Durga Puja Diaries Season 2 Part 1: The Pujo Pujo Gondho!!!

During the last drizzles of the passing monsoon and at the early set of autumn, every Bong,  be in West Bengal or else where in the world,  gets a very special smell in their nose.  It’s the smell of the crisp Sun warming down before the winter. It’s the smell of clear skies, with just an occasional speck of cloud at the corner. It’s the smell of new untouched clothes saved specially for the upcoming month. It’s the feel of an unsaid happiness from the pit of your stomach. It’s the excitement of giggles, indefinite smiles and an indescribable joy.  It’s called the Pujo Pujo gondo (the smell of Durga Puja). Pujo is used twice because a single mention is just not enough to explain the whole essence of the feeling.  Unfortunately it’s mostly restricted to the Bongs. Although we would love to share this joy with the whole world, but only few understand this and even fewer share the same level of excitement.  May be that is one of the main reasons why Bongs are topping the charts of inter community marriages and are amongst the largest communities to have settled outside their state, also being the highest numbers of travel enthusiasts, just to spread the feel of the most beautiful time of the year across the whole world.

The time is actually of 5 days (for us) and Bong calendar revolves around these 5 days.  But the anticipation and excitement builds up around the whole month, the first month of autumn. When the sun is golden and not so warm, the air is crisp and neither to humid or too dry. Nature is embracing itself for the cold winter and, in a way, more colorful than spring season. Only around this time of the year, indigenous to the eastern coast of Indian subcontinent grows and blossoms the Kans grass, or what we call “Kash Ful”. You can find these flowers on the side of almost all highways and roads and in all left out grasslands. The blooming of Kash ful is the biggest indicator of the arrival of Autumn fest, or what we call “Agomony of Ma Durga”. Ideally this flower does not have any smell and is very feathery. But to a bong, it carries the Pujo Pujo Gondho. It is Nature’s way of welcoming the Goddess of Power and Prosperity.

From a few months left to a few days left, the wait and the preparation and planning is elaborate and meticulous since the outcome is always magical. When you notice that you are stocking up your wardrobe instead of stunning your loved ones with that special new dress, you know that Pujo is around. When you crave for Kolkata more than anytime of the year, you know that Pujo is around. Just after Ganesh Chaturthi, your heart and mind automatically sync in the calculation of the days left to the ultimate event. Your heart skips a beat every time you pass an unfinished Pandal in the streets.

You know Durga Puja is around when your Mom starts redecorating the whole house all over again. When all the shelves have newer newspaper spread at their bottom, when you see new curtains and bedsheets being taken out from the treasury that only Moms know the location of, you get the Pujo smell. The mood of the whole household would be extra jolly and everyone would be excited to help in the cleaning that Mom does.

Then, of course we get the Pujo Pujo Gondho when we think and plan of the delicacies that we would devour on during those days.  Durga Puja is the paradise for a foodie, you get everything you love extra tasty with a bonus of leeway from your family towards junk intake. That’s the only the time when my Dad actually approves my junk food habits and also sometimes joins me and Mom for a couple of plates of Phuchka! The rest of the year is a totally opposite story.

The wait for the event is more thrilling than in the actual days, because when the ultimate time comes, it vanishes in a semi second! Poof! And just like that we are left with a bunch of memories and great pictures for social media and a lot of wait and hope for an even bigger event the next year. Needless to say, social media flooded with the highest number of uploads during this time.

In reality, all the hype about the Durga Puja is not because of the fact that you get 4days off from your office (if you stay out of Bengal) on humanitarian grounds automatically just being a Bong. The excitement is also not because of the uber delicious food or endless shopping and gifts that you exchange with all of your loved ones. The excitement is due to the overflowing happiness inside and around you. Everywhere you see you will find a happy face and bright smile. You are in the happiest possible place on Earth if you are in Kolkata during Durga Puja, caste, community, color, creed no bar.  The good will is just spreading like fire engulfing every living thing in proximity.  Even if you are facing a difficult time in life, crisis averted or not,  Durga Puja will lighten up your mood and give you a few blissful windows of happiness and good memories.

Durga Puja is the best time because it is the only constant other than our family in every Bongs' life. From before we can remember, we know that we would wake up at exactly 4am in the morning and turn on the radio on the dawn of Mahalaya (today :) ) and dedicatedly listen to the whole episode (2.15hrs) of Mahishasura Mardini by Birendra Krishna Bhadra and other artists. And then will commence in the joyful spirit of the Puja after paying our respects to our ancestors. Every Bong gets goosebumps whenever you hear those Slokas, and everyone has their own favorite part, like mine being the Rupang Dehi sloka and the Chandipath. No matter where you are, no matter the state you are in, thanks to technology, we can’t miss this Mahalaya song, because it marks the end of evil and beginning of the golden days, literally, the most pious days of the year. It is the end of the tunnel to hope and the dawn of the day. We just feel the warmth of family and friends around us. And we love to share this warmth with the whole world.

I am sure there are other festivals which are so very close to your heart just as Durga Puja is to me. Please do share your stories with me :). In the meanwhile, I invite you all to join me in the celebration of the largest open air street art festival in the world, the festival of bright happy faces and even brighter colors, Durga Puja!  Bolo Durga Mai ki!! :) :) :)