Bengali’s Best Staycation, Durga Puja || Introduction ||
Spoiler:
Here you won’t find the list of the luxury stays but the happiness in residing and
holidaying in the hometown prevails.
Google defines Staycation as a holiday spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.
Be it the azure blue sky, with the billowed
clouds flying across, getting murkier with the sudden advent of the greyer ones
out of nowhere, or the opulent greens getting drenched in the sudden downpour,
or the olive green meadows daubed by the gently flapping white “Kans” or the fragrance
of the “shiuli” (night jasmine), falling to the grounds at the end of the day, scenting
the breeze away; dictates the world that Autumn has arrived. The October days
start with the aureate autumn radiance glorifying the Nature, it also marks the
end of Bengal’s year long wait for “The Festival”.
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| The Kans of autumn |
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| Drenched in the sudden downpour |
Come autumn, and the state of West
Bengal surges with the preparation of the biggest festival of the year, Durga
Puja. The state itself dress up with the buzz preparing for the festivities. The
already bustling streets gets more lively with people, out to have their Puja
shopping. It is indeed Bangali’s very
own and wanted staycation. Every Bengali out there in the world prefers to
return to their homeland, and engage themselves in the deluxe vacay in their
home sweet home, attiring up all new and feasting. The sometimes tiresome
pandal-hopping is rather a break in the staycation. And if they cannot do the
homecoming, even better, they take Bengal to their place, the Puja mood conquers
it all.
So here I am, writing a series on our all-time
favourite Durga Puja, celebrating the homecoming of all Bangalis and the
goddess (Devi Durga) herself. This series would somewhat be a flashback of
Durga Puja 2017 replenishing memories and preparing for the upcoming one. Though
the real world preparations are already on the move- from the connoisseurs of
idol-making to the artistry of pandal constructing, I hope the same could be
reflected here. And as a Bengali myself, I beseech everyone out there, to at least once experience this yearly five-day fiesta of West Bengal.
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| The idol of Ma Durga |
Read the Complete series
11 comments
Will be looking forward to it. And also hoping to see some pictures of this years puja too as we won't be there this time.
ReplyDeleteWow, I can't wait to see more! I like your pictures. Are you photographing by Cannon?
ReplyDeleteWell I have both Nikon and Canon. Nikon DSLR and Canon point and shoot
DeleteWe have never heard of this before but that's why we love to read as many articles as we can, we always learn something new! Even the puja mood is new for us but looks like something you can't resist haha
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read your series :)
Its our wish to visit Bengal during Durga Puja time. This is one of the biggest festivals and have seen the celebrations in Delhi with a few friends. The excitement is buzzing. I hope I can plan it in the near future! Would love to experience the energy, the food and the fragrances.
ReplyDeleteI so want to visit Kolkata during Durga Pujo! Hopefully will be able to do soon. Staycations especially during festivals are the best :)
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so beautifully written! Thank you for speaking from the heart about such a special time and place. “The Festival” sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a "staycation" haha. All too often, I'm looking for a vacation! Bengali sounds amazing, and a place that I may deff need to place on my bucket list!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures and lovely post. Your post reminds me of a famous movie line "There's no place like home." :)
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures! Can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteDurga Puja looks intersting. I love festivals in Asia, they are so coloful and looks really unusual for an European eye. Would love to get there with my camera.
ReplyDelete