I was in the city of Cuttack on the seventh day or Maha Saptami of Durga Puja. The city glowed with its neon light arches and the silver finery with which the deities were decorated. The city had it’s highs and lows with the economically not so well do to do one end and on the other end every family left no stone unturned to celebrate the festive occasion. It wasn’t grand scale like it’s close cousin Kolkata but never the less it had all the rituals followed…

Durga Puja

While many find Kolkata claustrophobic and too crowded during the Durga Puja days I found beauty in its elaborate and breathtaking pandals. These are last years pictures when wee wend pandal hopping for two days enjoying the frenzy, hype and the madness. Despite the crowd I managed to enjoy the festive occasion with people thronging lines from all across the country because of a noble soul. The taxi that we had rented during our entire stay was driven by a Sardarji who had lived his entire life in…

Durga Puja

I reached Kolkata in West Bengal one afternoon to be a part of the vibrant colours and extravaganza of the Durga Puja Festival. This Hindu festival has many mythological stories to relate and is rejoiced for ten days in the Sep-Oct time frame every year. Each day has its own significance and importance. Here are six different ways to witness the fervour and pomp of this festival in the City of joy.