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Terracotta

Terracotta Panels depicting events related to Hindu epic Mahabharata in West Bengal Temples

Across Bengal’s terracotta temples, Mahabharata scenes emerge sparingly, decoded through

Terracotta Panels depicting events related to Hindu epic Mahabharata in West Bengal Temples

Across Bengal’s terracotta temples, Mahabharata scenes emerge sparingly, decoded through

Focus is a matter of deciding what things you're not going to do.

— John Carmack

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What's New

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Metropolis Musings
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Towns, cities and metropoles tend to become integral parts of the people who inhabit them.

Terracotta
Terracotta Panels depicting events related to Hindu epic Mahabharata in West Bengal Temples

Across Bengal’s terracotta temples, Mahabharata scenes emerge sparingly, decoded through careful scholarship, memory, and the patience of stone and history.

Christmas Celebration
When Christmas Paints the Streets of Kolkata

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Orchid, Flower of Romance

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Loyalty
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On 8 August 1942, one shot, point blank. The loyal student ensured the professor rested in peace without him suspecting a thing.

Tomorrow
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Every year on this day, she returned to the café and ordered his favourite – two Americanos.

The Refund
The Refund

“You’re the perfect host,” the doll whispered as Rajesh kissed its rosy cheek goodnight. He recoiled saying, “No – I’ll kill myself!”

The Return
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Wishing for her late husband’s return, Emma blew out the candles – her nightly ritual. Suddenly, her bedroom door creaked open.

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The April Fool
The April Fool

Jake was ecstatic at Lily’s early morning message, “Moving to your city.” Her second message an hour later, “April Fool,” shattered his joy beyond repair.

Identity
Identity

After a successful heart transplant, Martha drifted into consciousness to her husband’s unexpectedly chilling words: “A stranger’s heart beats within my wife.”

The Care
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Each morning, Karan wakes in his lonely flat to half a glass of milk and two sandwiches. His ironed shirts and polished shoes gleam with

The Moment
The Moment

All she wanted was to stretch her perfect four years longer. She wasn’t ready to let their laughter fade into memory.

The Report
The Report

Arun’s trembling hands couldn’t open the biopsy report. ‘Stage four,’ he was certain. A sudden, searing pain tore through his chest.

The Promise
The Promise

Luke, without medical insurance, mortgaged his house to fund his open-heart surgery. Mark, his idealistic friend, scoffed, “I’d rather die active – sixty’s the perfect

Reviews

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Book Sculpture
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Books That Burst Out of Windows and Spiral Into Infinity- Part 1 

A mesmerizing reflection on Prague’s Idiom sculpture that spirals through questions of books, knowledge, waste, and infinite human curiosity.

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The Fine Arts of Criminology

A bold, darkly comic neo-noir where violence, wit, and subversive storytelling redefine the boundaries of modern Bengali cinema.

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History & Heritage

Essential readings for today

McLeod Rail
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When the Little Trains of Bengal Told Big Stories: The Forgotten Saga of McLeod Rail

Tiny trains stitched Bengal’s villages together—stopping for waved hands, carrying lives, memories, and a century of softly moving dreams.

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Women have always done the preparatory work like spinning of the yarn as part of the work leading up to the final weaving.

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The Broken Body of a Province, The Fallen Voices of Its People

Our cultural dementia makes an entire nation isolate a particular region since its fight has been deliberately suppressed to enhance the delusion of peace.

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Chinese New Year Celebration in Kolkata

The celebration is not just a festival, it’s a vibrant expression of tradition and culture.

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The Tree that Grants Wishes: Legend of the Kalpataru

Essentially, Kalpataru is a tree conjured into existence by human desire and belief.

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Ganga Sagar Mela: A Colourful Mosaic of Humanity

Where the holy Ganga meets the sea, faith blossoms under vibrant skies, uniting hearts at the serene Ganga Sagar Mela.

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When the Little Trains of Bengal Told Big Stories: The Forgotten Saga of McLeod Rail

Tiny trains stitched Bengal’s villages together—stopping for waved hands, carrying lives, memories, and a century of softly moving dreams.

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Transcreation

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Pablo Neruda
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Pablo Neruda: Selected Poems

Silence gathers around us, and in that pause, Pablo Neruda lets the trembling world reveal its hidden wounds and brief hopes.

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This compilation presents four major twentieth-century Bengali poets, demonstrating poetry’s role in resisting, remembering, and renewing during socio-political upheaval.

Firefly
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Firefly or Minuku Hulu by ManjuNayak Challuru

I should collect all the chits from these people so I can calculate the amount of pain in the world.

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At the Altar of the Sea

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Ajir Kutty Bus Stop Poem Cover
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Anuradha Dosad Creator of Fate 2 Cover
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Creator of Fate

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Pablo Neruda: Selected Poems

Silence gathers around us, and in that pause, Pablo Neruda lets the trembling world reveal its hidden wounds and brief hopes.

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Fiction and Poetry

Essential readings for today

Rabindranath Tagore
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A play based on Rabindranath Tagore and BAsanta Koomar Roy, a US based journalist and author.

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The city of Kolkata has seeped deep into Suni Bhandari making inroads into his soul. His poetry is a mere reflection of his relationship with

The Dowry (Tagore translated)

They demanded ten thousand rupees and a large number of gifts as a dowry.

Poems to Treasure

Vikram Seth became my path finder and made me the poet I am today.

The Catskill Mountains by Vir

Vir Sen paints the Catskill Mountains he visited during a recent vacation.

A storm at Sea
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I Will Cross the Sea of Desires

Translated by Hindol Bhattacharjee from the Bengali song by Tagore. The original song was composed at Santiniketan, in 1922. I will cross the sea of

Image courtesy he busy.org
Ilish Mach: From Bone To Hamstring…

Apparently we've all originated from a fish. But that as fate would have it, it was a fish that ruined my day.

Letters from Jane Austen to Cassandra

Jane Austen, the 19th century English novelist was a prolific letter writer and the greater part of her correspondences was with her elder sister Cassandra.

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Cartoons

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Videos

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Video: Echoes of a Timeless Voice – Harivansh Rai Bachchan

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Video: 31st Kolkata International Film Festival

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Video: Jane Austen – Birthday Tribute

Her legacy is nothing short of monumental. Austen pioneered a new, realistic style of novel focused on ordinary people in everyday life.

Support thespace.ink magazine for literature and culture. Subscribe Now

Photostory

Essential readings for today

Terracotta
Terracotta Panels depicting events related to Hindu epic Mahabharata in West Bengal Temples

Across Bengal’s terracotta temples, Mahabharata scenes emerge sparingly, decoded through careful scholarship, memory, and the patience of stone and history.

Christmas Celebration
When Christmas Paints the Streets of Kolkata

Moments of warmth, resilience, and togetherness - that together form a larger narrative of the city celebrating Christmas in its own distinctive way.

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Today the app-based cabs and newer vehicles have taken over the streets but the yellow taxi continues to hold emotional value.

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Rocky Mountain High…

The breathtaking beauty of Canadian Rockies captured by Arnab Chaudhuri.

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Photostory: Nagaland Hornbill Festival

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Terracotta Panels depicting events related to Hindu epic Mahabharata in West Bengal Temples

Across Bengal’s terracotta temples, Mahabharata scenes emerge sparingly, decoded through careful scholarship, memory, and the patience of stone and history.

Support thespace.ink magazine for literature and culture. Subscribe Now

Games & Puzzles

Crossword 103
Crossword 102
Crossword 101

Voice & Views

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The Playwright as an Intellectual Jester

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The Voice for the Unheard 

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I woke up to the news that Frederick Forsyth has passed away, and instantly,Life was all about sneaking thrills and chasing stories.

Arundhati_Gupta_Devicraft_Book_Review_30.5.2025VB
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Devicraft Each Stitch Tells Her Story…by a woman for the women!

It is an 18th century Pahari miniature where Lord Shiva is shown helping Parvati stitch a quilt.

Woman Artist_
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“A woman has to find her own path”

Artist Kiran Dixit, who exhibited in Kolkata recently, is the only female living disciple of Ramkinkar Baij

Shoma A. Chatterji
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An Interview with Ramkamal Mukherjee on Films and Noti Binodini

Bengali films need new directors with new thought and new stories.

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The Playwright as an Intellectual Jester

Saikat Majumdar reflects on Tom Stoppard, theatre, postmodernism, and the personal memories that shape writing and performance.

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Travel

Essential readings for today

Hangseshwari Temple
Hangseshwari – where tantric philosophy merge with architectural brilliance!

Hanseshwari Temple rises in lotus-like spires, blending tantric symbolism, royal history, and unforgettable architectural wonder in quiet Bansberia.

Grand Teton
Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb Geyser Basin (Part: 3)

A journey through Yellowstone and Grand Teton—where nature’s grandeur humbles the soul, blending wild beauty, geology, and quiet spiritual reflection.

Yellowstone
Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone (Part 2)

A vivid journey through Yellowstone’s grandeur, from its fiery geology to wild valleys and timeless history, where nature meets human wonder.

Yellowstone
A Journey Back to Self and Nature: Yellowstone and Grand Teton 

What do you say about a destination that has been praised innumerable times? How do you describe a marvel that has been photographed extensively?

MEGHALAYA_Travel_Aradhita_Banerjee_29.06.2025_VB
Reverie of a Pluviophile: Exploring Magical Meghalaya

The essence of Meghalaya is intermittent showers from enveloping clouds and waterfalls cascading down lush hills.

Norway2_Amlan_travel_26.05.2025_VB
Norway (Part – 2): Bergen: Norway’s Storybook City by the Fjords

The journey began in Skredderdalen, an uphill neighborhood, then led through dense forest trails—each step immersing me further into Bergen’s wilderness.

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