita and I took part in the fashion and talent shows. We played a bowling and a ishing game. Both of us played group games with other children. We were partners in a relay race and ate snack over there. We both got bracelet-making kits from Santa. It was an enjoyable day for the two of us. We went to Santiniketan for two days. It was a long trip by car. We stopped on the way to eat samosas and “langcha”. We visited the fair called Poush Mela. There was singing and dancing in the mela. My parents did some shopping and I got some toys. On Christmas day, Anvita and I opened our gifts. We found the gifts under our Christmas tree that we had decorated together. I got playdoh, a helicopter, arts and crafts kits and books. After that we all went to Tollygunge Club for our Christmas lunch. There was a live band playing my favorite Christmas songs. We also played on the slide and swings. In the evening my grandma took us to a restaurant for dinner. I went to my dad’s school where some of his friends had come to meet after many years. My friends Uma and Gauri were there too. Our dads went to the same school. I made new friends and we played many games out there. I had lots of fun in India. Sometimes my cousin and I played the piano together. We played tricks on our grandparents together. My grandparents took us for a ride on a horse-drawn carriage at the Maidan opposite the Victoria Memorial. There were two horses that pulled our carriage and went clip clop. It was a bit of a bumpy ride. I love India because my cousins are there and I get to play with them whenever I’m there. I really enjoy spending time with my family there because they love me so much. It was a wonderful trip and I would love to visit again soon. 11

www.somersetbengalis.org

Welcome to the Neighborhood! Shreyan Das Do you know about a place where there are speedy, zippy dragon lies, loud cars and yippy yappy happy dogs? No? Well, it’s my neighborhood, my favorite place. My neighborhood is sometimes as quiet as a waiting alligator, ready for its prey. Sometimes it’s as loud as traf ic in the city, with all the cars having no manners and honking recklessly. Even if it’s too loud or too quiet, I like it. I haven’t tried counting how many houses there are in my neighborhood. It’s so long that my legs hurt once I walk the length of it. There are roads going out of my road, like reservoirs from a river. There is a cul-de-sac at the end of my road. The houses surround me like a military raid! At the end of my road, at the cul-de-sac, I have three friends. Andrew,Sanya and Pooja . Andrew is an 8th grader. He goes to Bridgewater Middle School, which is the nearest school to us. He has a pet dog named Brady. She’s a poodle and she’s so cute! She yaps like a crazy windup toy. Andrew often carries her around. Sonya is in the 4th grade .She goes to Cram school which is not far away. I like to compare our lives and we end up chuckling and chasing each other. Our Wii games are alike and we both like to play with them. Pooja on the other hand is as an excited dolphin at the zoo when I meet her. She has a sister Diva who is really funny. I like to play badminton and like to hear that “poppity-poppity” of the shuttlecock and the badminton racket hitting each other. There are so many things to do in my neighborhood. I like to walk and in addition to badminton, I like to roll down the steep, bumpy ‘hill ‘that leads to the road. The bumps are a few inches high- very lonely because there is no grass on them-and it makes me ly up in the sky like a bird, soaring and spinning in the clouds. The steepness of the hill comes only on one side of the neighborhood. It makes me go as fast as a black swift migrating across the lands, everything whizzing by. Taking a walk gives me exercise. I see lots of dragon lies in the afternoon and when I pass they form a cloud as if to say “hello”. I wave to them back as they do their frolicking. I love to do all these things in my neighborhood! So there-I‘ve answered a rhetorical question and explained it. Now it’s your turn. Want to come over? Yay! Come on!

My India Trip Trina Ghosh I went to India during Christmas last year. It was a very long light that took 14 hours to reach Mumbai. I could not wait to see my friends and families in India. We were received by Boro Dadu and Dida, they are my Mammy’s Uncle and Aunt. The next morning they drove us to meet my Mamu and Mami in Pune. I met my second cousin Jia. We played in the park and had lots of fun. We went to a book store and bought some Indian story books. Later we had dinner at China Room. The next day we drove back to Mumbai. That evening we met few of our family friends who invited us for dinner, we had luchi and mansho. Next morning we lew out to Kolkata to meet my Dadu Dida, who were waiting to see us. My Dida made lots of yummy food for me like luchi and alu bhaja. My favorite food is luchi and misti. My Dida and Dadu were celebrating their 50th anniversary. We had arranged a small party to celebrate the event. We got to meet lot of our relatives and friends. I got to be the greeter, giving roses to men and garlands to all the women. My sister Trisha and my cousin Shohini also helped to distribute lowers and goody bags. I was very sad leaving India and hope I would return soon to meet my grandparents again. It was time to leave the house and I sadly said goodbye to everybody and left for the airport with my family. 12

www.somersetbengalis.org

Winter Rocks Prajit Kundu The thing I like most about winter is that school is out for eleven days. The break helps me spend time with my family, open presents and play video games. Four days before the break is my birthday (which is on December 19th). This year I got a Nintendo 3DS and LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars game. The games actually appear in 3D and you don’t need 3D glasses! Christmas (which is on December 25th) is on the third day of the break. We decorate the house with a lot of lights. Even the Christmas tree has lights. My mom, Pranita (my three year old sister) and I have fun putting the ornaments on the tree. The star makes the tree bend a little at the top. My dad ixed it and told us not to touch the Christmas tree. On Christmas morning we were all shocked at what we saw. There were a lot of presents under the tree and in the stockings! And I had the most gifts. Last year on Christmas in Frisco, Texas we had a lot of snow (which doesn’t happen very often in Texas because it’s really hot there). We made a gigantic snowman in the front yard of our house in Texas. We put a scarf around its neck, put in sticks for its arms and stones for its eyes and mouth. We also put my dad’s baseball cap on its head. Pranita and I love to throw snow in the air and watch it slowly fall to the ground. Sometimes I throw snow over Pranita. She laughs as the snow land on the hood of her winter coat. I also like to throw snowballs at my dad. I show Pranita how to make and throw snowballs. Pranita’s snowballs don’t hit my dad. My dad takes notice of the snowballs pretty quickly. Soon there’s a big snowball battle between me and my dad. Since none of us have any protection we are open to be hit by our opponent’s snowballs. My dad doesn’t throw snowballs at Pranita because she’s young but he throws them at me! We also made snow angels. Mine didn’t look good. After a while we went inside our house and enjoyed a cup of delicious hot chocolate with sweet marshmallows. If I could give winter a grade, this would be the grade: A+.

My Trip to Puerto Rico Atreyee Ghosh One sunny day last November I was ready to go on my trip to Puerto Rico. I ate and dressed very quickly and soon it was time to go. I was very excited to see a new place and my BFF Alicia who was going to meet us there. We drove to the airport in an hour. Soon our light boarded and we took off. We reached Puerto Rico at 5:00 pm and went to the resort. It was too late to do anything that evening except for going to the resort pool. The two most awesome things about the resort were the pool and the resort beach. The weather in Puerto Rico was very funny as it was sunny sometimes and would rain the next minute. One of the days we went to the El Yunque Rainforest and walked on a long trail to see a beautiful waterfall. While in the rainforest we heard Coqui frogs croak all the time. Another day we went to old San Juan and saw beautiful forts, castles, and houses. The next day we went to see the bio-luminescence at Vieques Island at night on a ferry. They are little creatures that glow under the water at night. It was the coolest thing ever! On the last day we went on a ferry to Flamingo beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world. Alicia and me built sand castles and rode the waves. I loved the beach. Once we got home from the trip, I said “That was the best trip ever. I loved it”

www.somersetbengalis.org

Radhanath Sikdar: A Forgotten Bengali Hero Tapan Bhattacharya Radhanath Sikdar was born in Calcutta in 1813. He was considered a child prodigy. He did his early schooling at “phiringee” Kamal Bose’s school and joined Hindu College ( now, Presidency College) for his higher education at the age of eleven. There, he came under the in luence of two of his teachers, Henry V Derozio and the mathematics teacher, Dr John Tytler. Derozio, who is known as the father of the Young Bengal Movement was a irebrand leader inspiring freedom of thought and revolt against the age-old norms and prejudices of Hindu society. His band of young Bengali’s, who were known as Derozian’s many of them, later became pillars of Bengali society, included RamGopal Ghosh, Ramtanu Lahiri, Peary Chand Mitra and Radhanath Sikdar. Out of all his contemporaries, Radhanath was the only one who pursued a scienti ic education. He became the star student of Dr Tytler. He also studied Physics, including reading Newton’s “Principia”, a ground breaking work on the principles and laws of Physics. The development of a probing mind combined with a robust physique, made Radhanath an ideal candidate to be recommended by Dr Tytler to the Surveyor General of India as one of its youngest employees in 1831. He was 18 years old. The Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS), one of the most ambitious scienti ic projects in the World was underway during this period. Its of icial name was ‘The Great Indian Arc of the Meridian’. Its purpose was not only to accurately measure the subcontinent of India but also compute the precise curvature of the globe. This project was started in 1800 and was conceived by William Lambdon, the irst Surveyor General. The project had started in the southern tip of India and by 1831 had moved to the Northern Plains and the Himalayas (which in Sanskrit means ‘the abode of the snows’). This northern phase of the project had gotten very complex requiring ‘arcane calculations’ and ‘mind boggling recalculations’. It was stated that at a certain point it involved 9,320 unknowns and equations of sizes which had never been solved, before. This was a dream come true job for young Radhanath. For the Himalayan phase of the GTS, a separate of ice was opened in Dehra Dun, in the Himalayan foothills of Northern India. Though Radhanath was initially posted to one of the ield survey camps, because of his ‘number crunching genius’, he was quickly brought back to Dehra Dun as the “Computer”. He was irst Indian to be inducted to this position of rank. George Everest the then Superintendent of the GTS quickly recognized the genius of his young employee. His ability to create mathematical formulae from irst principles and using astronomical methods in geodetic surveys, so moved George Everest that in 1838, he said the following about Radhanath: “……..there are few in India whether European or Native that can all compete with him. Even in Europe these mathematical attainments would rank very high”. In 1851, Radhanath was promoted to “Chief Computer” of the Survey of India and moved to its headquarters in Calcutta. During this period, he devised formulae for geographical positions and altitudes of snow peaks observed from distances of over 100 miles using trigonometrical survey methods. While working with this data, he discovered that one of the Himalayan peaks designated in the survey as peak XV, which was higher than any other peaks he had measured so far! By this time, George Everest had returned to England and his position as Surveyor General of India was taken by Col A.S. Waugh. The Chief Computer reported his discovery to Waugh. This discovery was not publicly announced for a few year’s, until the Government was sure that peak XV was not only the highest peak in the Himalayas but the highest peak in the world. Though, George Everest had decided that all peaks in the Himalayas would be named after native or ‘local’ names, Waugh decided to break tradition and decided to name peak XV after his former predecessor, “Mount Everest!” Over the next several years of service, many other geodetic and meteorological discoveries are attributed to Radhanath Sikdar.

www.somersetbengalis.org

New Year’s Resolution Anindita Dhar The ball drops from Time Square as they all count down to bring in the New Year!! Hugs, kisses, handshakes, tears of joy, celebrations, every continent has the same emotions of joy. New beginning for some and new lease on life for others, some want to put their sorrows of a lost one behind, while others have anticipation of bringing new life into the world. Year after year we share the same emotions we share our happiness and sorrows among our friends and family. It is a time for re lection, rejuvenation. No matter where you stand on this earth you have completed 365 revolutions around the sun. It seems an eternity or a blink of an eye depends how you want to see it. Time does not stand still and as we rejoice and bring in the New Year the earth does not stop to let us hold this moment. It is tirelessly revolving round the sun.

Only you can hold this moment this feeling and this joy. Yet as the moment passes you realize it is just another day. Nothing has changed. So in that vain was the birth of New Year’s resolutions. We want to change be better make a difference. There is slue of resolutions. Here are some of the common ones: •

I want to lose 10 pounds. (no time line it could be an eternity)

•

I will work out everyday (NOT)

•

I will try to be more harmonious with my signi icant other. (If you have not had a harmonious relationship yet? Why bother)

•

I will give up alcohol ( Really? Until the next party)

•

I will eat healthy (Until the next restaurant meal) Here’s the biggest one

•

I WILL STOP SMOKING!!!!

It may last a week and may be two for some, and then we hear a resounding echo where ever we go. “New Years Resolutions are meant to be broken”. I disagree; a promise made is a promise to keep weren’t we taught to keep a promise? Are we not supposed to be the man of our words? Is that not the de inition of integrity? If so, then why do we break the promise to ourselves? In conclusion, let it not be the beginning of the year to make a change. Make a difference in your life if you know that you can follow through the promise to yourself. We as Hindus’ have learnt to live a disciplined life and do everything in moderation. If we follow our ancient teaching we would not have to make promises that we would not be able to keep. Let us not make any more New Years Resolutions. Just try to be a good person and live a clean life everything else will fall into place. “A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline” … Harvey Mackay → Contd from Page 10:

However, in true Imperial tradition, Radhanath’s discovery and genius was never recognized by the British. He retired from service in 1862. He devoted his later years to important social causes of his day, campaigning against child marriage, widow remarriage and woman’s education. Along with his Derozian friend Peary Chand Mitra, he founded a Bengali journal, Masik Patrika, focused on the education and empowerment of woman. Radhanath who had resisted his own marriage to a child bride in his youth, remained a bachelor all his life. He died on May 17, 1870 at the age of 57 in his house by the side of the Ganga River, in Gondalpara, Chandanagar, outside Calcutta. 17

www.somersetbengalis.org

The Lush Greenery - Shoumyo Archit Chakravorti #1 - “Types of Trees” – Free Verse Trees are usually tall, But they can also be small; Some trees don’t grow very high, But sequoia trees can reach the sky! While some trees are supple, Some trees are brittle; There are also a variety of trees, With a variety of leaves. #2 “Noisy Trees” – Haiku “Swish, swish”, go the trees, While they whistle with their leaves, Trees can make noise with ease. #3 “Trees in Description” - Concrete Noticeable, harmless large shady woods Leaves, tall, quiet, hard Thick, rustling, able to be cut #4 “A Rainforest” – Formula Tall green objects, Swishing of trees, The smell of dew from leaves, The watery taste of dew, Rainforests are beautiful and peaceful. #5 “Herbs” – Limerick Herbs have medicinal value, Medicines are taken by you, Herbs are really small, And easy to maul, Herbs can only be found by you! #6 “Harmless Trees” – Cinquain Trees Tall, green Swishing, whistling, rustling, In the middle of the forest, Harmless. #7 Tropical Rainforests – Diamante Rainforests Dark, scary Swishing, rustling, darkening Creepy rainforests, exciting tropical forests Relaxing, enjoying, exciting Beautiful, lush Tropical forests

#8 “Pine Trees” – Free Verse Prickly, pointy, pine trees are my favorite trees, Because they are tall, Because they sound like they’re whispering, Because they could also be small, Because pine trees have layers of leaves towering, The best thing that I like about pine trees is that they have pointy and prickly leaves. #9 “Deforestation” – Free Verse Tree, O Tree, why are you so sad, Seeing you like this makes me mad; The rest of the forest isn’t unhappy, But seeing you like this doesn’t make me happy; Maybe people should stop deforestation, That would probably give you a happy animation. #10 “Soil Erosion” – Free verse How bad is soil erosion? Really bad if it stops trees from growing in succession; Trees can be destroyed if they are uprooted, Although that is how it started; Firstly, forests are cut down, Drying up the soil in which their roots can drown; After that, the rivers nearby over low, Preventing trees nearby to grow. #11 “How to Decorate Your Garden” – Free Verse Do you know how to decorate a garden? Well, you only sometimes need precision; Firstly you have to make sure that your garden is covered in grass, Which people usually don’t decorate with something made of brass, As for the grass, you should cut it short and low, And you should mow the grass by every alternative row; Plant a few lowers on the edges of your garden, but don’t make the number of lowers too less, So that your garden doesn’t look that colorless! #12 “Rain as a Reward” - Free Verse (Metaphor) There once was a forest, Where the plants couldn’t rest, As it didn’t rain for a long time, Even lime trees couldn’t produce lime; Then the trees thought from the deepest part of their brain, “We must make most use of the very little rain,” Although they couldn’t use iltration, They had to use dirty soil for germination; The plants planted their best seeds in the soil, And soon came along saplings that still couldn’t toil; When they could, the trees worked with the saplings, Like chickens with cut heads, through mornings and evenings; Soon, with enough plants, the forest could summon rain, With all their hard work and pain.

www.somersetbengalis.org

At Chyten, we partner with parents and students to find the best answers to every question. All of our tutors have a Masters Degree or PhD, and experience as an educator. We offer the expertise, strategies and resources to ensure that your child performs up to his or her potential.

LOCATIONS: Anandamandir (Somerset, NJ) Morristown, NJ

For enrollment & Information please contact: (973) 984-3605 (973) 981-1887 Email: mitapd@yahoo.com

www.odissidancenj.com

www.somersetbengalis.org

Baguette, Germans and Medinipur Prasun Chowdhury “The procession was growing larger. At its head is this elderly lady with erect posture, walking with bold steps and waving a home-spun national lag. Police has formed a barricade and was using a hand-held microphone to ask the protesters to halt immediately. The lady increased her pace. The police were getting restless. They gave a inal warning, but Matangini Hazra was unruf led. The police started iring. A bullet hit Matangini in her chest. She fell down on the road with blood all over her, but the lag was still in her hand.” With that, Anthony Hazra made a dramatic hand movement, buried his head on his hands on the teacher’s desk and dozed off with his right hand sticking out in the air holding an imaginary lag. We were dazed by the pace of the story, the stunning inale and the inal lourish. Is he doing alright? Has he fallen unconscious? Maybe, in a coma? If that happens, we will be a bit upset, but on the brighter side, we will not have the Friday History test. Is there a real possibility for that? As we were pondering such major philosophical questions aloud, Anthony Hazra slowly raised his head. He looked at us, glanced at his half-raised right-hand and took off his glasses with a slow, deliberate movement. He started cleaning his glasses on his shirt sleeves. There was a dramatic silence. Suddenly, he stood up in a military fashion. He extended his hand and blurted out, “As the French resistance groups were running out of bullets, they made a last-ditch attempt to take out the advancing Germans with their bayonets.” We were speechless. Did Matangini hide a bayonet inside her lag pole? Did she secretly join the French resistance? Did she actually have baguette for breakfast instead of “muri”? She was leading this procession in Medinipur district taking on the British police. How did the Germans reach there? Was there a secret alliance between Germans and British for taking over France and Medinipur? “We were in Medinipur district in Bengal, how did that become a battlefront for the French and the Germans?”, blurted out an unfortunate soul in the classroom. There was a momentary silence and immediately three students rushed to Anthony Hazra with three wooden rulers. It was customary for Anthony Hazra to ask for three rulers from the students to punish an errant student. We came to anticipate that and all of us took much pleasure in providing this weapon of mass destruction to him at the slightest opportunity. What can be more delightful than seeing a friend being thrashed with spectacular lourishes? As he was positioning for the assault, a classmate wondered aloud “Is Matangini Hazra Anthony Hazra’s grandmother? Is that why he is so upset that her grandmother ate escargot for lunch?” The raised hand stopped mid-air. Anthony Hazra quickly turned around and saw this kid trying to make a getaway through the side door of the classroom. He dropped the rulers and we started cheering. It is going to be an exciting chase. It is a win-win. We will either see our friend outrun Anthony Hazra or witness some spectacular violence. Our day is made.

www.somersetbengalis.org

The Taste of Kul Rajat Dhar On this day of Saraswati Puja thoughts and recollections of growing up in Patna, Bihar, India comes to mind. The largest gathering for this Puja was always at The Prince of Wales College of Medicine where my father was an attending professor of medicine. On this day all attending physicians, training residents, interns, medical students, and members of the house staff would gather to offer their prayers and thanks for what they were, professionals in the ield of health care in the service of mankind in one of the most destitute states in all of India at least in the 1960s. They would offer as prasad a fruit by the name of Kul. From what I recall it had an ascerbic taste. No matter how long it was allowed to ripen the nature of this fruit was to never lose its tannic quality. It was hard to the bite and tough to chew. Your mouth would get coated and feel dry. After vigorous chewing it would still be tough to swallow. Each medical student or resident would offer up their own for the puja. It would always total to 101. After the puja the medical students and residents would distribute the Kul to their attending faculty members. There would be competitions to see who could consume the most. A gastroenterologist always had to be present just in case. I would ask my father why this ritual would occur year after year and the reason he gave was that the fruit Kul symbolized the arduous task of becoming and remaining a learned physician. He would point out the medical textbooks that were offered for blessing. He told me that the devotees who were offering it were hoping for academic success and achievement while striving through a dif icult process. Thus this fruit symbolized the ongoing effort. At the end however, it would be justi ied because the struggle would bear a fruit of its own resulting in success and achievement in becoming a physician. He gave me the 4 A's that should characterize every Doctor. Ability, Affability, Availability, and Affordability. I now as a physician try to eat this Kul every day.

www.somersetbengalis.org

? ред -

i kt ? i p p n an "# t %# ? i %& '( , * , + , * , * %& '( ? " %& '( + - ? i n / , + o & s , 2 + " o ? ╤П s (, ( 5 n, & 6 i , , %& '( , * ред

Dear Sashuri Sanchoy Das Dear Sashuri In the chaos of life one neglects to pay the obvious debt to one so dear Lest it be too late I open my purse and pen this quirky verse Grateful I am for the son you nurtured and gave to me when mature Alas we celebrate no Sashuri Shosti so I give to you a special mishti Truth be told, I rejoice your labors with daily joy and silent glee Some wisdoms I share, as excellence I know is your golden leece See them not as slippery rocks, but as bitter fruit of deeds in past Food you say he loves to eat, culinary skills though would have been a real treat Emotions it is clear he learnt from you, of romance though he has no clue Dynamic you boast he was when young, Static though is his passion now Lest we stray in this digital tide, anchors of tradition are required Respect I do the bridge you provide to tales untold and rituals past Preached me you have oh Thakurun on sacred values and family trust Beacons these are on our tethered journey to the world afar For these blessings of life, I dispatch to thee a weekly email pronam of mine Struggle we do to share our dearest ones, but adieu we must as they sail ahoy Affectionate though your frequent advice, barbs of love they soon become A leaf doth glow in the blazing sun, a glow which gives life and fun No grudge a root shall bear, to nurture leaf and wedded sun Close this verse I do with dreams of equilibrium to come Iti Bau Ma Rani 23

www.somersetbengalis.org

Saraswati Puja 2012 Cultural Program Schedule Time: 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, Bridgewater, NJ 4.00 Welcome Announcement

Soma Choudhury & Prasun Chowdhury

4:05 Rhythms of Dance and Music Anjali Loho Mor Sangeete

Choreography and Direction: Mitra Purkayastha RDM Blossoms: Shikha Chivukula RDM Jewels: Arushi Bhatia, Nishna Singh, Shilpa Mitra, Portia Sarkar, Pramila Baisya, Ankita Sen,Trina Sanyal, Trisha Ghosh, Ria Mukhopadhyay, Nishka Abraham RDM Dynamite: Anwesha Mishra, Eamon Ghosh Dastidar, Trina Ghosh, Shreya Ghosh, Monisha Nath, Sunaya DasGupta Mueller RDM Stars: Sreejani Sinha, Vedika Senger, Mina Stalhamer, Anushka Nayan Dalal, Nidhi Ummettala, Aisharya Dutta, Aishanee Acharyya, Arunima Paul, Ananya Mukherjee, Juni Shankar, Aishi Roychoudhury

4:30

SBA Board of Trustees: Sangeeta Bhattacharya

Announcements

4:35 Baad Protibad - Bangla Drama

Written By: Sudipta Bhawmik Direction: Tushar Mukherjee Cast: Tushar Mukherjee, Sharmistha Sen, Siddharta Banerjee, Spreeha Choudhury

5:00 Ananda Mandir Fund Raising

Ananda Mandir President: Dipak Sarkar

5:05 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Songs Saat Sure Bandha

Conductor: Soma Choudhury Assisted By: Rina Roy, Paromita Basu, Malini Mazumdar Particpants: Abheek Dhara, Aditi Roy, Arijit Dutta, Atreyee Ghosh, Avik Sanyal, Ananya Sanyal, Kushaan Mishra, Prajit Kundu, Prisha Mehta, Pritish Mukherjee, Ria Mukhopadhyay, Ricky Das, Rishab Das, Rishika Roy, Shoham Sen, Shreyan Das, Shruti Roy, Sunit Chakraborty, Trina Ghosh, Trisha Ghosh, Shreya Ghosh, Shounak Ghosh, Hiya Khan

5:15 Audio Visual Quiz

Reetika Gupta and Sudip Chakraborty

www.somersetbengalis.org

5:25 Young Musiciansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Orchestra

Conductor: Amit Ray Coordinator & Costumes: Sudakshina Ghosh Participants: Nikita Roy (Violin), Anuronita Gupta (Violin), Srijoy De Dutta (Violin), Susmita Ghose (Viola), Nina Ray (Viola), Sompurna Choudhury (Flute), Rohit Das (Keyboards), Debojit Das (Trumpet), Sourabh Chakraborty (Alto Saxophone), Riju Das (Guitar), Reshav Abraham (Guitar), Souvik Ganguly (Guitar), Trina Sanyal (Cello), Arijit Chatterjee (Congas, Percussion), Alex Kosnik (Base Guitar), Omkar Bhawmik (Drums)

5:50

Debahuti Roy from Xoom Money Transfer Silver Sponsors: Aloha Mind Math, NYLife, Northwestern Mutual

Recognition of Sponsors

5:55 Dance Medley by Rhythms of Life Onnoyo Kothao, Onnoyo Shure

Choreography and Direction: Sunrita Mitra Assisted by: Baishali Chatterjee, Subhechha Paul Commentary: Mahuya Ghosal Participants: Aditi Roy, Rishika Roy, Shruti Roy, Katryna Kosnik, Tanuja Kosnik, Atreyee Ghosh, Anisha Chakraborty, Vedha Batta, Chasmitha Batta, Angela Jobi, Manaswi Madala, Rucha Nirgudkar, Rachel Joseph, Naina Cheniara, Samiha Hasan, Samantha Hasan, Lamissa Prova Hosen, Samara Mowla, Priyanka Chatterjee, Ramyani Mitra, Disha Bhowmick, Sohini Bhattacharjee, Anoushka Banerjee, Ramona Chatterjee, Diya Paul, Tanya Banerjee, Ankita Chatterjee, Parama Das, Julie Saha, Anjali Mitra, Spreeha Choudhury, Isabelle Pazhayattil, Anika Amin

6:45 Interactive Antakshari

Soma Choudhury & Prasun Chowdhury

7:00 Modern Songs - Feature Artist

Darshana Menon Zee TV Saregamapa USA Winner Accompanied by Saikat

8:25 Closing Remarks

Thank you and Recognition to Directors and Guest Artists.

Special thanks to Prasun Chowdhury for scripting the excellent cultural program commentary

www.somersetbengalis.org

ATLANTIC COAST RHEUMATOLOGY Rajat K. Dhar, M.D. Phone: 732-505-3510 Fax: 732-505-5308 442-D Commons Way, Toms River NJ 08755

Kolkata Kitchen

Jefferey Helman, D.D.S.

732-668-5567 or 732-561-3080

Somerset Dental General Dentistry

Ghugni $1.00 / plate Kachuri w/chana daal $ 2.00/ 2pcs Dahi bada $1.50 / 2 pcs Aloo tikka w/chatni $1.00/ea Chole bhature / Plate $2.00 Samosa $0.60/each Vegetable chop $0.75/each Fish fry $2.00/ea Egg devil $1.25/ea Chicken Kati roll $2.00/ea Vegetable kati roll $2.00/ea Chapali Kabab or Sami Kabab $1.00/ea Fish chop or Chicken chop 0.75/ea Cutlet $1.00/ea

100 West Brown Street

Rasgulla, Chumchum or Kamlabhog $0.70/ea Sandesh or Rasmalai $ 1.00/ea Patishapta $ 1.25/ea

Phone: (908) 526-1254

Somerville NJ 08876

Fax: (908) 526-1220

WE DO PARTY CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS Weekly Supply Is Available Also 26

www.somersetbengalis.org

THE MOST EXCLUSIVE WINE SELECTION IN SOMERSET COUNTY One location for your hard-to-get wine and Beer! Our knowledgable staff has been serving Somerset County since 1982 - come and enjoy the best prices and selection in the area !

We Will Meet or Beat any Printed Advertised Price ! Shop here for your party specials

Hundreds of Items on Sale and many More In-Store Specials

Super Saver Somerville 888 Route 22 Eastbound Somerville NJ 08872 Opposite Bridgewater Commons Mall Tel: (908) 722-6700

Email: info@iselectwines.com

Online Store: www.iselectwines.com 27

www.somersetbengalis.org

Payne Capital Management provides fee-based financial management services for high-wealth clients. As registered investment advisors (RIA), we assume the highest level of fiduciary responsibility under the law. We earn no commissions from transactions, and charge no custodial fees for our services. Our only agenda is earning, growing and maintaining a relationship with our clients built on performance and trust.

Personal accounts

Trust accounts

401k Plans

SEP Plans

Non-profit organizations

IRAs

Profit sharing plans

SIMPLE plans

Corporate cash management

Education accounts

New York

Philadelphia

250 Fifth Avenue, Suite 501 New York, NY 10001 Tel: 646-461-7670

564 Skippack Pike, Level 3 Blue Bell, PA 19422 Tel: 215-643-1004

Rayne Payne ryan.payne@paynecm.com WWW.PAYNECM.COM 29

www.somersetbengalis.org

Jay Mehta, CPA, CFP® Tax & Financial Planning Services This Certified Financial Planner™ and CPA puts years of large company experience to work for you. The firm will develop comprehensive business and personal plans by listening and analyzing your concerns. I will work with the current and future financial life cycle through the retirement and transfer to next generation. Various solutions are proposed to you within the framework of income tax impact and other risks at least in the areas of:

• •

Tax including International

Comprehensive Financial Planning – Personal or Business

•

Education Retirement and Estate Planning

•

Long-Term Care Planning

•

Employment Benefits

724 Probst Avenue Unit B, Fairview, New Jersey 07022, Tel: 201-941-5309 Fax: 201-215-9772 Email: jmehtacpa@gmail.com

Law Office of Randall P. Brett 214 Carnegie Center, Suite 100, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 THE LAW OFFICE OF RANDALL P. BRETT CONGRATULATES SOMERSET BENGALI ASSOCIATION FOR ITS ANNUAL COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

Randall P. Bre

Admi ed in New Jersey and New York Warren, NJ 07059

Phone: (609) 799-0528 Fax: (609) 751-9384 Email: RBre @RBre Law.com

Www.RBre Law.com 30

www.somersetbengalis.org

392 , US 22 WEST, GREEN BROOK NJ. 08812

PH: 732-529-6060

FRESH FOODS, VEGETABLES & BENGALI FISH ON SALE Bhavani fruits and Vegetables is a leading distributor in the Indian food market. We distribute all sorts of packaged and non packaged food, frozen

Khao Healthy. . . . Raho Healthy We accept Food Stamps

Bhavani Cash & Carry 392 , US 22 WEST, GREEN BROOK NJ. 08812 PH: 732-529-6060

10 Minutes from Bridgewater Commons Mall 31