Durga pujo is always bittersweet.When memories are taken out of the mind either they look too rosy or too distorted.One thing I always felt about Durga pujo is the pull of Kolkata.Wherever I have traveled to, I had to visit Kolkata.Maybe not gone pandal hopping, done nothing but visit the neighborhood pandal, but pujo in Kolkata you must visit once.The colors, the different pratimas, the food, the crowd and the madness.If Gods come alive because man remembers, the Maa Durga is called fervently the year around and is easily our favorite Goddess.’
We love her like our mother and wait for her to come and make all things better.Life always looks rosier with Durga pujo around the corner.
Memories of Durga pujo are full of pandal hopping with friends, visiting Maddox square, eating out, getting scolded for coming home late at night.Fast forward to now, its full of prayers, planning on meeting family and friends(if we can get the better of the traffic) and then going somewhere after the pujo to unwind for a few days.
With the passing year’s new memories get added, all jostling for space.What remains unchanged is my faith in the Goddess, the belief she does make me stronger.Life can take many turns, what stays the same is my belief that she will always guide my path.This Durga pujo when sudden news of personal loss colors my thoughts, celebrations are subdued.Everything happens around the little one.She needs her memories.You never know when you need to conjure patronuses to fight our own personal demons.
Be strong.Get rid of those demons and rise.Till next week.
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We will be back to hosting #ThankfulThursdaysevery week from October!
#ThankfulThursdays Prompt this week
Memories of Navratri /Durga pujo you are Thankful for.
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Thankful Thursdays Durga pujo
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Hindus celebrate Navratri and Bengali Hindus celebrate Durga pujo on the last five days of Navratri.What’s the difference? Oh, plenty.While fasting is a big part of Navratri all over North India, ask any self-respecting Bong what’s special about Durga pujo? Goddess Durga is loved as a mother, worshipped as Naari Shakti, warrior Goddess.The food-loving Bong has a Durga pujo and pet(tummy) pujo association.While the North Indians fast, we feast!
Mahishasura the Asur king was granted the interesting var(wish) of being un-slayable by any man in heaven or hell.Since men or asur , even in mythology refused to believe a woman could kill him, he became atrocious and started all sorts of evil.
The poor Gods came rushing to Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu(the Trinity and supreme Gods of all God ) to save themselves.The combined energy of the Great gods helped form Durga.All the Gods then gifted her their own favorite weapons to arm her against Mahishasura.Community support is always helpful!Important lesson there.
Now we still believe Maa Durga is Goddess Parvati (Shiva’s wife)who needed to be convinced to leave her happy home to prepare for war.Definitely no work at home options here.The war takes time, so being a mother she prefers to bring her sons and daughters, Laxmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik with her to earth, just like moms love workplaces with child care, so does Maa Durga.
Durga pujo in Malda: The one I loved!
Throughout this festival, I will share Pujos you must not miss.
Deshapriya park Durga puja
The famous D Park pujo which saw a stampede in 2015, has grown more and more popular.That fateful year the puja was closed off but we managed to catch a glimpse of the stunning work of art through cracks and crevices in the tarpaulin covering the perimeter of the park.
This year they have a Bahubali theme and it’s a work of art.Magnificent and stunning.
Deshapriya Park Location:
Reach this place by Metro.The best place to get off will be Kalighat station.If you are lucky enough to get an auto or taxi you will be dropped right at the footstep.But be aware there is often traffic diversions, close to the area so wear comfortable shoes.You will be walking for a significant distance
The upside:
After Deshapriya Park you can check out 3 major pujos within 10 minutes of each other, depending on diversions placed.Tridhara sammilani always a gorgeous pujo with plenty of artwork and special touches to make the trip worth mentioning. Ballygunj cultural and Samajsebi making a beautiful carnival-like atmosphere in Lake road and Lakeview road.The USP here is the ambiance and the transformation into a fairy tale like atmosphere, Bong style!
What should you wear?
Must: Comfortable shoes and clothes which keep you cool.
Pujo means Kolkata rocks the ethnic look.But you can actually wear pretty much anything.There’s a Boutique saree shop right next to the Samajsebi pujo, Indian Silk House Exclusives, which has some gorgeous silk weaves.They have exclusive pieces, so be ready for pockets getting lighter if you plan to pandle hop and shop.
Durga pujo:Top tip .go just before afternoon .When the all nighters are still sleeping and the morni g pandal hoppers are taking a break.
Eats ?
There’s no dearth of eating places.Plenty of street food vendors selling rolls, fries,phuchkas, chaats, Chinese Kolkata style, the Kolkata biriyani immitations and the mandatory ice cream.Other than that .you have two South Indian tiffin homes which are superb but have to wait and timings fixed.
Ramakrishna Lunch home and Udipi Lunch home.
Ecstasea: Delicious one of a kind seafood.They have take away too.
Marco Polo: Continental and Bengali with twists.Proper dining and expensive.
Tamarind: South Indian but not only the regular fare.They have the Chettinad cuisine in full glory with lip-smacking non-veg options.The problem is during pujo you may be offered a limited selection due to the rush.
Corner courtyard: Continental.Pretty decor, excellent service, good food.Expensive, small portions may keep you hungry.
Sweet shops plenty: Favourite is Bancharam.Interesting sweet and Bengali savory item will help keep you going if you are in a rush.
Cakes: Favourite cake shop near Menoka cinema hall.
5 Must carry in the bag :
For the look: Lipstick, lip balm, wet wipes and dry tissues(to get the shine off your nose before the pics).
Water bottle, since you will get thirsty.But take sips(you know why!).Glares, if daytime.
Plenty of change and cash to make your life easier.Small eateries and the street food vendors will be unlikely to accept digital payment.
UtsavApp : Claims it will cover 350 major pujos in Kolkata. You will find a guide map to these pujo’s with a backstory about the pujo to keep you updated.
It will also show the location-specific restaurants to keep you munching.
Emergency needs like police stations, hospitals and pay and use toilets are also being updated on this Social festival app.This app is launched in association with Kolkata police
You can upload your own pujo pics and share it on facebook too.It sounds amazing but I will be using it real time to review any glitches.
Download in Google play: It has a 4.3 rating and only available for Android at present.
Google map
MondayMommyMoments prompt 39
Share your Navratri stories, memories, and tips for pandal hopping !
Share your Navratri or Durga pooja, festival posts
I love traveling.But just like you can’t make all the mistakes in this world to grow wiser, you will be hard pressed for time and resources to travel all the places this beautiful world offers.
That’s where travel stories books and blogs are so loved.When I started reading Gayatri Gadre’s Off Beats I had little idea of what to expect.Offbeat places, we enjoy traveling to, but reading about them?Will it be entertaining?Will it make me a virtual traveler?Will it make me dream with eyes open?
Yes and yes.Gayatri weaves an Alice in Wonderland type travel story where you are offered glimpses into unique places, offbeat and still beautiful.
Magic seems to happen when travelers hear the stories from the monuments they visit when they can hear the whispering if the trees they pass.Gayatri has this unique ability to find the pulse of a place.It will not matter if you have never heard of it or maybe have no plans to visit it.But if you love to travel you will love reading this.
She tells the story of Anne Frank’smuseum and you can feel the hairs on your nape tingle.She describes the thrill of Paragliding, of wandering through London museums and French villages. Gayatri’s passion for traveling is evident in every word.Even if you are a seasoned traveler you will enjoy rediscovering India through Gayatri’s eyes.Of visiting Kaas plateau and tips on a road trip.Of getting lost and finding places!
What I wished for?
I was hoping for a little travel food stories too.About what she ate on the way and how it was she enjoyed on her travels.ButI will have to wait for her next books for more.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely!Off Beats is a book for the traveling soul.If you love to travel, if you enjoy the unknown, if you love history, nature and the warmth of real people, you will love reading this book.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links.This means at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to purchase.Read my full disclaimer.
I would rather call myself an explorer than an author, writing just happened. It all started as a need, need to travel alone from Pune (where I was studying) to my village during every vacation. As I progressed in my education, I also progressed to traveling to Mumbai on my own. In most of these, journeys I would sit alone, gaze outside the window with nothing particular on my mind and would discover a hidden side of me. I struck a conversation with myself. As I discovered the joy in traveling, my hunger for more traveling increased. So here is a piece of my travel experiences, just for you. But in case it leaves you craving for more, you can always come back to http://www.gayatrigadre.com/blog/By the way, for a living I offer digital marketing services to companies worldwide.
Book Blurb
This book offers insights into how author through her own life drew a learning to travel and explore more. Her experiences helped us elevate her own living style. She hopes this book will inspire you to travel, as an individual as well as a couple, family since there is rarely a better way to learn more about the world and the wonderful creations of nature including the most intriguing ones – people.
