Puja Flavors

The mad mad mad Bengali festivals of the Bengali Hindus, Durga Puja is round the corner. Just four days away. These five days Bengalis party like never before. The best part is apart from the very affluent and branded pujas one can find humble small home based pujas which are less ostentatious and more flavourful. These four days mean fun, fun and more fun. Although with age the definition of the word takes various forms.

Children love it because of no studies and lots of goodies to eat plus the visit to pandals on ones fathers shoulders. Youngsters love the freedom, teenagers enjoy the sweet enchanting romances. In adult life it is more about hanging out with friends without any interruption from work and for elderly couples it is about children coming home for the holidays, just like Ma Durga herself.

But even in my super complicated life, the thought of Durga Pujas brings great joy. So I am listing my favourite flavours of Puja and may be you can join in with your favourites as well:

1. Long adda sessions with family and friends
2. The long ques outside the restaurant
3. The mad last minute shopping
4. Go crazy while shopping for gifts. People often pretend that they do not like to shop and they are doing so forcibly, but I think everyone loves it and wants to see that glee in the eyes of the recipient and that's why they take the trouble
5. Pandals turning into fashion week venues with everyone putting their best foot forward
6. The heady scent of flowers, incense and sweets in the pandals
7. The smiles on the children's faces
8. The hope each year of a better year
9. But my best of them all is Mahalaya Day,  The ritual listening to an old AIR recorded programme is jut the sheer winner hands down. Loaded with hope it makes me overwhelmingly nostalgic. It is that one moment in time which makes life so beautiful. It brings the best family memories of my childhood spent with my Grandmother and it always leaves a smile on my face.

So now people as you know my own little secret list out your favourite Puja flavours.