Tiffin Tales 30

Hola...

Yay, its Friday and yes it's for real today unlike yesterday (if read my last post, you know what i mean). Today we woke up to some freezing numbers and stayed the entire day. Cold winds with low temperatures and it was a lethal combination.

While i am regulating my room calefaction, my cousins are almost set for Pujo and these days, they  are busy doing some dress rehearsals before the Goddess arrives. Durga Puja is a big festival and owing to enormousness and complexity of rituals it is not possible to do without priest. The preparatory measures are many, that the reason only a handful of qualified priest can perform this Pujo. It almost takes half of a village (if i am not wrong) to organize and maintain the celebrations seamlessly.

An average Bengali looks forward to Pujo for multiple reasons. More than being religious its another way to welcome their daughter Durga at her father's place. Bengali's wait for an entire calendar year to meet their daughter and immerse in celebration. Apart from waiting for their daughter and preparing hundreds of delicacies it's another way to bypass the regular lifestyle and do regular jobs differently. People fly from different parts of the world just to gather with family, friends and even neighbors. For Bengali's its the bonhomie that supreme's everything.

I will share a different post on Pujo special food that are available during this time. As i am sitting cosily and enjoying the pictures that my cousins are sharing, my S is curious to know more and more about the festival. I feel happy and sad at the same time, because i believe somewhere my words fall short to explain the magnanimity of this festival and this is where experience matters, which i am unable to give him. Someday... Till then i will hold on to my faith  and wait for some magic to happen soon.

Coming back to reality and grinds of life, i went outside to get some groceries. Braving the wind i conquered but lost a pair of my cute gloves. Now i have to do some treasure hunting to find another pair to beat this weekend's wind. Today my S took 'paratha's'for lunch with some sautéed vegetables. His snack box had pears and a fruit bar.

Have a wonderful weekend friends. Whether you are preparing for Pujo or you are enjoying through the pictures, enjoy till it lasts for they become memories very soon. Take care!