In Retrospect...

I'm going to quickly and slyly sweep under the carpet, all the neglect that my poor blog has undergone over the last month or so. Instead, I leave you with a picture of the goddess that graced the Durga Puja celebrations in Frankfurt.


The celebrations that spanned over the customary period of five days brought back so many many wonderful memories for me. Having been a part of the Durga Puja celebrations in Calcutta all through my growing years and more, the festivities, the rituals, the ubiquitous joy in dressing up in the best traditional finery, and most importantly, the mouthwatering food, all proved to be the highpoint of my existence for those 5 days.

Many have tried and failed to aptly describe the atmosphere that builds up in the city of Calcutta before and during Durga Puja. I've since realized that it is one of those things that just have to be experienced to be understood. No amount of linguistic and literary ability can ever do it complete justice. Some people compare it to a handful of the other big celebrations that take over different parts of the country every year, but that only serves as a gross injustice. It'll suffice to say that you have to feel the pulse and heart of the city and its people to truly and fully comprehend the aura and allure of this festival, which by no means remains just another religious cacophony in our country, where aplenty of those abound.
It'll be nice to be back in Calcutta at least once more in this lifetime, just for the Pujas.