13/10/2021
Although Durga Pujo is Sarbojonin, it has a slightly different meaning for everyone...
The universal feeling of feeling good, unlimited khawa dawa and notun jama pora was always there, but for me the secret sauce was the 5 din dhore ghure ghure Thakur dekha...
Starting with ekdom chhotobela when we used to go around, a family of 4, in my dad's scooter. This was way before Google maps, so finding and exploring the different pujos in all corners of Kolkata (many of which we only go once a year during Durga Puja) was a unique experience. We live in Behala, so Shasthi used to be around the neighborhood, and between Saptami, Ashtami and Nabami, around Behala (Behala around that time started to have our own ecosystem of great pujos), South Kolkata (New Alipore, Chelta, Rashbehari, Dhakuria and Ballygaunge) and North Kolkata (starting with College Square and ending in Sealdah). North Kolkata in particular was an enigma given it was so far from where we stayed (and when u r small, distances feel larger)
Then growing up, during high school, jokhn ektu boro holam, the sign of growing up was a day off from parents (usually Ashtami or Nabami) when I was allowed to go out with my friends. Going around Kolkata alone, paying for others tickets on the bus (in a round robin format of course!) and ordering Biryani and paying for it .... Those were the little joys in life in those days...
College e eshe baba maa Day became limited to just 1 day, the rest was assigned to friends. And Maddox Square got added (as a priority target) on the Pujo list!
Those days r long gone. Bohudin r Kolkata r pujo dekha hoy naa. The last I was in Kolkata during Pujo in 2019 and before that in 2013. And in most cases, most of our friends r not in Kolkata.
Before moving to Singapore, London koek bocchor katiechi. Sekhane pujo besh bhalo hoy. I would say outside India, it has the best collection of Durga Pujas. All in 20+ pujo hoy around Greater London. Proper pujo porikroma kora jay!
Singapore e eshe last 4 yrs e shei atmosphere ta miss kori
Ashtamir sokale uthe m***a kemon korlo... Tai Cha khete khete ektu likhe fellam... back to work now 😊
Pujo shobar khub bhalo katuk.... Back in India, jekhane jar parents ra achen, tara shustho thakun...
Subho Mahashtamir onek subhechha shobaike !! 🙏🙏