http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/529-bengali-pujas

Wait, wait, they didn’t use several pictures….

Here they are…..

The traditional way of wearing a Bengali “thaanthEr shaadee” (Bengal cotton saree), with the pallu having a bunch of keys tied to it, with the jewellery and the tray full of items for offering “arati” to the Goddess. The yellow saree is very typical.

A very young man wearing the typical male attire, the “dhuti pAnjAbi”…

The police were on duty: The crowd of women waiting to worship the deity with "arati" and then play "Sindoor Khela"...

The beautiful, very traditional South Bangalore Pujo idol’s face…those lovely elongated eyes….!

On the last day, Bengali women follow a practice called “Sindoor Khela”. (I was requested not to take photographs at this time, so I complied). After this, the idol was taken for “Bisarjon” (immersion) You can see a video of both of these practices

here .

And for those of you who want to see the amazing creativity of Pujo in Kolkata, here are the images which a friend brought back from her visit this year…

click here

Let me close with a short Bengali poem:

“Maa..kothAti chhotO…kinthu, jAnO bhai…. eehAr cheyey modhur dAk tribhubhonEy nAi.”

(“mother”…the word is small…but, you know… There is no sweeter appellation in all the three worlds.)

Maa…the Mother Goddess..I am NOT a religious person, but I do love Durga Puja!

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