Durga Pujo is not a festival, but rather an emotion. For every Bengali, be it in Kolkata, or scattered around the world, the autumnal festival marks a time of happy tides and geniality. They need to wear the best of clothes, have the best of food, go pandal hopping and generally be happy, whatever may come!
Keeping that in mind, here are 7 things Bengalis will do during Pujo, wherever they may be.
Pujo shopping begins from Chaitra Sale (mid-April)
While there are people who do the last minute shopping, but Durga Pujo planning and preparation begins well in advance. Bengalis will definitely start buying puja clothes from around mid-April when the Bengali New Year starts. What if the style goes out of fashion before puja? Well they buy some more! Mid-April or Chaitra sale sees huge discounts being offered, and Bengalis anticipating the pujo fashion, pay religious visits to these places. And what if you do not live in Bengal? Well trust your relatives to buy new clothes for you.
Mahalaya is the first day of pujo, not Panchami
An artist paints the eyes of the Goddess on Mahalaya (Photo: Soumyabrata Gupta)
While the rest of the world may say that Durga Pujo begings from Panchami, or Sashti (every Bong office goer complains about it). The Bengali soul knows that Mahalaya is when pujo has already begun. The early morning radio narration of Durga slaying the buffalo-headed demon by the legendary Birendra Kishore Bhadra, paired with ageless songs, a week before puja commences is when the festivities start for any Bengali around the world.
Durga Pujo brings out the best in boys and girls, romance blossoms.
Girls become women when they make their debut in beautiful sarees. Boys become men as they adorn the dhoti for the first time and become more Bangali than they ever were. And the selfie game will be full on!
Wherever you maybe, all Bangalis will miss Baghbazaar in the North, Maddox in the South
Baghbazaar Durga Puja (Photo: Soumyabrata Gupta)
Theme based pujas are the flavour of the day, But pandal hopping for every Bengali remains incomplete without paying a visit to Baghbazar Sarbojanin Durgotsav in the North and Maddox Square in the South, because tradition will always attract . And some major heartache for these popular Kolkata pujas are prone to happen if one is away from the city.
Dhunuchi Naach and Dhaak
Priest worshiping the Goddess during Durga Puja (Photo: Soumyabrata Gupta)
Bengalis who have never tried their hand at either one will soon be clamouring to get a chance of doing both at some pandal that they have managed to discover. It might not be perfect, but it is fun!
Eat
No Bengali festivity is over without fish fry (Photo: Pixabay)
Call them whatever you may want to. But one thing Bengalis will do during Durga Puja is eat. They will search and find out the best places which serve Bong cuisine and eat to their heart’s content. Pujo is not complete without kosha mangsho, fish fry, egg roll and an array of sweets!
Dashami makes Bengalis teary eyed
A village procession at Guptipara, Hoogly district in Bengal taking the goddess for immersion on Dashami. (Photo: Soumyabrata Gupta)
Wherever they may be, Dashami brings out the worst case of blues in Bangalis everywhere. But, then again, Bengalis start counting days till the next Durga Pujo as soon as Dashami gets over.
