‘Durga Puja’ or ‘Durgotsava’ is one of the biggest celebrations in the Hindu festival calendar. During those six days, the entire nation revels in the joy of Goddess Durga’s victory on the treacherous demon Mahishasura and her renouncement of good over evil. A typical celebration of Durga Puja is synonymous with gorgeously decorated pandals, herd of people dressed up in their finest outfits, best of delicacies lavishly spread out and the jibber-jabber of devotees in a social cultural set up.
Year by year, the magnificence and opulence of this auspicious time is growing by leaps and bound. And as this time, the frenzy started gripping the whole nation, we also decided to dig deeper into this festival and explore its true flavors. Thus we packed our bags, booked a flight and landed in the city of joy- Kolkata. (That’s what we had fancied!) But in reality, we just visited Chitranjan Park, in Delhi, also known as Mini Kolkata of the city and took a walk down to the galore of Puja celebrations.
To suit to the occasion, we also dressed up in traditional outfits and marched towards the lane in CR Park which had a string of pandals at every ten steps. As we started getting closer to our first pandal of the evening, two things captured our eyes- a glowing bulb trail at the entrance and the mystic aroma of the scented incenses sticks and coconut fiber burnings.
Images Courtesy By: Ruma Mazumder
Entry Steps
Decked up in white and red with zillion bulbs hanging from all sides, the entrance of the pandal was strictly guarded by the police for security checks. Here, what caught our eye was the board with two powerful eyes of Ma Durga in blood red background placed right outside the tent. As we entered the pandal ground, we were spell bound by the magnificent idols of the goddess Durga along with the entourage of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati and Lord Vishwakarma.
The Powerful Deity
After offerings customary prayers to the almighty, we moved towards the ground area which was segregated between food stalls and knick-knack shops. The variety of food available at the tent was massive. Right from tikkas of all kinds, to chaat items, to traditional Bengali fish corner, it truly proved out to be a food haven for one and all.
Tikka Galore
After much contemplation, we decided to first savor the traditional taste of Bengali ‘puchka’ or popularly known as ‘gol gapapps’ in the Northern India. We noticed that while the ‘gol gappas’ of the North are made of suji along with wheat flour, the traditional water bowls of Bengal are big, crusty and thin. And although they may be made of wheat flour, but they are filled with imli water instead of sweet saunth and mint water.
Puchka Kolkata Style
Another authentic Bengali delicacy that we truly enjoyed was a vegetarian chop made of potatoes, beet root and bread crumbs and served with chopped cucumber. Besides being irresistibly yummy, this dish also highlighted the trend of near by Bengali house wives who sold the traditional stuff made in their kitchen at the pandals with the help of their kids and family members.
Chops, Pakoras And More
After an indulgent eating spree, it was time for some shopping! Hence we shifted the gear and inched towards the shops that sold a variety of interesting goods. There were traditional silk and jute apparels displayed at one stall, while the other shops sold authentic handicrafts of the region with mini idols of goddess Durga and other deities.
The Art Pieces
As the night drew closer, we thought of hopping to the next pandal in row and experience new flavors of food, fashion and festivities. Thus we flocked to the second tent located few yards away from the first one. However a particular halt in between at the street side vendor was inevitable. A cone of jhal muri available in just ten rupees, we savored every morsel of this tangy, spicy and popular snack of Bengal.
A Taste Of Jhal Muri
After we polished a generous amount of jhal muri and made our way towards the next pandal, we observed a make-shift restaurant located at the ramps of the residences of that particular area. A walking passerby told us that these restaurants are run by Bengali households during the time of Pujas and they bring the real street food flavours of Kolkata to this mini Kolkata situated in the heart of capital.
Puja Special Restaurants
As we closed by the second pandal, we were welcomed by the loud chanting of mantras, beats of dhol and a dancing group of devotees who had gathered to participate in the evening aarti ritual. We noticed, this time, the deity of Durga was decorated in a fierce red and white background made of beautiful handmade paper.
Ceremonial Worship Of Ma Durga
However as we started to explore the second tent in detail, we noticed a variety of healthy foods served at the pandals. The availability of low oil food and boiled chaat made clear that the burgeoning trend of health food has even reached the pompous occasion like Durga Puja celebrations. It’s a good deal for people who want to visit the pandal and yet not stack up with calories. One such option was refreshing coconut water.
A Quench Of Summer Thirst
So, we decided to sip! And while we relished the rejuvenating coconut water, the constant rants of a vendor drew us towards his cart. He was inviting the pretty lasses of the pandal to check out some trendy and funky junk jewelry at his stall. And once we decided to follow the suit we discovered numerous stunning coral neckpieces in blue and oxidized golden metal jewelry in his collection.
Glitterati Yet Funky
By this time, the festivities in the air had started to gear up. There were more people on the roads and in the stalls. The food shops were hinting of decadent food and visitors were raiding the pandals in huge groups. But our energies were on a dip. Thus we decided to wind up our exotic expedition and exit from this festive affair. But a last pause at a paan shop was the perfect way to sum up this ethereal experience. And as expected the paan was a mouthful of gulkand, coconut, cherries and saunf.
Betel In My Mouth
Calling it a wonderful voyage and on our way back home, we realised that our dreams of flying to Kolkata may have taken a happy backseat but we experienced what’s called the true essence of Durga Puja in all its spirits right in the capital. And above all, we learnt that be it any place, the festival is celebrated with same enthusiasm, fervor and love.
After all it’s all about having holistic fun from rituals to good food, exciting crowd and enigmatic music. And we had experienced it all!
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