Considered one of the largest red-light areas of Asia, Sonagachi houses 15000-16000 sex workers in several multi-storied brothels. Located in North Kolkata, the neighbourhood was once rumoured to be the residence of a notorious dacoit known as Sanaullah. It is said that on his death, his mother is said to have heard a voice, who said “Mother, don’t cry. I have become a Gazi”. This is how the legend of Sona Gazi started which eventually turned into what is known as Sonagachi today.

A mixture of Gandhian spirit and Marxian ideas, Purnima Banerjee was among that group of women who were leading the freedom movement in the late 1930s and 1940s. She is famous for her many debates in the Constituent Assembly where she stood up for the fundamental rights of the Indian citizens.

It was a few minutes after midnight, on 15th August 1947, when the first Indian National Flag that was to be unfurled over independent India was presented to the Constituent Assembly. The honour of presenting the flag to the assembly was bestowed on a figure who was a strong advocate of educational reforms and equal rights, she was Hansa Jivraj Mehta.

While there have been various rulers in the history of India who were patrons of art and architecture, the name of Sher Shah Suri as a builder deserves special recognition. His reign lasted only five years but witnessed the construction of several architectural marvels and laid the groundwork for the Mughal architectural style. He is not only known for grand structures like the three tombs at Sasaram but also utilitarian buildings like sarais and dakchaukis.

The reputation of Sher Shah Suri as a builder and a patron of architecture can easily be justified through two structures i.e., Sher Mandal and Sher Garh. While both of these structures differ in their scale, size, location, utility, and techniques of construction, they also depict the different shades of Sher Shah’s personality.

With roots in Kumbla, a small town near Kasaragod, Kerala; Anil Kumble has risen to international fame through his extraordinary skills as a bowler. Born in Bangalore on 17th October, 1970, Kumble has been known to play cricket on the streets of the city during his early years.