Mamata Banerjee expresses gratitude to UNESCO for awarding Cultural Heritage tag to Kolkata’s Durga Puja

Kolkata witnessed an unusual rally. The people of the city usually have to endure rallies of political parties but this was an exception. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee headed it. The purpose was to express gratitude to UNESCO for including Kolkata’s Durga Puja on the intangible cultural heritage representative list. The chief minister had renowned cricketer Sourav Ganguly alongside her on the stage and they greeted the UNESCO representatives who were present on the occasion. The rally included not only Kolkata but also each district of West Bengal. Among the participants were women drummers of South 24 Parganas to religious and cultural groups (Bauls) of Birbhum. The rally originated from Jorasanko Thakur Bari (House of Rabindranath Tagore) in Kolkata and culminated at Red Road ‘Durga Puja is Celebrated by All’: Mamata Thanks UNESCO for Recognising Festival at Kolkata Rally. The chief minister thanked the UNESCO representatives who had come. She said, “….. About Rs 40 crore business takes place during the Durga Puja, and this support from UNESCO will give a big boost to us…..”

Sourav Ganguly also expressed happiness and said Durga Puja is “beyond imagination”. He admitted about traveling to different parts of the world and said he had never seen such festivity anywhere. He thanked UNESCO about giving the festival due recognition. The TMC government also felicitated Professor Tapati Guha Thakurtha for her efforts to put Bengal’s Durga Puja in the UNESCO list.

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In the wonderland of deo sprays, fairness creams, and condoms

The new age has thrown up a number of unique men centric products that were never heard of in society. One of these is the deodorant, shortened to deo spray. In my youth, ordinary bath soaps were enough to impart the fresh look and add a bit of fragrance that would keep me surrounded like an invisible halo. When going to attend marriage celebration of a family member, I would spray a bit of perfume borrowed from my mother – and, she would not know.
Times have changed and, today, it is all about deo sprays. Scantily clad models cast meaningful glances at the usually bare chested young man and swoon over him who has sprayed the exotic deo spray on his body.

Another men centric product is the fairness cream – it is touted as a cream that can impart a fair complexion to any man. And, it is promoted by a celebrity of Bollywood. In spite of that stars of the silver screen as well as of the small screen have begun to sport beards – a bit strange.
Yet another men centric product is the condom – once mentioned in undertones, it is now advertised widely on TV with celebrities endorsing the product. The latest entrant to this fold is a famous cricketer known for his sixers in IPL.


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In the wonderland of health drinks

It is a fact that new has to make way for the old and it holds good for even the health drinks. I have seen ad of one of the most popular health drinks way back in my school days. It used to be in the form of a comic strip (with balloons to accommodate the texts) in newspapers and was about a watch repairer. He improved his business potentials by regularly taking the health drink – it gave him ideas of how to improve customer relationship. When someone approached him with a watch in need of repairs and it would take time, he would lend him a watch till the unserviceable one was repaired.
Well – that health drink still rules the roost.

Only, it has acquired variety of attractive packaging and is targeted at specific groups of users. It starts with pregnant mothers and graduates to various age groups of children right from the cradle till the formative years. And, it does not end there. It goes on to women who are stressed by the daily routine.
This brand believes in aggressively marketing its products for specific target groups. The basic product remains more or less the same – it is the packaging that makes it different.
Then there are the health drinks that try to outdo one another by claiming to make the children ‘taller and stronger’. Once upon a time, a famous cricketer used to extol the virtues of a brand of health drink. He was the face of a shaving cream also.
Today, the models for health drinks have mothers with their kids – and, she even runs alongside her son to encourage him. After all, mothers know best.


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