CR PARK SPEAKS NEWSLETTER

 GOLPO... Sunday Lunch Robibarer Mangsher Jhol   -- Chandralekha ~ 24 May 2024   The cumin seeds spluttered and the garam masala released its signature aroma signaling for the meat to be added. Marinated in yogurt and ginger-garlic paste, the mutton pieces sizzled as they touched the smoking mustard oil. “Potatoes and carrots go in next and the papaya is added last for it cooks first.” I could hear my mother’s voice in my head instructing me from Kolkata. I covered the dekchi to let the meat cook. Mangsher jhol was on its way.   It was ten-thirty. Guests would be arriving in two hours. I picked up the duster to tidy the living room. Vitamix’s powerful whirring stopped abruptly. “Here, have some of this,” offered Orko, my son. “It’s got beta-carotene, Vit C, E, and K.” He scraped the remnants of 12 large Bunny-Luv’s, bought from the organic section in Berkeley Bowl, into the composting bin. He placed the large jug of freshly squeezed carrot juice on the ...

GYAN BARTA  For decades, milk has been promoted as the primary source of calcium, yet a growing body of nutritional awareness now encourages us to look beyond dairy.   Many people experience lactose intolerance, inflammation, hormonal imbalance, or digestive discomfort linked to dairy consumption.  Switching to non-dairy calcium foods allows the body to absorb minerals more gently and efficiently, while supporting gut health, metabolic balance, and long-term bone strength—without relying on a single food source. 🥬 Plant-Based Calcium-Rich Foods (No Milk) 🌱 Seeds & Nuts Til (Sesame seeds) – one of the richest natural calcium sources ▸ 1 tbsp ≈ 88 mg calcium Chia seeds – also high in magnesium & omega-3 Almonds – calcium + good fats Ragi (Finger millet) – excellent Indian staple ▸ ~344 mg calcium / 100 g 🥦 Green Vegetables Moringa leaves (Drumstick leaves) – very high bioavailable calcium Amaranth leaves (Chaulai / Thotakura) Broc...

Swami Vivekananda: Awakening the Youth, Igniting the Nation Today, 12th January , we bow in reverence to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary—a day celebrated across India as National Youth Day . It is not merely a tribute to a great monk and philosopher, but a reminder of a clarion call he gave to the youth of India: “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.” Born in 1863 in Calcutta , Swami Vivekananda was the spiritual heir of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa , yet his vision reached far beyond the walls of monasteries. He believed that spirituality was not escape from life, but the strength to face life fearlessly . To him, the youth were not passive inheritors of tradition but active builders of the future —fearless, disciplined, compassionate, and rooted in values. Swami Vivekananda’s thunderous address at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago (1893) awakened the world to India’s spiritual wisdom. But his deepest concern was always India herself—her...

Happy 2026 to our CR Park Family! As the first few days of the Gregorian New Year settle in, there’s a distinct freshness in the air. 2 026 has officially arrived, heralding new beginnings and that familiar sense of hope we all carry into January. To every reader of  CR Park Speaks , we want to wish you a very  Happy New Year!  Whether you spent your countdown at a quiet family dinner or joined the bustling crowds at the Mandir, we hope your start to the year was filled with warmth. The Turning of the Sun:  The days have started getting longer and brighter. What does it signify? That we are going into Uttarayan from Dakshinayan. So, what is Uttarayan? Uttarayan is a time of 6 months when the Sun God decides to move up north of the planet. The Gods who were asleep for the last 6 months during Dakshinayan are finally waking up. This is the time when warmth, life, sustenance, abundance, freshness start coming into our lives. The universe turns its face towards gro...

EDITORIAL Join our WhatsApp Group: Click This Link To Connect   https://chat.whatsapp.com/GUwTD41z108HFDcdnBKt10 With the advent of winter, CR Park gears up for a brilliant line up of cultural activities. The month began with the most unprecedented membership results of Kali Mandir Society. In its entire history from inception, Kali Mandir has not seen such a mammoth membership drive. Under the able secretaryship of Dr Rajiv Nag, a record 635 applicants got inducted into Kali Mandir Society as Life Members. A marathon screening and the minutest scrutiny took place for each application, after which the members were inducted. This unique achievement has sent a wave of happiness among devotees in the colony. Many members have expressed keen interest to be involved in regular Mandir activities after this successful drive. A slew of impressive theatre presentations across the entire month, have got all residents out of their warm homes, and thronging the various venues across the colon...