THE RONITIAN HUB - Page 10

Durga Ma is coming home. After a year's sabbatical, Bengal's
favourite deity is back amidst much celebration. Most Bengali's living
away from home are making a beeline for their hometown, or making
plans to celebrate the ocassion in their own style.
The bong brigade of tinseltown are not far behind.
Kavita Shyam spoke to the Balaji's Bengali brigade and asked them about their memories and plans of celebrating the beautiful festival.

Mouni Roy:

I love the preparations which go into Durga Puja and the festival has fond memories for me - the bhog(prasad), the pushpanjali and the lights cheer me up besides it's a reunioun time of sorts for me and my friends. I strongly believe in Ma Durga and wait for the mahalaya (which I hear unfailingly watch on Doordarshan ) every year as my birthday falls around that time. I enjoy the shopping t as well and as far as shidur khela is concerned, since I am not married I go with my mother to enjoy watching the same. This year I'd be going home (to Kuchbihar) on 30 September like every year though I've been out of home for five years and go pandal hopping with my parents and friends. Let's see how the people there react to me visiting my home town after becoming an actor.

Ronit Roy:
Durga Puja is definitely different now from what it used to be when I was young. As

a child I'd enjoy the preparations which included the cultural events in the evening for which we'd prepare skits one month in advance and also do masti at the kids corner which is there in every pandal . Buying new clothes and playing at pandals have been my childhood memories but the only thing that has remained constant is perhaps the bhog wherein the flavour of the bhog remains the same everywhere. Durga Puja means thanking Maa for everything and asking her for forgiveness. This year I plan to go to Lokhandwala puja which is done by a friend of mine.

Sushmita Mukherjee:

As a child Durga Puja in Delhi meant going to pujo bari in all our fineries. My aunts and mother would prepare the bhog and I'd help in cutting the fruits for the puja. I'd take part in plays and dance programs during the evenings. We'd buy nine set of clothes for Durga Puja and flaunt them everyday and on the last day we'd pile on to a truck to go to immerse the idol. After marriage (as I am married to a Rajput) I culturally moved away from celebrating the festival the usual way but I do visit pandals and enjoy the bhog. Most importantly I fast for nine days so for me it's an amalgamation of Durga Puja and Navratri. I feel Puja now a days is very modernized and too much money is spent on the entertainment bit. Today I take great pleasure in teaching my sons about the culture and the festival.

Jaya Bhattacharya:
I have been going to Santacruz and various other places for essentially the bhog.

But since last year I have been hugely involved in my society's puja. My childhood memories are of spending the entire day in the puja pandals and of my father being an active member of the Puja associations. Also it meant holidays, new clothes, watching decked up females and having no restrictions during the evenings. The bhog is something which can never be re created beyond durga Puja and I also enjoy the dhunuti dance( diya dance) , shidor khela and looking at Durga Ma's feet in the mirror.
Now I take my house maids to the pandals to give them a feel of the festival and my good friend Suhasini Mulay joins me for pandal hopping as she enjoys the Bengali culture.

Resshmi Ghosh:

Durga Puja means include the bhog (the Prasad), dhak (drums), the shidoor khela(newly weds splattered with sindoor), aarti, pushpanjali, the sweets and the junk food. My birthday falls in July so from then till the puja I'd end up collecting about 25 sets of clothes to be worn during Durga Puja. I have grown up in Kolkata where puja means the biggest festival of the year and I'd never miss the immersion of the idol. Puja brings good news, happiness and colour besides bringing in new hopes for all of us. Ma Durga comes home and brings peace and joy with her.
This year my life's revolving around Balaji, but I am not complaining as life's beautiful. I will take out some time during Puja to relish the bhog and offer prayers.