Durga Puja Photos

I didn't get too many shots of Durga Puja this year but here are a few.

The fist two pictures are of the Bagh Bazaar Puja pandal, one of the larger pandals in North Kolkata. On the final day of the Puja the idols are taken from there places in the pandals and thrown into a body of water. Most idols are dropped into the Hooghly River, a distributary of the Ganges. In my community, the closest body of water was the local pond so that's where Durga and her consort were left with the fishes.



Kumatuli Park, also in Northern Kolkata, is the area that all the idols for the Puja are crafted. Needless to say, Kumatuli went all out with their pandal. It was packed and people pushed and elbowed to get inside. The exit of the pandal led to a carnival with food, games, and rides. Rajdeep and I were feeling brave so we took a ride on the fastest spinning Ferris Wheel I have ever been on! I was expecting a nice slow ride but the operator put it into high gear and, well, it was scary!

These last two pics are from the Kumatuli Park Puja. A view from the scary Ferris Wheel shows the park's gigantic pandal in the distance. Also, one of myself, looking like I'm about to be thrown from the ride!

A dollar goes a long way

Hello friends and family! (the recipes I promised are coming up soon)

I just stepped out to get some things at the local grocer's store. It's a small corner shop with windows in the walls that you communicate with the grocer through. He collects everything you want inside and you wait outside. That's how most of the grocery shops are here in Kolkata. Sure, big Western-style supermarkets exist but they tend to have slightly higher prices, plus you miss out on the shopkeeper-customer chitchat that you get at these little street-side grocery stores.

Anyway, I just got home and while I was unpacking everything that I bought I got to thinking "I can get a ridiculous amount of stuff for $1!" Of course this only holds true for a person with dollars in their bank account but, boy, my money sure goes a long way in this country!

Here is what I bought for $1:

• a loaf of bread
• a pack of cumin powder
  
• a pack of turmeric powder
• instant noodles
• half kg of potatoes
• a bag of chips
• half kg of onions

Doesn't a single loaf of bread in the States cost more than a buck? Well you'd think I would save money since I get so much more bang for the buck here but, no. I find I'm eating even more just knowing that I can afford to buy more!

Kali Puja and Diwali

This past weekend was Kali Puja and Diwali. Kali is a fearsome goddess but in Bengal especially she is viewed as a Mother goddess and protector. The term puja means prayer or religious ceremony.

Diwali is the festival of light. At dusk families place small candles called prodip in the windows and doorways. The lights are a symbol or good over evil, knowledge over ignorace. Every home and building is decorated with lights and it really is a beautiful sight. It reminds me of Christmas time in the West. Along with lighting the prodip, many set off firecrackers. My neighbors have been setting them off for a few days just behind my apartment. These sound like bombs and I have to say, my heart cannot handle too many more deafening blasts.

Both of these holidays fall at the same time and in many other parts of India I think Diwali is the one that gets more attentions. But here in West Bengal, Kali Puja takes the limelight. There are pandals set up all over the city. These are temporary shrines for the goddess Kali. Some communities spends thousands of dollars to build these and Indians have a tendency to go all out. So, you can imagine, these pandals are huge and beautiful.

Since Rajdeep is away visiting family, I celebrated the Puja by myself. Mostly I just lit some prodip in the evenings and stayed indoors to avoid getting blasted by these annoying firecrackers.

I wish I had some photos of the pandals to show you. I'll try to get out and take some so you can have a better idea of what I'm talking about.