I-Day preparations, 59 days to Durga Puja and more Kolkata news in pictures

An installation of Durga by Bankim Paul, an idolmaker in Kumartuli, depicting the cultural heritage of Bengal. The theme of these Durga installations are ‘Banglar Mati’ and ‘Banglar Tant’

Flixbug Music launched three new music videos titled CHARMURTI, featuring four stalwarts of Bengali music — Nachiketa Chakraborty, Subhamita Banerjee, Raghab Chatterjee and Rupankar Bagchi — on August 9. The songs have been composed by Kundan Saha and penned by Gautam Susmit & Rajeev Dutta

Institute of Hotel Management, Taratala, Kolkata welcomed the new batches of MSc in Hospitality Administration, BSc in Hospitality and Hotel Administration along with diploma students at an induction programme on August 5 and 6. IHM principal Raja Sadhukhan and eminent members of the hospitality industry, who are also IHM alumni, addressed the gathering. Sessions on grooming, discipline, attendance, examinations and student activities were held

Women shop for rakhis at Gariahat on August 10. Raksha Bandhan falls on August 19 this year

People paid their last respects to former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on August 8. He passed away at his Palm Avenue residence around 8.30am. Bhattacharjee was 80

Artisans make an array of kites in saffron, white and green at a shop in Bowbazar on August 9 ahead of Independence Day

Kabiguru Smaraney — a six-day-long exhibition and mela at Rabindra Sadan — was inaugurated on the occasion of Baishe Srabon on August 7. The mela is a Government of West Bengal initiative and will be on till August 12, from 5pm onwards

Devotees gather on the banks of the Hooghly at Nimtala Ghat in north Kolkata to collect ‘Gangajal’ on the third Monday of Sawan (August 5) and (right) a woman browses through decorative items on sale nearby