Shop! – It’s Durga Puja

Durga Puja lies at the heart of all celebrations that the Bengali community across the world is known for. Spot a person anywhere in the world all dressed up in the ‘laal paar shada shari’ with a big red bindi on her forehead and you can, almost without doubt ascribe her to be a true-blue Bengali! Ask her how in the middle of London she managed to scour out a traditional Bengali saree and she’ll tell you that she had her relatives back in Kolkata send it over. ‘Why take all the trouble?’ you ask, and she’ll make an incredulous face and stare at you! It’s because if you are pally with anyone slightly Bengali, you’re supposed to know that whatever lengths and breadths you may have to take recourse to, in order to achieve that ‘perfect pujo look’ is worth its while. Such are the extended implications of Durga Puja.

This is one time of the year, when all Bengalis, whether they be 4 or 40, vie each other to look their best. The tradition of Durga Puja is synonymous with the tradition of wearing ‘notun jama’ (new clothes). During these 5 days Bengalis all over the world celebrate not only with all heart and vigour but also shun all inhibitions and dress up to look their unencumbered best!

Marketplaces I Kolkata and elsewhere in Bengal are flooded with a sea of people. At every nook and corner you will find men and women alike shopping for sarees, salwars, western wear, jewellery and accessories. Somewhere a woman is striving hard to match the exact shade of red of her saree to a perfect blouse piece, while somewhere else a teenager is bargaining hard to get the perfect deal for the set of bangles that go seamlessly with her salwar suit, while elsewhere a distraught looking man is accompanying his wife and daughter to the mall to finish the family puja shopping! Traders also bank on this season for huge sale numbers, and perceptively promote huge discounts to draw shoppers. Online stores come to the rescue of those who cannot take much time out to throng the streets of New Market or Gariahat.

While the tradition of wearing new clothes starts right from Sashti, it is Ashtami and Nabami that people reserve the best of their new dresses for. While many prefer to go ethnic on these two days, others stick to flaunting their curves, with select Western wear.  Whatever be the flavour of the season if you want to see a city of decked up people, Kolkata is where you ought to be during the time Bengal’s favourite daughter comes home!

Maa-er Agomoni Utshob (Series 2)

While 'maa Durga' manifests her presence in our homes and hearts, even the smallest of the 'para-s' vie each other for the best pandals. Curfews at home relax, parents suddenly become way cooler about you being seen with your partner, you suddenly bump into people you most certainly did not want to see, roads are blocked dead with people and cars and loud music blares from the pandals but no-one seems to mind! It’s 'Durga pujo' after all.

 There is absolutely nothing can keep the spirits of the people low for these five days. Pandal hopping in sarees, the ‘anjali’ on the ‘ashtami’ morning, the 'dhunochi naach', the 'sindur khela', the 'bhang' on ‘dashami’ evening, young couples celebrating the first season of their 'pujo' together while hoping for many more to come, the continual sound of the 'saankh' , the streets suddenly have turned into an unending foray of food-stalls with exotic street food, further adding to the commotion, and everything else is that would have bothered you at any other time only add to the air of joy and merrymaking. Dressed in the best of clothes the warmth of the people is just un-missable at this time. It is a time for friendship, it is a time for family, it is a time for kinship and love - it is a time of Celebrations!

Maa-er Agomoni Utshob (Series 1)

It is a popular joke among many that for Bengalis every New Year calendar starts with charting out Durga Pujo dates. Truth be told, no Bengali will deny it. Durga Puja is one occasion that every Bengali looks forward to! 

 There is something about the 'pujo' for us Bengalis, and you don't have to be a Bengali to be able to tell that. The streets are all lit up, there is a sudden influx of traffic everywhere, you cross a street and you suddenly smell 'siuli phool',  the mayhem on the roads gets too much to handle, the marketplaces are just impenetrable; but in all of that, there is something - an air of celebration, an air of grandeur at its best.

All you have to do is be in Bengal at this time of the year. The celebratory mood that the whole city seems to have indulged in all of a sudden is infectious and will certainly take you by surprise if it’s your first 'pujo' in the city. During these five days it’s hard to tell a Calcutta from a New York or from Times Square for that matter.

While the Hindu Goddess Durga is the protagonist of the story, 'pujo' is so much more than just religion here. During these 5 days, the city envelopes itself in merrymaking and laughter and the joy of celebration, forgetting all its woes and worries. The essence of 'pujo' is the passion that comes alive in us Bengalis. These five days are all about the love of life, of culture, of the art of expression, of the joy of celebration, of the joy of togetherness. Nowhere else in the world will the first sounds of 'dhak' give you goose-bumps and leave you with a smile or the sheer fact that an idol is being submerged in the water will bring tears to your eyes, knowing full well that this whole episode will repeat itself in another year from then.

Shop Till You Drop! – Street Shopping in Kolkata

Kolkata is a land of abundance and also popularly, the land of the abundantly cheap.  A rare combination, much to a shopper’s delight! Though the city now boasts of many elaborate shopping malls with many high-end fashion brands, the delights of street shopping are barely comparable.

Be it the Gariahat market in the heart of South Calcutta or New Market in the Central area or Burrabazar in the North, Kolkata has many a treat to offer to the patrons of street shopping. To begin with it is a bargainer’s paradise – you are likely to get away with a steal if you have your bargaining skills in place. Everything from traditional Bengali sarees, to handicrafts, to upscale fashion wear, to eye-catching jewellery, shoes and bags are available at extraordinarily cheap prices. You will find sarees, shoes, bags and dresses for as low as Rs 100-200, while you can find jewellery for bare minimum prices like Rs. 50. Toys, teddy bears, household items, kitchenware, decorations etc. can be bought for as low as Rs. 20-30.

New Market, also previously known as Hogg’s market is one of the oldest and most preferred destination for clothes, accessories and condiment shopping. Rebuilt after the huge fire of 1985, New Market boasts of more than 2000 stalls sprawling over its new and old complexes. The Simpark Mall, Treasure Island and the Shree Ram Arcade in the same area are the ideal destinations for upscale clothes shopping – everything from Westernwear, to formals to partywear to sarees. A wide array of street vendors line the streets selling everything from make-shift scarves to car decorations to laundry bags. Among the residents of South Kolkata, Gariahat is the go-to place for a quick round of shopping – be it clothes or crockery, bed-sheets or bags, fish or fresh vegetables. The basement market complex is especially known for its collection of household goods, everything from linen to mattresses to hardware goods. Hatibagaan, Shyambazar and Burrabazar are three of the oldest markets in Kolkata with extremely reasonable rates. For bookworms, College Street with its collection of bookshops is a huge draw. Lines of bookstores selling both academic and story books exude a cozy old-world charm; tucked behind them is Coffee House, where the intellectuals of Calcutta engage in vigorous ‘adda’ sessions on everything from films to politics.

The experience of street shopping in Kolkata is one-of-a-kind, be it books, shoes or faux Ray Bans; everyone who has experienced it will vouch for the lure of its uniqueness and magnetism!