PRESIDENT

As a child growing up in West Bengal, I moved from one town to another because my father had a transferrable job. The common thread among all these towns was that they had rivers flowing through them. After moving to the Ocean State almost thirty years back, I fell in love with the natural beauty of the state and its proximity to the Ocean. Although far removed from the land I grew up in, the Blackstone and Pawtuxet rivers and the nearby ocean somehow made me feel at home. My undergraduate days were spent in Presidency College in College Street, Kolkata where I was influenced by the avant garde spirit and the freedom of expression and thought that was characteristic of most young adults of the time. In addition to academics, my time was also spent with literature, poetry, and most of all, music. When I moved to Visva Bharati, Shantiniketan for post-graduate studies, my love for music landed on a solid and stronger foundation. While my formal training in music was in Rabindra Sangeet, I find comfort and solace in every genre of music. My job as a language interpreter often inserts me into chaotic and difficult situations – so staying calm is my goal always, well almost always. Being involved with BARI brings me joy in many ways, but mostly through knowing new people as well as recreating childhood memories.

VICE PRESIDENT

I love Tolkien and GRR Martin, I dig Feluda and Byomkesh. I am a contrarian who loves exploring new ideas and projects with the goal of bringing new products to market. BARI and it's mission of bringing the life inspired by Bengalis to New England gives me a unique opportunity to do the same with some soon to be launched  projects that  will serve the wider Indian and American community as a whole.

SECRETARY

BARI is an idea born in a friend's basement, and since that day, it has become my passion. Outside of BARI, I am an avid gardener, finding immense joy in nurturing indoor and outdoor plants. A couple of years ago, I fulfilled a long-held dream by learning Bollywood dance, culminating in many stage performances. I grew up shy as a middle child, often in the background. Yet, as I matured, I discovered an unexpected confidence and began to thrive in the presence of others, embracing the energy of human connection. This has led to my love for teaching high school students, whose humor brightens my days. I listen to financial literacy and minimalism podcasts in my spare time and find peace in spiritual books and meditation.

TREASURER

I grew up in a small town of West Bengal and enjoyed reading the rich literature of Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay during my high school years. I also loved celebrating Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and Rabindra Jayanti etc.. When I associate myself with BARI, I get the opportunity to volunteer and celebrate these rich cultural traditions. By profession,  I am an engineer and love solving challenging engineering problems. I enjoy mentoring our young generation, and it gives me immense pleasure when I see them succeed in their careers and lives.

I am an avid photographer who loves photographing Nature, Landscape, and Cityscape, and also happen to be the resident photographer of BARI. If you notice a tall, very dark, and handsome man at BARI social events carrying 2-3 large and heavy cameras – you’ve found me. Over the years, I have served as one of the quiz/trivia masters during events at BARI and some neighboring communities in Providence and Boston. In order to get people to take me seriously, I generally wear a white wig most of the time.

I was born and raised in rural south western Bengal, in the Midnapore district which is home to the renowned social reformer and educationist Vidyasagar, and the famous freedom fighter Matangini. They were my inspiration when I was growing up. I grew up speaking in Subarnarhekik Bangla dialect and Utkal-Bengali culture. Being exposed to cultural and language diversity during my childhood days helped me connect with the HARI school, an Indian cultural organization and Hindi language school for local kids in Rhode Island.  I have been associated with BARI since it was founded in 2014.  Professionally, I am involved in creating and developing new chemical materials and protecting the intellectual property rights of these inventions . In my spare time I follow sports and I am an ardent follower of European soccer.

An easygoing dismal scientist with a bent for optimism, my formative years were spent playing cricket in the gullies of North Calcutta. With fond memories of youth spent thumbing through frayed second-hand volumes in the book stalls of College Street, I search for human experiences that bridge the memories of those times to my present existence many seas apart. It is not a coincidence that I live in a place in-between New York and Boston, for where else would providence put the boy who discovered his first Asimov novel in the school library at St. Xavier’s Kolkata, and fell in love with that genre (in addition to already being a fan of the unforgettable Prof. Shonku). Even otherwise, it is not too difficult to be a Bengali in New England for there is something here that is all too familiar – the penchant for progressive thought in old traditional surroundings. So here I am, with my wonderful family, friends, and BARI!

I'm blessed with two gorgeous boys, Hrid-Spondon (yes, you got it right, they are my Heart-beat). I grew up in Badolkona, a small village 95 kilometers from Kolkata, with thrilling and inspiring recollections of freedom fighters and their stories from the Indian National Army (INA). My grandfather was in the INA and I was named after the revolutionary poet Sukanta Bhattacharya by him. I was inspired by his poetry and began composing poems in my teens. Along with my love of poetry, I supervise an RNA intelligence lab at Brown, exploring how neurons communicate through RNA "letters" during embryonic brain development. Despite shoulder dislocations and rib fractures, I consider myself the best goalie in RI! Since leaving India, I missed my "Gramer Barir Durga Puja". I always dreamed of a BARI Durga puja, and we wove it together this year (2024). My hobbies include laziness and telling my wife she is the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy. Subho Sharodiya from Our BARI to Yours!

I grew up as a Bengali in a remote town in Maharashtra. As a BARI member, I try to recreate the warmth and camaraderie of the Bengali Community that I cherished as a ‘probasi’ in India, while embracing the vibrancy of other cultures that create a rich tapestry of life. I am a cat dad and enjoy immersing myself in podcasts and books to enhance my financial literacy.

I love Tolkien and GRR Martin, I dig Feluda and Byomkesh. I am a contrarian who loves exploring new ideas and projects with the goal of bringing new products to market. BARI and it's mission of bringing the life inspired by Bengalis to New England gives me a unique opportunity to do the same with some soon to be launched  projects that  will serve the wider Indian and American community as a whole.

I am just an ordinary guy who loves being with friends and music to have good time. I spent my childhood days at Kadamtala, Howrah and enjoyed Durga Puja like many other people of my generation. I loved reading Saradiya magazines, playing cards and visiting different puja pandals with my twin sister Ivi and one of my cousin brothers every year until I moved to New Delhi for my job. I find some connection with people here in Rhode Island  through BARI and also with my music minded friends through Suro-Dhonu. Vedanta Society is another place where I connect with like-minded people and find a true sense of life. I love to work on a team and I am very enthusiastic about making things happen.

Dance is my true passion, bringing joy and fulfillment to my soul. When I'm not moving to the rhythm, I'm a dedicated scientist specializing in preclinical immunology. My work in unraveling the mysteries of the immune system keeps me captivated and motivated. I strive to embody the perfect blend of scientific curiosity and artistic expression. I'm thrilled to be a part of our BARI Creative group, where my goal is to bring diversity and coordinate multicultural programs that celebrate our rich, varied backgrounds. Whether it's through groundbreaking research or dynamic dance, I seek to make a meaningful impact.

I am the resident artist and part of the decoration dream team at BARI, where I get to sprinkle creativity and color into all our events! Based in Rhode Island, I run Pastels and Parcels, where art meets everyday life. When I’m not decorating for BARI, you’ll find me creating vibrant works of art, adding a little color to the world!

Dance is my true passion, bringing joy and fulfillment to my soul. When I'm not moving to the rhythm, I'm a dedicated scientist specializing in preclinical immunology. My work in unraveling the mysteries of the immune system keeps me captivated and motivated. I strive to embody the perfect blend of scientific curiosity and artistic expression. I'm thrilled to be a part of our BARI Creative group, where my goal is to bring diversity and coordinate multicultural programs that celebrate our rich, varied backgrounds. Whether it's through groundbreaking research or dynamic dance, I seek to make a meaningful impact.

I grew up in a small village two miles from Bardhaman. I lived with my grandparents, mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and many cousins. I have unforgettable memories of Durga Puja from my childhood. Durga Puja was everything for us: we got new clothes, Saradiya magazines, and a variety of sweets. There was a club puja in front of our house. We used to watch how they built a new Durga Idol for a month, including the finishing touches with color and Ma Durga’s eyes. It felt like it was our own puja. Preparing the Puja at BARI brought me back to those sweet memories of Durga Puja.

I’m a third generation teacher in my family, carrying our family tradition. I live with my husband and sons. In my spare time I like to listen to music, watch thriller TV shows and movies, and watch sports like American football (don’t be surprised!) and basketball: I’m a big Celtics fan!

Born and brought up in the very remote village of Hooghly, West Bengal, I am the youngest of nine and was pampered by all my siblings. There was no electricity or bathrooms in my childhood home. A single simple Durga puja took place in my village every year and that, too, was only if the floods that came with every monsoon season did not wipe everything out. But still, in all my years of living, that small Durga puja is one of my most precious memories — all our cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts & uncles gathering under one roof, going to the ‘Austomi Anjali’ together, hopping from stall to stall at the fair , watching movies in the temporary movie hall made in a tent, playing cards game till midnight, making laddus on Dasami.

I have been living in USA for almost 25 years now. I’ve lived in many different places and visited the Durga pujas held at these places as well. But these two days of BARI’s Durga puja brought back all my childhood memories. I am so happy that we have our very own BARI Durga Puja.

An easygoing dismal scientist with a bent for optimism, my formative years were spent playing cricket in the gullies of North Calcutta. With fond memories of youth spent thumbing through frayed second-hand volumes in the book stalls of College Street, I search for human experiences that bridge the memories of those times to my present existence many seas apart. It is not a coincidence that I live in a place in-between New York and Boston, for where else would providence put the boy who discovered his first Asimov novel in the school library at St. Xavier’s Kolkata, and fell in love with that genre (in addition to already being a fan of the unforgettable Prof. Shonku). Even otherwise, it is not too difficult to be a Bengali in New England for there is something here that is all too familiar – the penchant for progressive thought in old traditional surroundings. So here I am, with my wonderful family, friends, and BARI!

Born and raised in the melting pot that is New Delhi, I enjoy being in a diverse and multi-cultural environment. I feel immensely blessed to be a mom to two amazing children. By profession, I am computer science professor. I currently work on research in algorithms for sustainability, as well as on injecting art into the teaching of computer science. The phrase 'Too many interests and too little time' fits me all too well. My interests in nature, spirituality, art, photography, and music enrich my life everyday. Being married to a Bengali, BARI feels lie a bari to me!

I love Tolkien and GRR Martin, I dig Feluda and Byomkesh. I am a contrarian who loves exploring new ideas and projects with the goal of bringing new products to market. BARI and it's mission of bringing the life inspired by Bengalis to New England gives me a unique opportunity to do the same with some soon to be launched  projects that  will serve the wider Indian and American community as a whole.