Durga Puja… special and timeless

Some of my earliest childhood recollections revolve around Durga Puja food. At the household of Ashima Apu, our Hindu neighbour, I tasted some of the most delectable dishes. Ever!

For a six-year-old, the customary puja delights seemed simple compared to the regal festival food that I was accustomed to. Yet, served in the newly polished, sparkling kasha plates, the simplest of foods always looked different, and tasted divine.

Of course, at that age, what I loved the most were the snacks, the naroos and the moas. But, still, it is the vegetarian platter that I so fondly remember, and what I miss the most. At our neighbour's household, they had mastered cooking a different version of the same food that we consumed every day. The daal had a punch of its own, as did the niramish. I can easily attribute it to the addition of panch phoron in the mix, but that would be an oversimplification of matters.

Even the simplest of luchies, which I now realise was deep fried in a generous bath of ghee, tasted divine. Despite my relentless attempt to recreate that very flavour, the aroma, and the plating, I have failed to recreate the puja vibe.

Come Puja season, Bangladesh Television would telecast Durga Puja specials. The vivid visuals of the story of how Durga overcame the power of the evil Mahishasura left a deep impact on my young mind, and till this day, serve as a reference to the undying battle between good and evil. And the face of Durga instilled in me an idea of beauty that resonates in my heart after so many decades.

Every day, in the morning and the evenings, a deep, loud sound of the conch shell comes floating in the air, but from a different Hindu household. For some reason, it takes me back to the late 1980s. Life back then was perhaps simpler, but not necessarily better. Ashima Apu left Shantinagar decades ago. We maintained good relations for many decades, but as things are, even the strongest relationships often fade with the test of time.

Life teaches us that things change, and not always for the better. "Agey ki shundor din kataitum" is a line from a popular song, but it is not a reality for us. We are masters of our own destiny, and we can and should take it upon ourselves to make our own future.

Sharodiyo Shubhechcha!

Model: Sunerah
Styling & Fashion Direction: Sonia Yeasmin Isha
Wardrobe: Kumudini