This is my first Pujo where I have not spent a single day in Kolkata. I was depressed to say the least. I was homesick to the point I could physically feel it in the pit of my stomach. I am not a religious person at all. But Pujo is so much more than just a religious festival. It is almost a tradition. It is my roots. It is nostalgia. It is my childhood and my growing up. Pujo is a part of every single person's life living in Kolkata and I am sure the rest of Bengal. It is a feeling an indescribable feel-good feeling.
ASP and VP who live in the nearby village of Parsiappany in NJ told me that there are some Pujos nearby them. Not Pujo on the Pujo day. But 5 days of Pujo crammed into one and a half days. But I thought to myself. It would still be Pujo So it was decided that I would go over to their house and go over I did last weekend.
So we got our "tickets" to the most famous Pujo that there is in New Jersey. Yes. You have to get "tickets" worth $60 per head per day to be able to even get a glimpse of Ma. If you do not have your "ticket" ( represented by a band on your hand ) the very Amreeci bouncers standing on the doorway will NOT let you enter to even get a glimpse of Ma. ( To be fair I have heard it is not the same in other pujos across the country. )
So the day comes and we put on our ethnic outfits and set about to go see Ma. I was feeling a little better because if Durga Pujo is there can Kolkata be far behind? But the Pujo itself made me feel a million times more depressed. It was not Pujo at all. There was no Pujo feeling. It was just a podium for fashion show. An annual display of the Dhakais and Jamdanis and Kanjeeverams along with the latest on P.C Chandra and Anjali Jewellers. I am not kidding when I say that there was an actual booth for P.C Chandra jewellers along with booths for expensive saris and punjabis. In the sub zero temperature(-4 C to be exact) it was a show of backless cholis, slinky blouses, and flat abs peeking behind transparent pallus. Ma was there as a backdrop for taking pictures. I went and stood in front of the idols to just hang my head and reminiscence. In like about 2 seconds I heard, 'Young lady can you please move to the side?" because Ganesh was being dismantled. The hall had to be cleared for the concert to follow. So bye bye Bhagwan. " Asche bochor abar hobe."
The Pujor adda was there in the form of gossip (which was sort of right on track). But the adda had its own added forced accent. Why is it that people don't get that it is very easy to differentiate between a natural accent and a forced accent ? And speaking Bangla as if it will break your teeth is far FAR from appealing.
I ended up being even more depressed after going to that Pujo. The saving graces were ASP. (The moment she entered she was like "P you will not like this Pujo. This is EXACTLY like Bangalore Pujo") , the "Desh pujobarshiki", the not so yummy Fish Fry and the very yummy Shammi Kebab.
ASP and VP who live in the nearby village of Parsiappany in NJ told me that there are some Pujos nearby them. Not Pujo on the Pujo day. But 5 days of Pujo crammed into one and a half days. But I thought to myself. It would still be Pujo So it was decided that I would go over to their house and go over I did last weekend.
So we got our "tickets" to the most famous Pujo that there is in New Jersey. Yes. You have to get "tickets" worth $60 per head per day to be able to even get a glimpse of Ma. If you do not have your "ticket" ( represented by a band on your hand ) the very Amreeci bouncers standing on the doorway will NOT let you enter to even get a glimpse of Ma. ( To be fair I have heard it is not the same in other pujos across the country. )
So the day comes and we put on our ethnic outfits and set about to go see Ma. I was feeling a little better because if Durga Pujo is there can Kolkata be far behind? But the Pujo itself made me feel a million times more depressed. It was not Pujo at all. There was no Pujo feeling. It was just a podium for fashion show. An annual display of the Dhakais and Jamdanis and Kanjeeverams along with the latest on P.C Chandra and Anjali Jewellers. I am not kidding when I say that there was an actual booth for P.C Chandra jewellers along with booths for expensive saris and punjabis. In the sub zero temperature(-4 C to be exact) it was a show of backless cholis, slinky blouses, and flat abs peeking behind transparent pallus. Ma was there as a backdrop for taking pictures. I went and stood in front of the idols to just hang my head and reminiscence. In like about 2 seconds I heard, 'Young lady can you please move to the side?" because Ganesh was being dismantled. The hall had to be cleared for the concert to follow. So bye bye Bhagwan. " Asche bochor abar hobe."
The Pujor adda was there in the form of gossip (which was sort of right on track). But the adda had its own added forced accent. Why is it that people don't get that it is very easy to differentiate between a natural accent and a forced accent ? And speaking Bangla as if it will break your teeth is far FAR from appealing.
I ended up being even more depressed after going to that Pujo. The saving graces were ASP. (The moment she entered she was like "P you will not like this Pujo. This is EXACTLY like Bangalore Pujo") , the "Desh pujobarshiki", the not so yummy Fish Fry and the very yummy Shammi Kebab.
