Durga Puja has made its place in the list of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' by UNESCO in 2021. Everyone talks about the beautiful side of Durga Puja and you must be contemplating whether to visit Bengal this year or not! But here is my point of view! Here is a list of 'Why You Should Avoid Durga Puja' by this bong girl who has spent her life's every Durga Puja in Bengal.
Read below and know why you should keep yourself away from this Festival this year!
1) 100% chance of weight gain : If you are a health freak and you are very careful about the number of calories you consume, you must avoid Bengal at this time of the year at any cost! Why? Because during this time of the year the whole state gets ready to lure you with delicious street foods like 'kathi rolls', 'phuchka', 'chowmin' , 'kabiraji', cutlet and so on. The restaurants provide special Durga Puja Menu and Durga Puja Offers. There would be endless varieties of sweets loaded in every shop! And also how would you stop yourself from gorging on the delicious Saptami 'bhog' of 'khichudi' , 'labda' and 'payesh'
2) 110% chance of becoming sleep deprived: Well, it is an established fact that one requires seven hours of sleep for a healthy body and mind. But with all the festivities going on around,would you be able to sleep? When every 'pandal' around the corner would promise you to either take you to Dubai or Kerala or even outer space, you would find those five days of the festival quite insufficient! You would definitely keep awake all night and indulge in 'pandal hopping'.How would you be able to complete your sleep quota that way? Are you thinking of sleeping during the day? No! Not possible. The morning would have to be dedicated to the ritualistic side of the 'Pujo' and take part in prayer (especially 'Asthami' Anjali').
3) 101% chance of becoming a fashion freak: Well, Durga Puja is the time when the fashionista in every bong awakens. The beauty parlors operate 24 hours a day! The shops, loaded with latest trend clothes, see a crowd that one outside Bengal can only imagine. Every Bong wants to look their best! There are fashion competitions organized at every other 'pandals'! Would you like to be left behind? No! You would go crazy about your clothes and look and turn into a fashion freak!
4) 200% Chance of becoming a spiritual soul and feel the presence of Maa everywhere : Ask a Bong and you would know what it Durga Puja feels like. They can feel the arrival of Maa in the white clouds and blue sky, in the 'kash flowers' swaying beside the roads,in the smells of flowers- they feel it even when they are outside Bengal and even outside India! Spend those five days of the festival in Bengal, take part in 'Asthami Anjali' and you would come back feeling the presence of the goddess next time you see the 'Kash Flowers' on the roads.
5) Develop Diabetes: Durga Puja is the time when you would be offered sweets a lot of time. Visit any house during the 'Dashami' and greet them with 'subho Bijoya' and you would be offered a plate full of sweets ranging from 'Rosogolla' to 'Narkel Nadu'. You would not be able to refuse those plates of deliciousness and return back from Bengal with your blood and memories loaded with sugar!!
6) Become a Dhunuchi Dance & Bhasan Dance expert: If you visit the puja pandals during the sandhi pujo time,then you would find many Bengalis performing the 'dhunuchi' dance with the smoking dhunuchi in hand and dancing in rhythm to the sound of 'Dhak'.You would automatically find your feet following the beats!
During the immersion ceremony known as 'Bhasan' on the last day of the festival you would find crowds of people dancing madly behind the procession carrying the goddess towards the river and frequent chorus of 'Bolo Durga Maa ki, Joy' and 'Aschhe Bochhor abar hobe' ( translating to 'we would celebrate again next year').You would not be able to stop yourself from dancing madly to the beats as well.And when you come back from Bengal you would find yourself an expert in dance.
PS: Did you know that Durga Pujo is so special for Bengal that we have special television shows, songs, dances, magazines every year during this festival. People start shopping and preparing about two months prior to the upcoming festivities?
Every year on Dashami, I set a reminder for the next year date to book my train tickets for Durga Pujo!
Now, you decide whether you want to immerse yourself in this dangerously beautiful festival. Don't say I didn't warn you!
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