This Durga Puja was extra special…

It was only yesterday that I came back to Bangalore after spending five days in Kolkata. The festival of Durga Puja had engulfed the minds of millions of Bengalis, both here and abroad, during this period. The crowded streets, the highly innovatively designed pandals, the “Bonedi” pujas, 24 hour live TV coverage by different channels and the worship ritual itself were enthralling, as they are every year. This year however, was extra special.

Normally when I am in Kolkata during the pujas, I spend a lot of time hopping the pandals throughout the city. This time, it was a lot different. Barring one day (Ashtami) when I spent almost the entire day in Kuhu's house, I was with Kuhu alone, away from the crowd, away from the madness and away from gazing eyes and curious smiles. This puja allowed me to come even closer to Kuhu emotionally. We spent a lot of time together talking, kidding, laughing and of course sometimes fighting too! However, every moment was special.

I also had a rare opportunity to witness the puja in Kuhu’s home - the respected “Chatu Babu-Latu Babur Bari” at Beadon Street on Ashtami. I have always enjoyed the pujas in a “Bonedi Bari”, which are traditional and orthodox households of Kolkata with a true flavour of Bengal. People of north Kolkata always give you a feeling of heritage, a feeling of pride and happiness that comes from being a Bengali. The traditional attire that the family members adorn themselves with, and the hospitality they provide is amazing. On top of that there is an ownership and intimacy in the way that they conduct the pujas. That is really pleasant to the eyes and senses of any true Bengali.

Kuhu and myself spent the last Nabami evening together on the banks of the Ganges in Baghbazar. The curve that the river takes towards Howrah from the Dakshineswar side is just amazingly picturesque. Looking at that, you never seem to get lost for words, and we never let that happen. Finally at 8pm, when we thought that we should turn towards home, it was so painful.

She could not to come to the airport to see me off the next day. Hence the last time I saw her face was at 9 pm on Nabami night, at the junction of CR Avenue and Beadon Street. Devotees wish their mother Durga good-bye with tears of joy on Vijaya Dashami. However, there were two lesser mortals standing on the mouth of an alley in north Kolkata, one day before, bidding each other’s idols goodbye with sobbing hearts, marking the end of a wonderful and memorable stretch of five days.