Hindu community will celebrate Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the community, at 257 mandaps in Dhaka city this year. Durga Puja will begin on October 9 and end with the 'Bijoya Dashami' procession and immersion of the idols of goddess Durga in water bodies on October 13. Puja mandaps have been installed at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Ashram, Banani, Kalabagan, Shakharibazar, Siddheswari Kali Temple, Ramna Kali Temple, Jagannath Hall at Dhaka University and other temples at Farmgate, and the historic areas of Shakharibazar and Tantibazar in Old Dhaka. The last minute preparations for the puja are going on in full swing, with artisans working to give finishing touch to the idols. Buyers from the community are thronging city markets, branded shops and shopping malls to grab their best outfit. Customers are gathering at traditional shops in Old Dhaka's Shakharibazar to buy essential items including shells, idol garments, bells, clay pots, earthen lamps, incense sticks, divine garlands, crowns, sarees, dhotis, panjabis, and various ornaments for the festival. Artisans give finishing touch to idols ahead of Durga Puja To prevent any untoward incidents during the Durga Puja celebrations, strict security measures have been taken nationwide. A central police control room will be set up at Dhakeshwari Temple compound to oversee the overall security of the mandaps in the capital. Following a visit to the national temple on Saturday, Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman said, “Everyone in this country has equal rights. Each person will practice their own religion. Everything necessary will be done for this.” He assured that the army will be present for security, encouraging attendees to visit the pavilions without fear. “We aim to create a enjoyable environment where everyone can celebrate the festival,” he said. Over 212,192 members of Ansar and VDP will be deployed across 32,666 mandaps across the country.   Moreover, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members will remain vigilant.  

DC Park in Chattogram’s Fouzdarhat has become place of attraction for city dwellers for vibrant display of colourful flowers along the sea beach after the district administration developed the park inspired by Dubai's renowned Miracle Garden. A month-long flower festival will begin at the park on Thursday (January 25, 2024) evening.The festival, organized for the second time, promises a delightful experience for visitors with a collection of 127 species of exotic flowers. In addition to the floral extravaganza, the event features added attractions such as kite flying, traditional sweets festival, boat exhibitions, art displays, and a music festival. Read more: A festival of flowers in ChattogramOnce infamous as a drug den near the Fouzdarhat area on the Link Road in Chattogram city, DC Park was transformed into a 194-acre park by the district administration.The various species of flowers capture the attention of visitors, not just through their colours but also through the artistic arrangements.

Christmas, celebrated worldwide, is more than just a festive occasion; it embodies profound teachings that resonate with millions. As we approach Christmas 2023, let us reflect on the invaluable lessons this sacred festival imparts, transcending mere celebration and highlighting values that enrich our lives and communities. 10 Lessons of Christmas Love and Compassion The essence of Christmas lies in Jesus' message of unconditional love and kindness. This festival urges us to extend our hearts in compassion and understanding towards everyone, especially those in need. It's a perfect opportunity to instill in young minds the importance of empathy, tolerance, and sharing. Christmas 2023 beckons us to embrace these virtues more than ever, fostering a world filled with kindness and care. Read more: 5 Christmas Dinner Recipes for Bangladeshi Kitchen Generosity and Giving The tradition of exchanging gifts during Christmas symbolizes the spirit of generosity. It’s not confined to material presents but encompasses acts of kindness like inviting a lonely neighbor for a meal or donating to those less fortunate. Christmas 2023 is a reminder that the joy of giving is the essence of the festival, making the smallest gestures of kindness truly special.

After authorities halted the festival for the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's renowned ‘Shikdar Bari Durgotsob’ is going to be reinstated on a large scale this year in Bagerhat. The Shikdarbari Durgotsob, which faced a forced closure from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is back on a grand scale. During the pandemic, Puja was organized on a small scale to uphold religious rites, but this year marks a resurgence of grandeur. A total of 501 idols of gods and goddesses are gracing the Shikdarbari Puja Mandap, arranged with precision and artistry. In the eleventh hour, the work of adorning and embellishing the idols in the puja mandap is in progress. Various modifications are being introduced to the idols to captivate visitors. Deities from Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali Yuga are interspersed throughout the puja mandap as companions to Mahamaya Goddess Durga. Read: With 463 mandaps, Lalmonirhat gearing up for Durga Puja celebrations The pandal is a vibrant spectacle, with artisans putting final touches to the idols just moments before the festival kicks off. Various modifications and creative flourishes have been added to captivate the visitors, creating a captivating ambiance. Vijay Krishna Bachar, the sculptor behind the artistry, said that a team of 15 dedicated artisans spent five months crafting the 501 idols of various gods and goddesses. Liton Shikder, the organizer of Shikdar Bari Durga Puja, said that despite performing puja for the past three years to preserve religious rituals, the Durgo Festival couldn't be held due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Durgotsob has been organized this year as before, he said.   The organisers of the district hope to make the autumn Durgotsav a recurring spectacle in this family worship hall.

A nine-day flower festival at Faujdarhat-Port Link Road in Chattogram is drawing visitors in droves. The site used to be considered “unsafe” and was frequented by drug users after dark, according to locals. But now, various types of flowers and the birds they attract are vying for the attention of nature-lovers. The local administration took the initiative to turn the abandoned place as ‘DC Flower Park’ where the first “flower festival” of Chattogram is taking place. Also read; Five-day long Bangla film festival starts at DU The festival started on Friday evening and will continue till February 18. Already more than 5,000 flowers of 122 local and foreign varieties have been planted on the 194 acres of khas land.

In the maze-like streets of Old Dhaka, the rooftops of high-rise buildings host a festival unlike any other. Starting with the iconic, highly competitive kite-flying in the afternoon, the revelry is just getting started as night descends. Residents celebrate the southward journey of the sun from the tropic of Capricorn to the tropic of Cancer. The festival, which usually takes place from January 14 to 15, is also known as Makar (Capricorn) Shankranti. The annual celebration marks the end of the ninth month of the Bengali calendar – Poush. Shakrain – a celebration of kites and lights – is one of the oldest festivals of Bangladesh, which dates back to the Mughal period.

Christmas is a religious and cultural annual festival of the Christian community that is celebrated every year on 25th December. Christian people around the world celebrate the day to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. Any celebration and festival cannot be enjoyed properly without healthy, yummy, and cozy food items. Let’s find out 5 delicious Christmas Dinner recipes to enjoy with your family.  5 Christmas Dinner Main Course Recipes Vegetable and Chicken Skewers Recipe Ingredients 400 gm chicken breasts, 240 gm onion, 240 gm yellow bell pepper, 5 gm oregano, salt as required, 240 gm zucchini, 240 gm red bell pepper, 5 gm powdered black pepper, 150 ml virgin olive oil, lemon wedges as required, bamboo sticks Cooking Methods First, dive the bamboo sticks into the water for at least 10 minutes. Then cut the chicken and vegetables. Cut all the vegetables into 1’’ square pieces. Now take a large bowl and put olive oil, salt, crushed black paper, and oregano herbs and mix them well. Then marinate the chopped vegetables and chicken in such a way that all the pieces are coated well. Marinate them not for a long time just for 5-6 minutes. Read More: 5 Scrumptious Chicken Wing Recipes. Preheat the grill or oven. Now take the bamboo sticks and put the chicken pieces and veggies into the bamboo skewers. Cook the skewers on preheated grill or oven as long as the vegetables and chicken are tender. Cook well on both sides and make sure you prevent burning. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Yoga is an ancient system to experience divine freedom, peace, and self-realization through physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual practices. Originating from Sanskrit, the term Yoga means “yoke” which refers to drawing, binding; or uniting together. The purpose of Yoga is to unite the body, mind, and soul, as well as the universal consciousness. A healthy mind and body lead to a healthy family, community, and city.  However, the hectic urban life in Dhaka city gives the residents little room for calmness, contemplation, or purpose. Thanks to Shazia Omar for hosting the Festival of Yoga Wellness Dhaka Flow. Let’s take a look at the host and the festival. Dhaka Flow: A Wellness Movement Dhaka Flow is a wellness movement in Bangladesh. Dhaka Flow aims to promote a sustainable lifestyle of self-growth, joy, and gratitude. Dhaka Flow promotes wellness through festivals and retreats, events and gatherings, social media, and more. Read More: Which Type of Yoga Should You Try? Dhaka Flow organizes the Festival of Yoga & Wellness in January 2023 to bring together the vendors of wellness products, fitness teachers, healers, and people, to build community, celebrate health and healing, honor the environment, and elevate the spirit. The festival will be conducted with zero plastic waste. Dhaka Flow also upholds the principle of ahimsa which means non-violence towards any living being, and as such, food stalls will ALL offer vegetarian meals only. Journey of Shazia Omar: From investment banker to yogi  Starting her career as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers in Manhattan, Shazia soon realized this was not her calling in life. She grew disillusioned with the state of the world and geopolitics and capitalism and soon after 9/11, she left her job and went traveling around the world to look for a better way to be. Shazia landed up in South Africa, working at an AIDS orphanage as a volunteer, where she met a group of yogis.  Read More: Free Online Yoga Courses for Stress Relief and Better Immunity From there, her passion for the practice began. She began visiting ashrams and yoga schools in India and Thailand and eventually got certified in ashtanga yoga. She has been teaching yoga for 20 years. Shazia teaches regular classes at Nordic Club and Canadian Club in Dhaka. She has conducted numerous corporate workshops on yoga, mindfulness, well-being, health, and fitness. She organizes retreats around Bangladesh and around the world because she believes well-being and wanderlust go hand-in-hand. She is associated with Samahita Yoga Retreat in Thailand.  Shazia has written a mind, body, and spirit book (Intentional Smile: A Girl’s Guide to Positive Living, Bloomsbury 2016) and children’s books (Sun Moon Secret, Guba Books 2022) as well as two novels. Shazia writes a regular column for Daily Star (Kundalini Rising). Shazia did her undergrad at Dartmouth College, USA, and her Master's in Social Psychology at LSE, UK. Shazia Omar’s channel is YouTube.com/ShazzyOm.  Read More: How to strengthen lungs, ease breathing problems with yoga Dhaka Flow: Festival of Yoga and Wellness Dhaka Flow organizes a unique event to bring many of Dhaka’s yoga teachers and healers under the same sky. Aside from yoga, there will be certified practitioners offering meditation, reiki and energy healing, martial arts and boxing, cardio and HIIT, and much more. Over 30 companies and entrepreneurs are participating in the fair, with a similar vision to promote a cleaner and greener Dhaka city, cultivating good health and well-being. The event will be organized with eco-friendly materials, like jute stalls, cloth canvas signs, etc. Food partners will provide vegetarian treats. During this festival, there will be free yoga classes all day long by different teachers in the yoga shala. These classes are suitable for all ages and sizes. There will be cardio and HIIT and martial arts classes in the fitness pavilion. There will be dance, breathing, meditation, and kids' yoga in the amphitheater. There will be art activities in the art corner. Read More: From coffee to yoga to happiness: Offbeat ministries from around the world! Time and Venue of Dhaka Flow Festival of Yoga and Wellness The festival will be held at Gulshan Society Lake Park on Friday, January 13, 2022, from 11 am to 5 pm. How to Participate in Dhaka Flow Festival of Yoga and Wellness Registration is required to participate in the event. It is totally free of cost.  Visit the following link for free registration: https://partyinvite.club/e/Dhaka-Flow--Festival-of-Yoga---Wellness-6388813caf21872f9b6dcf8b

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who criticised “The Kashmir Files” as a “propaganda” and “vulgar film” at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, today (November 29, 2022) received harsh criticism from the Israeli ambassador to India. In an “open letter” posted on Twitter the day after IFFI jury chair Lapid criticised the movie at the festival’s closing ceremony, Israeli envoy Naor Gilon also expressed his regrets to India, NDTV reports. The 1990 migration and murders of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley is the subject of Vivek Agnihotri’s film “The Kashmir Files”. Since it was released in March, it has been engulfed in controversy. Read: ‘Wakanda Forever’ review: A king-less kingdom mourns, rebuilds The Israeli ambassador tweeted this morning: “An open letter to #NadavLapid following his criticism of #KashmirFiles. It’s not in Hebrew because I wanted our Indian brothers and sisters to be able to understand. It is also relatively long so I’ll give you the bottom line first. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Here’s why:” Ambassador Gilon claimed that filmmaker Lapid had exploited the judges’ panel invitation from the film festival in India’s Goa in the “worst way”. He wrote: “In Indian culture they say that a guest is like God. You have abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at @IFFIGoa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you.” Read: Iranian who inspired ‘The Terminal’ dies of ‘heart attack’ at Paris airport “I unequivocally condemn such statements. There is no justification. It does show the sensitivity of the Kashmir issue here,” the Israeli ambassador’s tweet read. “From your interview to Ynet the connection you make between your criticism of #KashmirFiles and your dislike to what is happening in Israeli politics was quite evident.” He further tweeted: “As a human being I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship.” Gilon claimed in tweets directed to Lapid that the relations between Israel and India are very strong and will endure the “damages” caused by the latter’s comments. Read More: In Kashmir, ‘conscious music’ tests India’s limits on speech Israeli filmmaker and IFFI jury head Lapid yesterday (November 28, 2022) remarked that “The Kashmir Files” movie “disturbed and shocked” the festival jury members. He said, “That felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.” 

The British Curry Festival, which showcases the UK’s favourite curry dishes alongside the best of British regional cuisine, is returning to Dhaka after a decade. The announcement was made at a press conference on October 19, 2022 at InterContinental Dhaka. Organized jointly by InterContinental Dhaka and Curry Life Magazine UK, the globe-trotting festival was held for the first time in Dhaka in 2001, with the last instalment in Dhaka being in 2011. Now, the festival is returning more than a decade later. The festival will begin tomorrow (October 21, 2022) at the InterContinental Dhaka’s ‘Elements – All Day Dining’ restaurant for buffet dinner, which will continue until October 26. Read:5 Simple One-Skillet Dinner Recipes for Busy Bachelors Curry is Britain’s favourite dish. There are an estimated 12,000 curry houses in Britain. Of these, 90% of restaurants are operated by chefs of Bangladeshi origin. Over the last two decades, the British Curry Festival has taken the best British curry experience across Europe to Asia. This year, the festival features Michelin Star Chef Dominic Chapman, who is the storied Head Chef and Patron of The Beehive restaurant in Berkshire (the Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants for outstanding food and service, based on quality and consistency). Having travelled the world and worked with several Michelin Starred chefs, Chapman is well acquainted with the rich and complex flavours of international cuisines. Alongside The Beehive, where he has been since 2014, Chapman recently acquired the Michelin-star gastropub The Crown at Burchetts Green, Berkshire. Chapman’s arrival in Dhaka marks the first time a Michelin Star Chef has visited Bangladesh.  Alongside Chapman is an impressive cohort of 5 more award-winning curry chefs: Chef Jamal Uddin Ahmed, owner of the Shozna, Kent; Jafor Solim Uddin of the Maidenhead's The Fat Buddha; Syed Zohurul Islam, Executive Chef at The Capital, Durham; Chef Utpal Kumar Mondal, former Executive Chef of Hotel Hindustan International; and Chef Moloy Halder, Executive Chef of Specialty Groups.  Read Top brain foods for studying and exams Among those present at yesterday’s press conference were Lord Karan Bilimoria, former president of the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a life peer of the UK House of Lords; Atiqur Rahaman, Managing Director, Bangladesh Services Limited; Sheikh Mohammad Maroof, Additional Managing Director, City Bank; Frances Jacks, Director of Communications, British High Commission; Syed Belal Ahmed, Editor, Curry Life Magazine; Syed Nahas Pasha, Chief Editor, Curry Life Magazine; and Ashwani Nayar, General Manager, InterContinental Dhaka. Lord Bilimoria said, “Curry is an essential part of the British way of life. Whether they live in rural or urban areas, government housing or mansions, everyone eats curry, and everyone loves curry. The growth of the industry has been spectacular, emerging from a handful of restaurants in the 1980s to over 12,000 today. Why this curry revolution? The answer is simple: because of the Bangladeshi community, and pioneering Bangladeshi chefs and restaurateurs, in the UK. That’s why it is very important and pertinent that we are here today. Among the doom and gloom that is plaguing us today, be it due to the Ukraine-Russia war, and the numerous crises in energy, labour, and more, this festival is a ray of sunshine amongst all that.” Read: Health Benefits of Nigella Seeds (Kalijira) He added, “I have felt completely at home since I landed in Bangladesh. It is a pleasure to be here at the InterContinental Dhaka; not only does it have a great history, it is today a phenomenal facility with world-class service comparable to anywhere else in the world.” Speaking about the British Curry Festival, Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner said, “I’m delighted that traditional British curries are being showcased and celebrated in Bangladesh through the week-long British Curry Festival. Curry houses have been a feature of life in the UK for over 200 years, and curry is now a firm British favourite. The UK curry industry was led from the start by enterprising Bengalis, and its continued strength is a great symbol of BritBanglaBondhon.” During the British Curry Festival at InterContinental Dhaka, Chef Dominic Chapman said, “I’m greatly looking forward to learning about the culture of Bangladesh. I can’t wait to work with the team and have unique culinary experiences. While I will definitely be creating dishes inspired by British recipes, I’m excited to make the best use of the local produce as well. I have learned much from having attended previous editions of the festival, not least how very different ‘British Curry’ is compared to the palates of the subcontinent.” Read Top Instagrammable rooftop restaurants in Banani