“...Durga Puja, at the onset of autumn, articulates a most peculiar paradox. In a purely physical and material sense, the city comes to a standstill. Traffic becomes even slower, walking becomes impossible with millions of people out on the streets, and business comes to a halt. But in another sense, the city comes alive. Calcutta, despite its poverty, its deprivation and its lack of certain amenities, is suddenly gripped by a new spirit of joy, gaiety and abandon...”
This is how a certain newspaper described the biggest festival of the Bengalis.
Maa Durga’s homecoming is a unique experience which Bengalis all over the world cherish. The eager wait before the pujo, the zest for enjoyment and then finally the sense of involvement can find no parallel.
This is the only time of the year when impoverished families forget their worries and celebrate, when the rich and the poor divide goes for a toss and everyone is out there to celebrate the homecoming of Maa Durga.
Durga Pujo is important not just as a religious occasion, but for the enduring tradition it symbolises.
Durga Pujo is very close to my heart. It reminds me of my childhood, the days that I spent in Calcutta simply enjoying the entire occasion and the experience as a whole.
For me, it is the best time of the year. These five days make up for the rest of the year.
However, the only sad thing about it is that it is too short...why can’t Maa Durga be here for 365 days?
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