Festive season

It's that time of the year when every Bengali's heart beats to the rhythms of the 'dhaak'! It's the time for Durga Puja, the greatest festival in the Bengali calendar (and that's saying something, given the huge number of festivals in the Bengali calendar :D). And here in Kolkata the preparations have reached a fever pitch. The pandal (you can think of it as a disposable temple made of bamboo, cloth and whatever else the builders deem befitting) near my house is all but complete.

Maa Durga

With just one more day to go, it's not just pandals being finished in a hurry, people all over the place are rushing to complete their Puja shopping. In the heart of central Kolkata, the throngs of shoppers have all but obliterated any sense of discipline in the traffic. Traffic Police are rendered helpless as crowds simply refuse to part and allow vehicular traffic to ply on the roads.

Amidst this frenzy, I feel oddly left out. For the last four years I have been living away from home and now, I can't seem to be able to get back into the groove. Maybe it's just because I've never been in Kolkata during Puja. Tomorrow I'll head back to where it all began for me, to my grandparents' place and to my earliest memories of Durga Puja. And from there I'll be off to my earstwhile hometown, Asansol. I recall the fun we used to have in what seems to be such a long time ago, fond memories. Well, tomorrow I'll see if it all comes back to me!