It is a neat division and the first part of 70 pages is the Kotia-Ketaki memoir. In the second section, Chandana picks up the narrative and weaves the micro family history of the Jonas family with the macro events of the late 19th century and her grandmother's journey that brought her to Santiniketan in the 20th century.
Today, the tape-jama survives on the margins of a rapidly changing marketplace. It is still found in local bazaars, though no longer a default festive purchase for children. Yet its significance lies beyond its material presence. The garment endures as a symbol of memory—of simpler times, of long summer afternoons, and of a cultural ethos shaped by resourcefulness and tradition. Its soft cotton folds carry stories of Bengal’s textile heritage, its artisanal practices, and its ability to absorb and reinterpret external influences. In doing so, the pinny becomes more than a childhood dress—it is a living archive of history and identity.
According to the latest (2024) survey by the International Mother Language Institute, 45 languages have been identified as existing now in Bangladesh out of which there are 11 indigenous languages including Lushai (Mizo)—that have become critically endangered. Based on UNESCO data, a handful of languages which have made it to the endangered list in Bangladesh are in such a forlorn state that only 5-12 older folks from respective communities can still converse in them.
And perhaps the greatest truth is this: when veterinarians do their work properly, the world stays normal. People drink milk without fear. Farmers sleep without panic. Markets remain stable. Outbreaks do not explode into disasters. Children grow up safer. Communities remain healthier. The world continues smoothly, unaware of how close it often stands to crisis.
In a move that promises to strengthen the already commendable performance of athletes of Jammu and Kashmir in kayaking and canoeing, India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has decided to include the two water sports disciplines at the Khelo India State Center of Excellence (KISCE) in Srinagar
Amid the raging pandemic, community organisations across India are rising to the occasion like a shimmering ray of hope for people
Two Bhutanese shot putters Gyeltshen and Chimi Dema are undergoing intense training, after receiving wild card entries for the upcoming 2020 Summer Paralympics Games slated to be held in Tokyo, Japan
Six sites in India received a nod from UNESCO for inclusion in its Tentative List of heritage sites
Veteran Indian environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna, pioneer of the Chipko movement against senseless cutting of trees in the Himalyan region, died of Covid 19 at AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand state on Friday
The inaugural World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand next month is promising to be a blockbuster event with spectators likely to be allowed, though in a restricted capacity, at the Rose Bowl in England’s Southampton, the port city on England's south coast about 110 km from London
As COVID-19 puts Pakistan’s health system under stress, tens of thousands of women doctors are sitting at home, their talents squandered in a country where millions have no access to medical care, Pakistan Today reported
National Cricket Academy head and former India captain Rahul Dravid is set to be the head coach of the Indian white-ball squad that will tour Sri Lanka in July
2021 Asia Cup has been called off due to rising COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka, country’s cricket board chief Ashley de Silva announced
Moving closer to shifting the remaining PSL matches to Abu Dhabi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Thursday that it had received all outstanding approvals and exemptions from the United Arab Emirates government
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shifted the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six to the United Arab Emirates amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Pakistan, Tribune reported
Indian cricket board chief Sourav Ganguly has perhaps turned emotional and nostalgic going through one of the pictures from his playing days
The devastating economic fallout of COVID-19 does not spare museums too. As the world marks International Museums Day on May 18, IBNS correspondent Supriyo Hazra caught up with Vinod Daniel, Member, Board, International Council of Museums (ICOM), Paris
An international expedition abandoned its attempt to scale Mount Everest, citing risks posed by an increasing number of COVID-19 cases at the base camp, The Himalayan Times reported
To ensure high-speed internet connectivity at the world’s second tallest peak K2 base camp, the Pakistan government has installed a 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in the base camp area of Concordia
