2014. Francis Saint Bris at the Castle Clos Luce in front of the bed of Leonardo da Vinci. The family Saint Bris have been the owners of this Castle since 1854. This Castle was built in 1471. In 1516 King Francis I gave this castle to Leonardo where he lived for 3 years until his death here in 1519. This place in Loire Valley is my regular artistic pilgrimage place to spend some time with the visionary genius of art, Leonardo da Vinci.
When India was partitioned 1947 to create Pakistan, a new country for Muslims, about 20 million people of Bengal and Punjab were displaced and brutally victimized. Sen’s wealthy, literate family had huge landed property in erstwhile East Bengal, the present Bangladesh, which was carved out to be East Pakistan for Muslims. So for being Hindus Sen’s family was overnight evicted from their home. Without taking any possessions, they fled for their lives amidst people warring over religion, and so became squatted refugees in West Bengal.
