Mahalaya: Birendra Krishna Bhadra heralds the arrival of Durga Puja; here's why an age-old tradition still inspires hope
Hindustan TimesDurga Puja, for the festival-loving Bengalis, is practically here already; with the land waking up as usual in the dawn of Mahalaya to an age-old tradition – tuned in to the enchanting melody of Birendra Krishna Bhadra's voice on ‘Mahishasura Mardini’, a set of Sanskrit recitations on India's oldest radio show aired by the All India Radio Calcutta for the first time in the 1930s. Mahalaya 2021: Birendra Krishna Bhadra, the late radio broadcaster, playwright, actor, narrator, and theatre actor from Kolkata, is undoubtedly still the star of the show. Birendra Krishna Bhadra, the late radio broadcaster, playwright, actor, narrator, and theatre actor from Kolkata, is undoubtedly still the star of the show. The rendition recorded by Birendra Krishna Bhadra eventually went on to become so popular that even Uttam Kumar, the late Bengali actor of fame, did not receive a favourable reception when he was employed to recite the programme back in 1976.
Discover Related