Saturday, September 14, 2013

Durga Puja 2013; festive time again!

Durga idol
Durga puja is less  than a month away, and Kolkata is beginning to look festive.

Shopping, which is so much an integral part of this festival, is now at its peak! Shops are now open every day of the week.

Like every year, this year as well, the city is coming up with some very innovative and creative Durga puja themes and pandals. Can't wait to go pandal hopping!

The part that I never get tired of repeating is how the city transforms during these 5 days in October every year. Everyone participates in this festival, it is more of a celebration of good things to come than a religious festival. Millions of people go pandal hopping. The city does not sleep during this time. Road side vendors sell delicious food all through the night; you will find crowds going pandal hopping even at 3 am in the morning!

It is quite an amazing experience actually. You need to witness this once in a lifetime at least!

What I like most about this festival is how it brings together people from all walks of life. To me Durga puja is a celebration of happy times, getting together with friends, spending time with family, enjoying pandal hopping, and just having a good time.

I am posting one of the many interesting Durga puja pandals from 2012, this is from South Kolkata, I did not post these last year. I will post a couple more, enough to get us in the Durga puja mode!


Durga puja pandal
South Kolkata
2012
Interesting concept!


The pandal has Ghosts
at the entrance!


Nice and Creative
Durga puja pandal


Durga idol
South Kolkata
Pandal decorations


Paintings on the
wall of the pandal
Paintings on the
wall of the pandal


5 comments:

Unknown said...

Ekdom....pujo-r gondho eseche :)

Regards
Sammta

Anonymous said...

Just Waiting for the Durga Puja to arrive.. :)

সরসিজ দাস said...

age shilpi-ra mondirer gaye na-na rokom shilpo karmo korten. Mondir gulo sekaler shilpi-der chinta-bhabna prokasher jayga chilo. Ar aj, Pujo pandal gulo-r madhyome ei juger shilpi-ra nijeder talent tule dhoren. Adhunik Bangla-r shilpo egiye niye jaoar khetre Durga pujor bhumika onossikarjo.

Ranjana's craft blog said...

Visiting Kolkata during Durga Pooja, is at the top in my wish list. Just waiting to fulfill the wish...this year also I cannot I think.
The pendal decorations are very interesting.This year also share about your expiriences

Ranjana Jha said...

@Sammta and @allresourceupdates, thank you, haan akdom pujo pujo lagche. Can't wait to go pandal hopping!Thanks!

@Sarasij Das, Akdom, pujor jonne onek artists ra well-deserved appreciation paye.Aar onek ke nijer protibha express korte pare.

@Ranjana, Yes, let me know if you plan to visit next year, it is very crowded and some people don't enjoy it, but I love it, and I choose early mornings to go pandal hopping and I get a lot of time to admire each of the pandals.

Will do so certainly. Thanks!