What is ADP – Amar Durga Puja?

As we all know that Durga Puja is one of the most awaited festival in West Bengal but because of it’s geographical restriction people in the other part of the world can only read about it or view photos only once the event is over – it’s like watching the highlights of the World Cup Finals. We, at FOURDY WLOG, decided to take Durga Puja to the whole world. After a lot of thinking the only way we could do it was through the most powerful medium of today, the internet. This is when we decided to create ADP – www.amardurgapuja.com. ADP would be like a platform for the users to share their thoughts, videos, photo and more about Durga Puja.

The bigger plan was to create a live online streaming video for EACH location in Kolkata. The user who comes to the website would be able to choose the location for which he wants to view the video for and the live video plays. Many may ask: Almost all media channels and radio stations cover the event, how are they different? Well, the primary difference would be that the user gets to choose the location himself and can view each moment of any location rather than watching the puja for only the location where the media is present at that point of time.

Is it happening for Durga Puja 2009?

Unfortunately, No, we will not be rolling out this year due to the lack of sponsors and lack of time.

Then, why are we talking?

Well, because we are ready to make the first move this year. First Move: We will be organizing a photo submission competition this year.

I am excited, tell me more!

What we plan to do is create a website which would be available for the public at www.amardurgapuja.com. On the website, each user can upload photos of puja happening at various places in Kolkata. All the uploaded photos can be view by the general users visitng the website and will have following features:

• Comment on the photo
• Rate the photo
• Search photos (by location)

What happens next?

Next, we plan to give away prizes to:

• Best Rated Photo
• Most Visited Photo

What about publicizing the website, is it too late to start?

No, we believe it’s the best time to start. We would be using 1 Radio Partner, 1 TV Partner, weblink exchanges and Social Network to promote the event.

Are you interested in contributing?

If yes, please feel free to contact us at http://web.thefourdy.com/contact/

From where did the term “FOURDY” evolved from?

FOURDY, as most of you might know, is not a dictionary term. So when and from where and did it come?

The word was drafted by me in 2005 inspired from the term “4th Dimension”. We all are aware of the 3 dimensions (represented by x,y and z axis) but there is also a concept of the 4th dimension – which is representation of the 3 dimensions at a different point of time. For example, if there is a cube we could all define it’s position in terms of x,y and z axis but with the concept of time, where would that cube be (may be a couple of seconds later?) How do you define that? Well, it’s the 4th Dimension.

Impressed by the word 4th Dimension, I decided that I would name my firm as 4D (abbreviation for 4th Dimension.) Not too late, I realized that the term and the concept was too common. But, until then, I had fallen in love with the expression, 4D and this is when the term FOURDY was coined because when you pronounce 4D; it would be spelled as FOURDY

And what’s with “WLOG”?

Some of you have also asked me why is it Wlog and not Blog, did I mis-spelled it? No, I didn’t. For understanding the concept of Wlog you would have to go back to the time when the word Blog was first used. Blog has been derived from 2 prime words “Web Log.” Hence, the actual word is “B log,” where the “B” has been borrowed from the word “web.”

When I came up with the idea of having a common blog, I didn’t had any specific topic in mind to blog on and treated it as a genrenal (or without specific) blog. And this is when I decided that I would name it Wlog (actually, abbreviation of Web log) as it would also support my idea of being general as WLOG also stands for “Without loss of Generality”

So now you know where “FOURDY” and “WLOG” comes from, please do not ask me again

The world has always believed that Indian are one of the most intelligent amongst all, but somehow I believe, web industry does not live upto that expectation. Indian web and software services are well known for their “cost effective” work. Over 70% of the software/web projects are outsourced from countries like USA, UK and Australia to Indian sub-continent but lately the “trust” factor seems to be evaporating from the minds of western outsourcers (Views wanted). Primary reason: the quality of end product.

I personally feel that this have happened because of the absolute unorganized arrangement of service providers in India which gives birth to the idea of having a common “association” or “forum” for application development companies. This Association can lay guidelines to work structure, pay scales, quality and technology. We can also have periodic meets to discuss the possible threats to/opportunities for web development industry. This would act as a common platform for the professionals of the industry to pool in their ideas. In my prior discussions with some companies, the idea had been accepted whole heartedly but the initial launch pad was still missing. Can Kolkata Blogger’s Meet be the push that it requires?

When I’d come to know about Kolkata Blogger’s meet, I had an idea that it was more about only blogging rather than the complete umbrella of services which were stringed to it. But, after my discussion with Kamanashish who seemed very interested in the same idea I am trying to give this concept another try where we can form an association of like minded application/software/web developers to discuss trends, threats and formulate new ideas and step forward when others are still thinking. Sounds good? if yes, see you at 2nd Blogger’s meet, Kolkata (find the details below).

Kolkata Blogger’s Meet 2009

8th August, 2009 | Saturday
05.00 pm onwards
Cafe Coffee Day, Sector 5
Salt Lake, Kolkata
www.webreps.in

Address:

Jawaharlal Nehru Road and
Lenin Sarani Road Crossing,
Kolkata – 700001
» view on map

Did you know

1. Jawaharlal Nehru Road was named after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, first Prime Minister of India (ofcourse, you know that)
2. “Esplanade” stands for open area close to a river body.
3. The area was named Esplanade even before 1784 because of it’s proximity with Ganges/Hooghly.
4. “Dharmatala” means Holy Street.
5. Tipu Sultan Mosque (at Jawaharlal Nehru Road) was built in 1842, by Prince Gholam Mohammad (youngest son of Tipu Sultan).
6. Chandni market was established in 1794 and was then known as Shakespeare’s Bazar.

Esplanade (1940)

Esplanade (2009)

Note: K.C. Das, popular for its rossogulla, still exists at the same place (right most edge of the corner building). On the current image you would be able to locate it on a Red banner.

I was not able to achieve the same angle because I wasn’t allowed on the first floor (from where the old image is taken). The first floor was then a chinese restaurant, Chung Saw Restaurant, which has now turned into Chowringee Hotel and Restaurant.

Related Images coming soon:

1. Tipu Sultan Mosque.
2. Chung Saw Restaurant.

It was a dream come true for me but since then, it has become very difficult for me to announce this formally (you people know how I am) due to which day by day because of complains from my friends and family no one is enjoying the good news in the way it should be. Hence, I would request all of you to treat this as a formal apology from me and dump any sense of dissatisfaction that you might have and focus on the wedding ceremony, which is scheduled to be on 3rd of December, 2009 at FE Block Community Hall, Salt Lake, Kolkata. Click here if you plan to attend the event.

Engagement took place at Barsana Club, Kolkata on 28th June, 2009 and was a quick ceremony where me and Shikha had exchanged rings. I would like to thank all my friends who had helped me organize the full ceremony within a day’s time.

Anurag Ahuja, who helped me do the shoping for all the gift items, without him Burrabazar would have been a maze. Navneet Sureka, who really helped me with all the jewellery purchases – without him I could have bought glass peices for the cost of diamond. Yogesh Goel, for canceling his birthday party at Chrome and capturing all the moments of the ceremony. Khushboo Nangalia, for helping me pick up the right ladies stuff for Shikha. And, my dear bro, Chetan Bharadwaj, who has also prepared a Photo Album Disk for everyone of you, you can email him at chetan [at] thefourdy [dot] com and request for your copy. Until then, you can click here to view the preview of few selected photos.

CD Cover (Ring Ceremony)

I would once again thank all of you for supporting me through out and I hope that the same support would last ever since.

Regards,
Rahul B.

PS: To all the heart broken boys and girls, pray to God that re-birth is not just fiction.

Address:

Hemanta Basu Sarani,
Lal Dighi, Kolkata – 700001,
West Bengal
» view on map

Did you know?

1. Great Eastern Hotel was founded by David Wilson in 1841 and was known as Auckland Hotel.
2. Wilson’s Hotel, Auckland Hotel, Hall of Nations, Japani Hotel, Jewel of the East are the other names of Great Eastern Hotel itself.
3. Mark Twain described it as the best hotel East of the Suez on his voyage along the Equator.
4. Rudyard Kipling mentioned the hotel in “The City of  Dreadful Night”
5. It has been host to such notables as Queen Elizabeth II & Nikita Khruschev.
6. The hotel was privatised in November 2005 with the help of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
7. The hotel has been re-christened The Grand Great Eastern, Kolkata.
8. Currently, the hotel has over 244 rooms.

So, somehow the hotel has managed to live (with a new name, The Grand Great Eastern.) The adjacent area is now converted into a commercial hub with the Head Offices of many Indian companies, even United Bank of India. Quite a number of businesses have drawn their names from the name of the hotel. At times, Great Eastern is used for a major electronic store which is on the opposite side of road. (I rate it #2, after eBay.)

Anyway, something that everyone was waiting for, find the photos below (click on the photo to enlarge):

Great Eastern Hotel 1910

Great Eastern Hotel (2009)

Note: Towards the right hand corner how “Chutberson & Harper” has been replaced by “KLH” & “VIP”. Even the building on the rightmost corner (will find more details later) is almost a century old. Which was built a decade later from the time of the shot!

I have been getting a lot of people questioning me that who shot the current photograph. Well, treat this as an official announcement that I (Rahul Bharadwaj) has taken the current pictures.

Also, not to forget, comments awaited!

Address:

Chittaranjan Avenue,
Bow Bazaar,
Kolkata – 700001.
» view on map

Did you know?

(Click on the image below to enlarge)

Statesman House (1930s)

Statesman House (2009)

Note: Sorry, I was not able to achieve the same angle because of the garden that is now constructed infront of the gate. Also, please ignore the tree that has now grown right infront of the building.

Shamasis Bhattacharya (my friend) will soon be adding more information to the page. Any other comments are invited.

Address:

Biplabi Trailakya Sarani,
B B D Bagh, Kolkata – 711204,
West Bengal, India.
» view on map

Did you know:

1. B.B.D. stands for – Benoy, Badal and Dinesh, three martyrs, who shot dead N.S. Simpson, the Inspector General of Prisons, in the balconies of Writers’ building.
2. Dalhousie square was named after Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India from 1847 to 1856. At different times it has been called The Green before the Fort or Tank Square.
3. The St. John’s Church’s yard (Catheral Church) has the Mausoleum of Job Charnock (was considered the founder of Kolkata until 2007).
4. Catheral Church is supposedly the oldest piece of masonry in Calcutta.
5. The Dalhousie Square has been declared as one of the world’s 100 most endangered sites by the World monument watch.

More Information (by Sankhadip Basu): Binoy and Badal had shot themselves dead and Dinesh was captured alive and later hanged. The daring attack on Writers’ Building carried out by the trio had shaken up the entire British establishment in India then and had a deep impact on the British administration in Bengal. Read more.

Recent changes that have happened to the place:

1. The tram has stopped plying on this road. They now ply on the left of where the current shot is taken from.
2. The building that is just cut off on the right hand side is Stephen’s House which is now getting renovated (am trying to find a old snap of this building too.)
3. The left of the place used to be a park (called Dalhousie Square) which has been now changed into BBG Bagh Bus stand.
4. And, greenery, of course.

The top image was taken by Glenn S. Hensley in 1944 and image at the bottom was taken by Rahul Bharadwaj on 11th July, 2009. You can find this place on BBD Bagh (E) Road and Lalbazar Street crossing. The shot was taken from current BBD Bagh Bus stand.

(Click on the image below to enlarge)

Cathedral Church, Kolkata (1944)

Cathedral Church, Kolkata (2009)

Note: To the extreme left you would find the tower of Cathedral Church and towards the right you would see 3 building (only 2 are clearly visible) which still exists. Also notice (on the old image) the right most building with a flag of England, well, the post still exists, without any flag though.

Comments invited people.

PS: Thanks to Chetan Bharadwaj & Anurag Ahuja for accompanying me. And a very special thanks to Yogesh Goel (who lent me his camera).

13 people liking it (and still counting,) I was forced to get up, unpack old photos of Kolkata (which I had been downloading for past sometime) and shoot similar photos of the same places.

I rushed out with Chetan Bharadwaj, Anurag Ahuja and Navneet Sureka and Yogesh Goel’s camera. Hah! You would find the result in the later posts.