Realty Expo 2015 by CREDAI Bengal

Realty Expo is an annual event - eastern India's largest real estate exhibition hosted by CREDAI Bengal. This year, it was held from November 6th to 8th at the Milan Mela ground. CREDAI Bengal is West Bengal's edition of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India, the apex body for the conglomeration of real estate developers throughout the nation. CREDAI Bengal hosts two annual real estate exhibitions, Realty Expo and Home Front. These annual fairs are aimed at bringing the best property in the land so that customers are able to make an informed decision and invest their money in an effective and efficient manner.

This year, apart from bringing together the giants in the realty sector and putting up residential and commercial properties on display, Realty Expo went one step further and brought in a new dimension in the form of decor items, interiors and other things necessary to turn your house into your personalized home.

The buyers were given a huge number of benefits and discounts on the field. No doubt the fair was called ‘Ghar Bhi, Car Bhi, Discount Bhi’. The benefits included Flat discounts on spot bookings, gift schemes for property buyers, competitive price analysis, investment options, sourcing, comparing and buying straight from the developers/accredited agents and of course a wide range of information on the realty sector of Bengal. Realty Expo 2015 lived upto its promise of being the best destination for property buyers. 

Apart from being the realty exhibition of magnificent proportions that it is, Realty Expo proved to be a hub of entertainment. Events to note were a chat show with Srijit Mukherjee, Raj Chakraborty, Nusrat Jehan & Abir Chatterjee, a Quiz show by Mir with Tollywood celebrities and eminent artists from the art and cultural sector like Ritwik Chakraborty, Deblina Dutta, Rupankar, Anindya Chatterjee, Upal Sengupta, Kamleswar Mukherjee, Sidhu, Lopamudra Mitra and Joy Sarkar as participants.

As a lead up to CREDAI Bengal’s big event, they also organized a few activities for school students – namely the CREDAI Bengal school festival, which consisted of a debate competition (elaborated here) and a sit and draw competition along with a photography contest (elaborated here). These events provided youngsters to showcase their talents, which displaying the tangible interaction between infrastructure, development, and real estate. The school festival was held in association with South City International School, at their auditorium, on the weekend of 31^st October and 1^st November.

All in all, Realty Expo 2015 was a roaring success. It provided great interaction opportunities between the exhibitors and the buyers, or to-be-buyers. CREDAI Bengal hopes the continued support and enthusiasm of the city’s residents remains with them as they come back next year with Realty Expo 2016.

CREDAI Bengal School Festival - Sit and Draw Competition

300 students from 15 schools in and around the city participated in the Sit and Draw Competition for the CREDAI Bengal School Festival.

The CREDAI Bengal School Festival, an event conducted on the sidelines of CREDAI Bengal's Realty Expo 2015, was held over the weekend of 31st October and 1st November, at the South City International School. I was a member of the audience, as a part of Kolkata Bloggers, overviewing the thoughts and principles showcased by these young, talented minds.

After the inaugural debate on the 31st of October, the School Festival continued to its second day with two artistic events - namely Painting and Photography. The Inter-school sit and draw competition was held from 10 AM to 1 PM at the South City International School auditorium. Representatives from about fifteen schools participated in the sit and draw competition, including leading schools such as Delhi Public School New Town, La Martiniere for Girls, Apeejay School, South City International School, Kalyani Central Model School, Army Public School and Shri Shikshayatan School, among others. The theme for this drawing competition for junior school students was "Making My City Green" - another topic that could be transformed through various interpretations.

Mr. John Bagul, Principal of South City International Schools, opens the CREDAI Bengal School Festival.

The students participating in the competition were extremely young - junior school students. Yet, they displayed admirable maturity in their interpretations of the topic, and came up with artwork that defied their youth and inexperience. While some students depicted a scenery of their city, others went forward with symbolism to convey their message. It was a wonderful feeling to see these enthusiastic youngsters put forward their views on what they perceive their city to be, and their ideas for a more joyful City of Joy.

An overwhelming bunch of more than 300 students from across the city and beyond turned up to participate in this sit and draw competition. It was a resounding success, but in quality of artwork and diversity of perception. Take a look at some of the images that defined the CREDAI Bengal School Festival's Sit and Draw Competition for Junior school students.

In addition to the Sit and Draw competition, a photography competition was also held as part of the CREDAI Bengal School Festival, participated enthusiastically by representatives of quite a few schools.

Such a competition allows us an understanding of the very young and impressionable minds towards their home city. This is important for the parent initative of CREDAI Bengal School Festival - RealtyExpo 2015, It offers multiple options including an affordable housing section, for people looking to buy a home or invest in a second home. The Realty Expo, to be held at the Milan Mela ground from the 6th to the 8th of November, is a celebration of real estate, and its contribution to increasing societal standards in gradual steps. To know more, do take a look at their website, www.realtyexpo.co.in.

Darjeeling Trip 2015

Photograph - Anirban Saha | www.anirbansaha.com

It has been quite some time since I visited the hills, the last destination being Gangtok and adjoining areas of Sikkim. So when Anirban da asked me to join him on a short Darjeeling trip, I was thrilled. Twenty seven gruelling hours on a super-late bus to Siliguri, earthquakes, reports of landslides and a three hour drive later, I had actual reason to be thrilled.

The atmosphere at Darjeeling was magical. The mist, the gentle rain, the wind all combined to engulf us in a welcoming envelope of happiness. Taking a break from the sultry climate of Kolkata, it was exhilarating to feel the cold breeze brushing across my face. The scenery, of course, was breathtaking, with the hills at a distance partly shrouded in fog, and the sun occasionally breaking through the clouds.

NASSCOM Product Conclave, Kolkata 2015

NASSCOM Product Conclave

The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) is a trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry. NASSCOM conducts an annual event called the Product Conclave. The NASSCOM Product Conclave (NPC) is an annual gathering of product and associated service entrepreneurs, technological start-ups, angel investors, academicians, CIOs and analysts. A large part of the existing product companies are represented at the NPC.

International Day Of Yoga 2015

International Day of Yoga commemoration at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata. Photograph - Anirban Saha | www.anirbansaha.com

On the occasion of the very first International Day of Yoga celebrated across the world on 21st June, Healthy Billions organized an event focusing on the benefits of yoga and nuances of corporate yoga, at the Taj Bengal, last evening. Among the dignitaries present, mostly from the corporate field, Anirban Saha and I were invited to the event as bloggers.

Fankaari Fossils - An Art Exhibition

Anirban Saha (left) and Arjyak Bhattacharya at Fankaari Fossils art exhibition.

“The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle.

“Fankaari Fossils” is one such endeavour to represent art as a reflection of inner understanding. The artist, Rajesh Yadav, is a recipient of numerous awards and his latest works were displayed at the World Fine Art Gallery, New York and The Nehru Centre, London.

Mohun Bagan Win the League

Champions of India. Mohun Bagan celebrates its league victory. Photograph - NDTV Sports 

Mohun Bagan has always loved the big stage.
The National Club of India, the first Indian club ever to beat a European team back in 1911, the club that has united generations of football lovers, the club that shares almost the entirety of Bengali football glory with its great rivals East Bengal, is back in the limelight. As Mohun Bagan lifted the I-League trophy for the first time in thirteen long years, thus becoming the best club in the nation once again, a million hearts erupted in joy. 

Solving the College Dilemma

It’s that time of the year again!

With the board examinations having concluded, and the results just about pouring in from state and national boards alike, the one question on the mind of everybody who took these examinations is invariably about which college he or she should choose, and what streams he or she should continue further studies on.

Having been a victim of this dilemma only a year back, I can fully understand what all these fresh school passouts must be going through. To help ease the process, I asked quite a few college students across various disciplines, what they kept in mind when they selected their colleges. I also asked a few school students what subjects they would choose in college, which colleges they would prefer and why. Some of the students I asked are still in school, and some have just passed their boards this year, a mix which helped me to gauge which way they were generally leaning.

I hope the little experience I have, and what I’ve gotten to know from interacting with others who have also gone through the college dilemma, comes in handy.

Which Subject Should I Choose for Higher Studies?

Freshmen No More

Memories of Freshman Year

Growing up is a strangely exhilarating experience.

The switch from being a school student to a college student brings with it an enthusiasm to explore one’s own self, challenge capabilities and conquer new horizons. Such was the case too, roughly a year back, when I stepped into college. Brimming with excitement, yet with an undeniable degree of apprehension,  I was totally new to the surroundings of Heritage Institute of Technology.

As my friend Mukund put it, college is about “Getting thrust from your comfort zone and being able to redefine yourself from scratch.” Well, it certainly is. It is about forming new friendships, getting to know people better, understanding your own priorities and above all, making memories to last a lifetime.

Kolkata Bloggers Meet and Tea with the US Consul General

With the US Consul General Ms. Helen LaFave. Picture - Ipshita Nandi Banerjee

The last couple of days have been a very pleasant experience for the blogger in me. The Kolkata Bloggers Meet, hosted on Sunday, saw a riveting discussion by 37 bloggers, ranging from absolutely young and new bloggers, to veterans in the field. The very next day saw three members of Kolkata Bloggers (Anirban Saha, Sourav Ghosh and yours truly) being invited by the US Consul General for a discussion over tea at her residence. Also present were people from the fields of print media, radio and digital marketing.

Being Convict

Source - www.indiatoday.intoday.in

The Salman Khan case comes as no huge surprise. Disappointment, yes. Surprise? No. As KRK so surreptitiously put it, we would have lost all our faith in money if Salman Khan had been put in jail. The man we know on screen has gained a reputation for performing logic-defying acts successfully. Now, he has pulled off a similar stunt in real life too.

The Bollywood superstar could possibly be the only Indian at the moment to not have to spend a moment in jail despite being proven guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for five years. Salman got an interim bail in a matter of hours, and a permanent bail just two days after his conviction, speed unheard of in the Indian judicial circles. Fame, money, power, support – all of this undeniably factored in to make Salman Khan an “exception”.

Brute Force

Scenes from Nepal after the earthquake. Source - www.apherald.com

Quake. Fire. Rain. The past week or so has been tumultuous, to say the least. The City of Joy plummeted into a time of unfortunate mishaps, all in a day or two, but it was our neighbours in Nepal that took the hit worse than imaginable. There was torrential rain throughout the eastern and northern regions of the country, coupled with the fire at Citimart, New Market. But understandably, it was the devastating earthquake that caught most of the attention.

The Fallacy of Women's Day

Image source - www.wallpaperup.com

We’ll be celebrating Women’s Day tomorrow. Women’s Day. But not Night, because we all know that a decent Indian woman must not have any existence to the outside world after 6:30.

It is downright disgusting to note how supposedly educated men throw up the words “Indian Culture” as if it were an impenetrable curtain that must be accepted without objection or clarification. Whilst our leaders talk of progress and development, their mindsets are still stuck in the medieval age. The scariest part of this is that these men who run the country actually believe what they say – that it is up to a girl to ensure her own safety, that men are allowed a little mischief every once in a while, that provocation justifies assault.

A Day of Darkness

Backdrop – I recently had a problem with my right eye, which required a LASER barrage. Consequentially, I had to remain in bed rest for a week. For a full day after the procedure, I had to keep my eyes closed. That is when I discovered how the other senses come to the fore when one is shut out.

This is just a sample picture of the phenomenon, and not the state of my eye. Image source http://en.wikipedia.org/

Its curious how Indians have swapped the word “myopia” for “power”. Tera kitna power hain? Mera -6 hain. Oh wow, kitne fingers bata? *dangles three fingers in front of your face.* This is a practice as old as Father Time in this country. I was pretty scared when I heard that my myopia had caused lattice degeneration, leading to an initial phase of retinal detachment. (Translated to English, that means there was a rupture in my retinal membrane, which could cause vision loss if left untreated.) I was rushed to the LASIK centre, administered shot after shot of painfully stinging lasers, and advised absolute bedrest.

India's First Wi-Fi City

Inauguration of the free WiFi at Park Street

"What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow."

I was incredibly privileged to be a part of history today. As part of Kolkata Bloggers, we were witness to the formal launch of the free 4G WiFi provided by Reliance Jio at Park Street - the first step towards making the City of Joy the very first WiFi enabled city in India. Mysore had tried and failed before. Bangalore has WiFi hotspots strewn across the city. But Kolkata aims to be the very first in the country where the whole city, including Salt Lake and rajarhat, would gain access to free wireless network.

Kolkata Bloggers was invited to be part of the event. Fourteen people represented the blogging community at Park Street today. I was privileged to be leading a team that comprised many new faces, but with bursting enthusiasm and talent. This was a momentous occassion for all bloggers - going digital is the way forward.

The Legacy of Tagore #KLF2015

Photograph - Anirban Saha | www.anirbansaha.com

Rabindranath Tagore’s name is synonymous with Bengali culture. His contribution to literature, especially to Bengali literature is unquestionably towering. However, the worth of Rabindranath Tagore cannot just be measured in the songs, novels, poems, stories, plays and essays he has composed. The legacy of Tagore lingers on even today, more than seven decades after his earthly demise. His influence is still evident in modern works of literature.