বাংলা খাতা

BENGAL

Baali

Two women trapped by the society, one stripped of colours and the other weighed down by it.

Dhaka, Bangladesh: A student from the faculty of fine arts of Dhaka University works on a mural in preparation for the Bengali new year.

Dhaka University

Hello! Do you want to learn Bengali/Bangla but don't know where to start? Then I've got the perfect resource list for you and you can find its link below! Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve it. Here is what the resource list contains;

"Handmade" resources on certain grammar concepts for easy understanding.

Resources on learning the script.

Websites to practice reading the script.

Documents to enhance your Bengali vocabulary.

Notes on Colloquial Bengali.

Music playlists

List of podcasts/audiobooks And a compiled + organized list of websites you can use to get hold of Bengali grammar!

Nakshi kantha (Bengali: নকশি কাঁথা) is a type of embroidery tradition from Bengal region, i.e Bangladesh and Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and part of Assam. The basic material used is thread and old cloth. Traditionally, kantha was produced by women strictly for the use of the family. However, these days after the revival of the nakshi kantha art form, they are produced commercially.

The name nakshi kantha is derived from the Bengali word naksha, which means artistic patterns, and kantha which originated from the Sanskrit word kontha, meaning rags, as kantha is made of rags. Traditionally kanthas had a white background accented with red, blue and black embroidery; later yellow, green, pink and other colours were also included. The running stitch called 'kantha stitch' is the main stitch used. Even though no specific strict symmetry is followed, a finely embroidered kantha will always have a focal point. Most kanthas will have a lotus as focal point, and around the lotus there are often undulating vines or floral motifs, or a shari border motif. Other motifs may include solar, lunar, wheel, swastika or other circular images as well as flowers, leaves, birds, fish, and animals. Although most kantas have some repeated traditional motif, no two naksi kantas are same and the individual style of the artist is retained.