EXPLAINED: Murshidabad - The Real Truth

Dhunuchi Naach in a Saree: The Drape, Pleats and Pins That Let You Move

The earthen pot is already smoking, the dhak is already loud, and the one thing you cannot afford is a saree that unravels on the third spin. The Drape That Holds Under Heat and MovementThe Bengali style drape, atpoure, is the default for Durga Puja, but it is not automatically…

Times Life · Oct 17

Durga Puja in Bishnupur and Murshidabad: Bengal's Oldest Courtyards

What a Bonedi Bari Puja Actually IsDurga Puja in a bonedi bari is not a public event that a family happens to host. It is a private ritual that a family has agreed, for generations, to let the neighbourhood watch. The zamindar families of Bengal began commissioning their own Durga…

Times Life · Oct 16

Taant or Garad: Which Bengali Weave Survives Four Days of Puja Heat

What the Weaves Actually AreTaant is a plain-weave cotton sari made on a pit loom in Shantipur or Fulia, in Nadia district. The warp and weft are single-ply cotton, sometimes with a zari border, and the fabric is woven at a thread count that keeps it genuinely porous. A standard…

Times Life · Oct 15

West Bengal: Malda, Murshidabad get first 'illegal immigrants’ holding centres for suspected Bangladeshis & Rohingyas

West Bengal has opened its first holding centres in Malda and Murshidabad to house suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingya detainees before deportation. Twelve people have already been moved into these facilities as officials begin nationality verification under updated deportation guidelines. The move has triggered sharp online reactions, with some…

The Economic Times · May 26

Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury writes to Bengal CM over animal slaughter notice

Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury has appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The appeal concerns new animal slaughter guidelines causing confusion and unrest. This is particularly affecting the minority community in Murshidabad district. Chowdhury suggests demarcating specific locations for religious practices. This aims to resolve the unease caused by…

The Economic Times · May 17

Bengal’s migrant workers caught between ‘ghuspaithiya’ politics and SIR deletions

Md Anikul Hoque, a migrant labourer from Samserganj in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, has waited through many crises. He stood in queues for food, water, and cash during demonetisation in 2016. He worked through the Covid-19 lockdown inside sealed buildings in Odisha “like a thief in a prison” waiting to…

Newslaundry · Apr 17

Arijit Singh Love Story: First Marriage, Second Wife & Kids

Almost everyone in India knows the most mesmerising singer Arjit Singh. In fact, there may be few individuals hasn't enjoyed his voice at least once. However, Arjit Singh is one of those rare celebrities who make sure that his private life remains private. A lot of us may not know…

Times Life · Jan 28

Gurugram again: Homes locked, hundreds leave another locality amid crackdown

A police crackdown on illegal immigrants in Gurugram continues to trigger a mass departure of Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers – many of whom have lived and worked in the city for decades as domestic workers, drivers, sanitation staff, and daily-wage labourers.

Newslaundry · Jul 25, 2025

159 FIRs, ‘protest without flags’, families in limbo: A portrait of post-riot Murshidabad

The last batch of Murshidabad violence survivors have returned home from relief camps, but the acrid smell of charred homes hangs heavy over Betbona, Das Para, Pal Para, and Digri – once-peaceful villages now marked by silence and fear. 

Newslaundry · Apr 21, 2025

Hafta 533: Murshidabad violence, National Herald case, Trump targets Harvard

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by senior journalist Nirmalya Mukherjee and NewsX editorial director Priya Sahgal. 

Newslaundry · Apr 19, 2025