With Navaratari festivities concluding and Vijayadashami almost here, Bengalureans are gearing up for a low-key celebration. This year, since most associations turned online for their festivities and didn’t host large pandals, most people are staying indoors and making plans with family and friends.
Leela Gowda, a resident of Banashankari, has been decorating the idol every day differently to add some colour to otherwise quiet festivities.
“On Vijaydashami day, I will invite a few neigbours for the kumkum ritual. The ‘josh’ of the festival is low, as everyone is wary of meeting people,” she says.
Leela, an interior designer, will be doing the ‘ayudha puja’ for her workers and team. “Till last year, I used to invite all my vendors and their families, and customers to the puja. This year, it will be a much smaller affair,” she says.
Pleasantries, blessings over phone
Vasuki Prasanna, a senior developer at an MNC, and her family, usually invite extended family and friends to visit their doll display during Dasara.
“No visits happened this year. On the last day, we usually go to Durga temple for puja and exchange Banni/Shami leaves and visit relatives at evening. Everything will be indoors this time,” she says.
Puja will be done at home. “We exchange sweets and savouries among families. Usually ‘semiya payasa’, ‘Mysuru pak’ and ‘khoya peda’, are exchanged. This year, I will preparing just the ‘payasa’ for my family,” she says.
Instead of visiting elders, she will seek their blessings and exchange pleasantries over the phone. “The spirit of the festival always continues,” she says.
Koyel Saha, a PR professional, who resides in Kammanahalli, recollects fond memories of visiting pandals and indulging in street food and delicacies from Kolkata.
“This year since pandals are not happening, cultural programmes and puja have shifted online, where we offer prayers from home. I live with my mother, so I will not be going out much,” she says.
Koyel plans to keep the festive mood up, by preparing some special sweets like ‘rasgulla’ and ‘sandesh’ for the day.
From pandals to potluck
For Sarbani Sarkar, a tax consultant with an MNC, husband Soumavo Sarkar and child Shrehaan, the festivities are missing without pandal hopping.
“We always have food outside and it’s a grand celebration. This year, all associations have decided to not host them. We will be watching the puja and festivities online,” she says.
“On Dashami day, married women usually do ‘Sindoor Khela’ (play with vermilion), people will be dancing and there will be drum beats all around. This year, I will be indulging in the celebrations with four friends in our apartment complex,” Sarbani adds.
“Usually, we only have breakfast from home, and eat at the pandals the rest of the day. Now, we are planning a potluck dinner including Bengali-style Dum biryani, mutton curry and ‘Machher Jhol’ with friends,” she says.
Baishali Gupta, lecturer and a resident of Richmond Town, says Durga Puja is a community affair, which is non-existent this year.
“Most of our traditional rituals like the dhunuchi dance are not happening this year. Everything is virtual and it’s something that we never imagined could happen,” she says.
Baishali who lives here with her husband Kaushik Gupta, and children Abhishri and Rishi, says that even the food and festivities are consumed as a larger community on this day.
“We usually don’t cook during these days. We have ‘bhog’ and eat at the stalls at the pandals. This year, a couple of us plan to go to ‘Bhojohori Manna’ and eat there, as it’s the closest one can come to the dining and community experience,” she adds.