The pujas have come and gone yet again. Only this time I was in Kolkata after a gap of two years to enjoy them in the flavor it is meant to be enjoyed in. So did I go all out? Not really... 'Pandal' hopping was restricted to south Kolkata alone, though the north has more to offer both in terms of heritage and craftmanship. However, the spirit and zest was there to see and it was fabulous to see that it had not waned at all...people braved the rains, be it to pay visits to the various 'pandals' or to generally enjoy themselves with friends and family. The atmosphere was one only Kolkata can provide. Another highlight of this Kolkata trip was the family gathering at home to mark the 100th birth anniversary of my paternal grandfather. While this is not a remarkable event in itself, the highlight for me was a citation received from a gentleman researching the origins of my fathers family in East Bengal. He happened to see the advertisement in the newspapers, where it was mentioned that my grandfather was from Barisal in East Bengal and immediately wrote in saying that he was from the same family, another branch from my grandfather's cousin's side which had settled independently in Calcutta (then). He confirmed names from his grandmother and sent in the citation in time for the birth anniversary celebrations, as he himself could not be present. The citation was read out at the gathering of almost all of my father's relatives. You could almost sense a longing for this new found relative on the faces of the slightly more aged family members, even though they hadn't a clue who he was. Getting the the whole family together there that evening was special indeed.
I attach some pictures of the colorful puja pandals which I visited this Durga Puja.
The Pandal at Shinghi Park
The pandal at Raja Basanta Rai Road
The Maddox Square pandal
I couldn't resist...opposite the Maddox square pandal
Cheers and Shubh Bijoya!
Abhishek.
5 comments:
Nice pics man. Nice to hear that u had a great time. Didn't mention the tagore connection ?
haha..tagore from dad's mom's side..this was dad's dad's side relations..so heading home for dipavali?
Good pictures. Loved the last one with a hint of neo-marxism. We had a good time as well at the Pujas albeit in Seattle.
But guess what!! My father hails from Barisal as well. It was actually my grandfather who was brought up in his maternal grandfather's place in Barisal. And eventually that became his house as well. So maybe one day we'll find some connection.
sougatada - accha? what a pleasant suprise..yea..we should follow this up..never know how it turns out. glad u got to hear some Kolkata bands in seattle..i missed anjan dutta in Singapore in 2005, and im still cribbing about that!
great pics..desher kotha mone pre gelo...ashim
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