Long ago when we left home for better & prospective future, we never imagined that some of the days we Bengalis missed so much & sometimes nostalgia attempts to tear the heart apart. All the sweet memories of childhood come & our brain gets into a fierce fight with the heart. Wherever I go, whatever I do, when the autumn ringing through the wavy clear clouds my mind always destructed from careeristic way to homely way.
Durgapur & Durgapuja
Durgapur, the city where I was born, 180 km away from Kolkata is definitely very silent city where main earning point is DSP (Durgapur Steel Plant). The people living there are mainly engaging with DSP. The green city Durgapur also celebrate various festivals on their own way. Whether it’s Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Laxmi Puja, Vishwakarma Puja, Doljatra, Rathjatra, Christmas etc, the city enjoys them all with full celebration. Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Durgapur (West Bengal). All people are waiting for this from very beginning. The pandal creation starts around 2 month before.
Entering Agrani
Agrani Pandel view
Agrani Pratima
View of the roof Agrani
For a Bengali out of Bengal, Durga Puja is an occasion that is perhaps the most loved and the most missed. Delhi sure has its own Durga Pujas here and there like in CR Park, Green Park, peeping out of some corner somewhere, but the mad, crazy fervor that Bengal dons during the five-day long festival is nowhere to be found in the world. Sitting all evening in mandaps, simply watching people; paying their obeisance to the Goddess at times, the Astomi anjali puja with shy glances with other boys & repeatedly looking after another’s saree, the dhunuchi dance at mandap & the bhog distributed at the pandal never found anywhere.
A main attarction saree, so we are – Inside the Pandal
Being literally pushed by Mummy to get out of bed early in the morning, helping her to prepare Luchi (Puri) with sabji & Kheer; and the other side music system loudly played Manna Dey or Hemanta Mukherjee’s melodies. We eagerly tried new clothes so many times, many days and nights spent in anticipation, in crazy planning, in just able to decide which clothes to wear on what day, keeping the best ones aside for Ashtami and Nabami, selecting shoes and the like were what kept us occupied most of the time.
Anand Bihar Devi
Anand Bihar Pandal
Despite sweaty and humid weather, people thronged the pandals in large numbers once again this year. From rock themes to the traditional, Durgapur’s Durga Puja, were designed using different metals, jute, glasses, papers, balls. The famous mandaps are:-
• Marconi Dakhsin Pally
• Agrani Sangha
• Anand Vihar
• David club Puja
• Cement Park
• Phuljhore Durgotshov
Marconi Pandal
Marconi Pratima
David Pandal
Phuljhore Pandal
Phuljhore Devi
We Bengalis rely heavily on culture. So there must be a lot of dancing & singing competition & stage performance during our festivals. In fact Mahalaya, when all this madness starts, is all about naach gaan.
Decorated Kolkata Pandal
Devi Kolkata
Kolkata Devi
Kolkata Devi
As days passed by everything lose its glam but the charm of Durgapuja never ending & long lasting. All that we again started waiting long for those five days. The glitz and charm of Durga Puja still holds strong… a thousand miles away from home, from Bengal.
Hi!
It was lately in 1998 or 1999 I last visited Durgapur to enjoy the unparalleled festival celebration. The artistry that I have never seen before nor after. Your log reminded me with many sweet memories of those early youthful days.
Bhiringi More, Nabarun the biggest Puja, if I am I correct, I see missing in the log. Is it no more existing!
Keep travelling
Ajay
Dear Ajay,
Thank you for the excellent comment & read my post. Yes Bhiringi more, Nabarun & Marconi B-zone held the big puja & compete each others. In this year Nabarun & Marconi did very big Puja , I post my pics of this two pandels in the post :)
Hi Pamela,
Durga Puja is one of my favourite festivals and you have presented it in a little bit Bengali flavour with lots of decorative local pics, which is really appreciable. Me and my family have lots of faith on Maa Shakti and both the sessions of Durga Puja (Winter & Summer) makes us so happy.
Perhaps the problem is not yours, I think all the women tries their clothes so many times and passes their nights just to manage their wardrobes, not to worry, its natural….. he…..he……he…
Thanks for sharing.
Arun
Hi Arun,
Thank you for your comment… hahah yes its habit of the females :P
Hi Pamela,
Durga Pujo is always special for us. Your this post gave me immense pleasure for that you have so beautifully took us with you in such beautiful Pujo pandals thorough your Durga Pujo Special post. :)
Nice post and beautiful photos. Kudos.
Hi Anupam,
Thanks a ton for your inspiring comment :)
Hi Pamela
Nice write up with beautiful pictures. Good work dear.
Hello Kailash,
Thank you for your compliments :)
The Goddess is beautifully adorned. Durgapuja is performed in full devotion.
And we missed our pandal-hopping-tour this year since we were away. Thank you for sharing Pamela. It seems to have compensated some of our loss :-)
Thank you for your valuable time to read my blog..next time will come to West Bengal so you can see the craziness of the Bengali for Durgapuja………..
Hi Pamela!
Having stayed in West Bengal for two years, i can recall the crazy fervor and joy that surrounds Durga Puja. It is indeed a wonderful time to be in West Bengal! Thank you for sharing this lovely post. I really liked the pictures of all the pandals!
Hii Kulpreet,
I am glad that you liked the post. Yeah Durgapuja is the most important festival for Bengalis settled in all parts of India and abroad. So you can find craziness everywhere in Bengal. :)..Cultures blend with feelings of Bongs in that time.