Top 10 Things That Each Bengali Surely Did This Pujo!
Durga Pujo is one festival that the Bengalis in India celebrate with full pomp and glory. They leave no stone unturned to make the pujo special not only for Durga Maa, the deity who is hailed and celebrated during this festival, but also make it an amazing experience for all the onlookers who come to attend the pujo. Pandal hopping (going from one place to another to see the beautiful way in which Bengalis put the colorful stalls with huge statues of the deity) is loved by both Bengalis and non-Bengalis alike.
Here are the top 10 things that Bengalis surely do during Durga Pujo!
1.They plan and invite people to visit pandals
Every Bengali gets busy before the commencement of Durga Pujo inviting people belonging or not belonging to their community. They keep ranting about the cultural and religious significance of the Pujo to the extent that the other non-bong person is excited enough to join their pandal hopping spree!
2. The best time to do tons of shopping
The white saree with red streak at the border looks so very gorgeous on every woman who wears it. Even if it more of a common, uniform saree, it looks amazing on the lovely ladies who flaunt it beautifully at the pujo.
3. Old and new “bong” songs are played 24×7
At every stall Bengali songs will be blaring from the speakers from morning till evening. Bengalis love their culture, their language, and songs. No compromise on that. Period.
4. Food with no dearth in variety
If other Hindu community thinks of fasting during the occasion of Navratri, Bong’s feast on all the available delicacies of Bengal one could name. Lucchi, mangsho, Bengali biryani, mishti pulao, and the list goes on. You either decide to go to a pandal and forget about your fasting, or you forget going to a pandal at all. Hard choice!
5. Phone gallery full of Durga Maa idols
A community that celebrates Goddess Durga so religiously, also never misses out on clicking the image of the beautifully embellished idol of the deity. Be it a selfie or a regular image, you lay your hands on a bong’s phone and you’ll find a huge database of Maa Durga pictures!
6. Visiting pandals till dawn
Whether it is the never-ending workload at office, or the terrible traffic and the crazy crowd that blocks the road, a true Bengali never misses the pandal hopping ritual that they so diligently follow till early morning.
7. It’s time for some “dhunuchi naach”
Forget the party dance, hip-hop or bhangra. Go for dhunuchi naach the bengali way! It’s a sight to see the Bengali community perform the difficult steps so professionally.
8. Social Media status reflects frequent pujo updates
Wishing everyone a very #HappyDussehra & #ShubhoBijoya. May there always be victory of good over evil. #CitizenMukherjee pic.twitter.com/uWSRC2FgbE
— Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) September 30, 2017
“Off for Durga pujo, ” “Seeking blessings from Durga Maa, ” “Śubha durgā pūjā, ” these would be the status put on social media by Bengali babus. The kids might go the trendy way with check-ins and hash tags. But attending Durga pujo is a must for all, and posting about it the unspoken rule.
9. Time for Women to Flaunt and Men to Flirt
No doubt, women look amazing when they get dressed up in the traditional Bengali saree for the puja. The hours they spend on tying the saree the right way, applying the right amount of makeup and wearing traditional jewelry, makes them look no less than the beautiful goddess herself. And how can men keep their eyes off such enchanting women walking around?
10. The melancholy of the end of Pujo
Wouldn’t you feel sad if a festival ends? Wouldn’t you miss the pomp and fun of the festival?? Well, Bengalis being the emotional lot, go through a mini post-pujo depression. They while their time in melancholy thinking about the statue of the deity that’s immersed in water after the eight day celebrations. Most likely, they wait with zest for the coming years to celebrate their festival in a grander way.
