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East Kolkata Wetlands

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‘ Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year’. The East Kolkata Wetlands are an amalgamation of natural and man-made wetlands  lying east of the city of Kolkata.  The wetlands cover 125 square km and include salt marshes, and agricultural fields, sewage farms and settling ponds. The primary utility of the area is to treat Kolkata's sewage. This functionality has earned the place its nickname – ‘ Kidney of Kolkata ’.  The nutrients thereby accumulated in the wastewater are used to sustain fisheries and agricultural lands .  This site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention , also known as "The Convention on Wetlands", an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which was implemented in 1975.  The name East Calcutta Wetlands was coined by late Dhrubajyo...
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Old Math (Nilambar Babu’s Garden House)

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Before the establishment of the Belur Math, the Ramakrishna order was housed at the garden house of Nilambar Mukherjee, known as Old Math from 1898-1899.  The building facing the Ganges The earthquake on 12 th June 1897 severely damaged the old monastery building (Alambazar Math) and made it uninhabitable. The dwelling conditions were also unfavorable. This prompted the shifting of the Math to Nilambar babu’s garden house. It is situated about a kilometre southwards from the Belur Math near the Belur boat jetty.  Sri Sarada Devi stayed here on several occasions and initiated many devotees.  Swamiji’s famous song ‘ khandana bhava bandhana ’ and the hymn ‘ Om hrim ritam ’, was composed here. It was here that Miss Margaret Noble was initiated into brahmacharya and given the name Sister Nivedita.  The shrine is situated in the room of the Holy Mother. The terrace was the place where Mother practiced her intense meditations including the pancha-tapa meditation. Both the...
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Shyampukur Bati, Ramakrishna Math

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Sri Ramakrishna stayed at this house for 70 days in 1885 (2 nd October to 11 th December) before moving to Cossipore Udyan Bati.  The house is also sanctified by the stay of Holy Mother and the monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna (Narendra, Rakhal, Sarat, Sashi, Latu, Buro Gopal etc).  On 6 th October, Kali Pujo night, Sri Ramakrishna assumed the posture of Kali while in trance. In this posture, the two hands of the Goddess are in ‘ bara ’ and ‘ abhaya ’ form and since then ‘ Barabhay puja ’ is performed on the Kali puja night at this center.  Vijoy Krishna Goswami, Sri M, Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar, Nati Binodini and many other lay devotees received blessings here. It was here that Christian Father Prabhudayal Misra had a vision of Jesus Christ in Sri Ramakrishna.  Located amidst busy residential locality, the sprawling balconies and the adjacent Shiva temple, captures a passerby immediately.  Entering the premises, one finds a courtyard leading to the first...
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