March 17, 2014

Events everywhere

March 17, 2014: Saturday and Sunday (March 15 and 16) turned out to super hectic. On March 15 I had about 17 invitations to attend – an impossible task.

The list of invitations were:

    • Annual Basant Utsav programme of Dona Ganguly’s school called Disha Manjari
    • Hasya Kavi Sammelan by Sanskriti Sagar at Birla Sabhaghar
    • Farewell of the Consul General of Japan Mr Mitsuo Kawaguchi and Mrs Masako Kawaguchi over a cocktails and dinner at the Crystal Room, Taj Bengal
    • The inauguration of “Aaleya” – an exhibition of designer candles by Bonnya Bose
    • Literary event at The Taj Bengal with author and Wiccan high priestess Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, legendary national award winning actress, Sarika, and film maker Anjan Dutta
    • British Council organised the launch of A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie who was in conversation with Ruchir Joshi
    • Rangleela, a Holi program organized by Madhuwan. An evening of music and dance composed by Bickram Ghosh. Dancing the ghoomar and dandiya while the children enjoyed a Phoolo ki Holi. Sumptuous food from the Malwa and Pali regions with losts of chaat and thandai.
    • And then there was a book event of Dayanita Singh and her mother Nony Singh at Max Mueller Bhavan.

I thank God that two of the events scheduled for 15th first, Arindam Sil’s press announcement of his 2nd film Ebar Shabor over a small get together over cocktails & dinner at the Tangerine Banquet at Silver Springs and second one at the Corner Courtyard were shifted.

Apart from these, there was Birju Maharaj’s performance at Radhashyam Goenka’s residence; three Holi dinners and four Holi get-togethers organized by Rajasthani organizations. An invitation from Fatehpur Shekhawati Pragati Sangh to celebrate Holi at Bika Banquets, 76/1, Golaghat Main Road (between Ultadanga and Laketown).

Not just me, it was impossible for anyone to to attend so many events. So I just decided to go to Dona and Saurav Ganguly’s house to watch Disha Manjari’s Basant Utsav and I really enjoyed it.

And then I went to the Birla Sabhaghar for kavi sammelan and I took a break and went to Taj Bengal where I said hello to the Wiccan high priestess and black magic woman Ipsita Roy.

After the kavi sammelan I went to the newly-opened Smoke House at the Quest Mall with few friends and did not go to that part of the Quest Mall as I thought that if I was not going to any of the other parties, I should be fair and not go to this one.

I really wanted to attend two of the events which I missed. One was Birju Maharaj’s performance and the second one was the farewell of the Consul-General of Japan Mr Mitsuo Kawaguchi and Mrs Masako Kawaguchi.

I was much relieved when Mr Agarwal told me that Birju Maharaj would perform again next month. As for the Consul General of Japan, a good friend of mine, I shall speak to him over phone try meet him before he leaves the city for Japan.

At the Agarwal residence

Sunday (March 16), in the morning I went to P R Agarwal’s house for a Holi get-together over breakfast. Over the last few years I have noticed the gathering at Mr Agarwal’s get-togethers followed by Phoolon Ki Holi is increasing, and at the recent one, the Agarwal family made sure that nobody used colour and they just play Holi with the flowers.

From Mr Agarwal’s residence I went to Hastings Park for the birthday celebrations of Meenu Juneja. It was nice of her husband, Ramesh Juneja, to organize such a gala noon to celebrate is wife’s 50th birthday.

With Meenu Juneja

There were especially designed T-shirts, colours, separate seating arrangements for those who don’t want to play with colours, full bar and variety of cuisine and tastefully decorated Holi theme.

After wishing Meenu many happy returns of the day, I left early. I still had a busy evening ahead. In the evening I went the Kavi Sammelan at G D Birla Sabhaghar again but this time it was a South Calcutta Shri Jain Swetamber Terapanthi Sabha “Hashya Kavi Sammelan” and before returning home went to Dilip Jaiswal’s Holi get-together at his residence in Dover Lane.

Today afternoon I will go to the Hyatt Regency as a special Holi party has been organized there.

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