Friendship & #DurgaPuja2015

If you don’t already follow me on social media, then you are definitely missing a lot of dope and gyan and fun stuff that’s happening up there. Do you know I have teamed up with 2 other extremely talented bloggers to create this amazing project which will make everyone’s Durga Puja Special? Oh wait, maybe u did know because about 10 days ago I posted something about it out here. So today is more about this event that we are planning and trying to execute out here to make all of yours week special. This time we come with large hearted sponsors who are happy to be part of this amazing project.

Now to the biggest question, what is #DurgaPuja2015??

Well it’s a fun thing where 3 friends are attempting to make more friends in the real and virtual world. A little about our friendship first. I met this sweeter than the roshogulla couple on a day visit to Kolkata, where I had gone to study the street food scene in the office para of Park street. We never knew each other before, but we met through blogging, especially since I had been to Sonar Tori about the same time as he did and he decided to write a review post about it which was so apt and to the point that I fell in love with it. Finally I met a guy with proper grammar and I wasn’t ready to let him go without befriending him. His better half has a magic hand where she whips up amazing stuff and every time I read her creations I go- ‘wat the hell, why didn’t I think of it before.’ Look at this bloody recipe of capsicum butter. What was I thinking of never having made it ever ever before. So madam, hats and knee caps off to you, really awesome recipe and Sir, really awesome pictures.

The next in line is another sweet couple who I have never met but I know are really hard working. Meet Shyamli of the foodieshut fame who actually came up with this idea of collaboration. Her hubby Biswa is the guy behind the camera and all technical stuff on her channel. My memory of Shyamali dates quite many years back when I saw a video of hers where she made a simple home staple in all our bong kitchens- lau chenchki. I swear the moment I saw her speak this sentence that it keeps our body cool in the heat, I instantly got reminded of umpteen no of time I heard it from my mom and kakimas- telling me to eat this lau/lauki/bottle gourd to keep shorir thanda.

That’s my connect with these guys. And that’s the connect I seek from every one of you who are reading me today. Let me come a bit closer to your life in this fashion. Let us become friends in this virtual life. And to do that we have put across a series of amazing contests and questions that I want you to answer. And what will be better, you can actually answer and win as well.

We are backed by 3 amazing e-Commerce start-ups that you need to check out this festive season.

1.       We have our sweetness partner who is delivering Kolkata mishti everywhere in India. Its sweethandi.com if you seek to send someone special, something damn special and bong. Look at the amazing packaging these guys do. And I for one have used and reused the ice packs more than the mishti I ate.

2.       What is adda without some good tea. And what is tea without some long leaf green tea. Green tribe has 3 flavours of amazing tea that you don’t want to miss at all. They source every little leaf from Assam tea estates which are certified organic. Head over to Greenngood.com to check them out.

3.       And finally lets get nice cutting chai on board too. I mean ok we health buffs like green tea, but that morning chai with milk and ginger, who can forgo that? Head over to Assam 1860 to get some of that.

So, 5 friends, continents and states apart with different flairs of amazing things to come. Are you not excited already? Follow me on twitter, Instagram and facebook to get all the dope on #DurgaPuja2015.

#DurgaPuja2015

Ya devi sarbabhuteshshu,

SAKTI rupena sanksthita

Namasteshwai Namasteshwai Namasteshwai

Namo Namaha

Very very soon, the radio is gonna go abuzz with these heavy words from an even heavier throat. That time of the year is here. The new clothes smell so good, so fresh and so pretty. We as a community are gearing up to welcome Ma Durga to come visit us for 5 days. Festivities would start. There will be songs and dances. There will be drama enactments. There will be a lot of nice things to eat. There will not be calorie consciousness. There will be 5 days of no flame in every bong household. This is pujo as we know. This is the pujo that we yearn for all year round.

A typical day during the pujo starts with Uposh/vrat/fast. We get up, bathe, don new day wear and off to the pandal to offer our prayers with utmost sincerity. Then comes pushpanjali. After the general prayer of wellbeing, we offer our deity fragrant flower and three leaves of wood apple tree, in hope that she blesses and accepts our prayers. Sheesh, even in prayers we offer bribes. But it’s a bribe that gives the nature a push to make it more beautiful. These plucked flowers and leaves, ensure that the tree produces more fragrance and more colour around us.

After pujo, the breakfast commences. Every pandal would host a couple of street food stalls from where, depending on the taste and temperament, we choose our breakfast. For me, my heart just desires a good plate of fresh puffy Radhaballabi with alur torkari (deep fried lentil stuffed flat breads with potato curry) or korai shutir kachori with alur torkari (deep fried green pea stuffed flat breads with potato curry). These fresh treats are really something of indulgence, but this is festive time, and it calls for indulgence. I did forget to mention that before breakfast, a simple proshad of fresh cut fruits which were offered to the deity, is passed around as well.

Pujo without mishti is pretty much unfathomable. And a mid-morning snack has to be a delectable plate of soft rasogulla or deep fried and dunked in sweet syrup kind khoja! Yes I know, oil is directly proportional to pujo, and you really can’t differentiate the 2 for these 5 days. If you fear about your arteries, it is now that you should start intense work out and eat salad between all the planning.

The lunch is just the bhog. That divine intervention in making that simple khichri just takes the dish to a new level of taste. Also its fun and frolic, you stand in a line with your friends, talking and chatting, while flaunting your beautiful day wear saree; that in itself is enough to notch up the taste parameters of a khichri which is made in bulk and served to everyone who comes in.

After lunch, it’s time to head home. The evening needs to be prepared for. The new night wear saree comes out. Home facials are done. Make up is selected. And off we go again in the finest of our glory. Everyone in the pandal would look party ready. It’s a beautiful place to be. The programmes start. The stalls light up. Friends catch up to a dinner of fish fry or Frankie’s with loads of cold drinks flowing about.

This is my fondest memory of pujo. All my life we have done this. And for the further years, we will continue to do this. Pujo is a celebration. A festival where we celebrate each of the five days. And today, we would love to tell you about it. A group of 4 bloggers have come together to make u feel at home in the festivities. 2 are coming straight from the heart of all merry festivities in Kolkata. I am trying to explore pujo in a new city- Gurgaon. And another blogger is coming all the way from Australia. We have planned many wonderful things for the coming days. So keep checking and keep clicking!! Cheers!! :)