So, this was my first time enjoying and celebrating Durga Puja as a resident of Mumbai after shifting from Navi Mumbai. And it was undoubtedly different due to numerous reasons and had its share of excitements and disappointments. But in the end, it really was something I can remember for a long time.
To begin with, I was supposed to spend this year's Pujo in Kolkata with my family and my relatives. But due to last minute change in the plans, we decided to spend the Poju here in Mumbai itself, much to the delight of someone special (wink, wink, nudge, nudge ...). Since a lot of unplanned things were already happening in my life at this point, I decided to take it all in my stride and make the best of it.
So I decided to capture and document most of the Pujos in Mumbai and the near-by suburbs, and document it in the best way I can. Since my film SLR was busted and needed repairs, I opted for the phone camera on my trusty Nokia E52-1 and made sure I had it with me wherever I went, to capture the pictures of the different Pujos. All in all, the mixed feelings and reactions during the entire Pujo was overwhelming, if you consider a person in the new set of environment, with new people, new family, new place and a misplaced sense of belonging. So without further ado, I present to you the glimpses of Pujos in Mumbai.
I started with New Panvel Pujo, where I spent better part of my twenties as a young adult. Nothing like familiar faces and places, eh. The Milantirtha club has been organising Durga Pujo for the past 26 years (this one was the 27th). This time the Pandel was fashioned after the Victoria Memorial monument in Kolkata. Nice detailed work on the Shola in the interiors and on the Protima itself.
Technically, though this particular Pujo is not related to Bengaolis, I thought I'd mention it due to the sheer ingenuity in design and great management. Every year, the Pandel's design theme and the decoration truly manages to impress me. In fact, I didn't have any plans to see this one, but I just couldn't resist stopping the car in the middle of the road, while driving by the lane, to admire the beauty of it up close.
This Pujo is perhaps the closest to my place, if we kindly overlook the horrendous traffic and road conditions. Anyways, this was a nice, homely, quaint old Pujo (47th year this one) without lot of loud fanfare. The arrangements were adequate. Couldn't resist having a delicious Egg Chicken roll from the Hangla's stall (for all you non-bong friends who don't know what a roll is, it's also known as a "frankie"). I even had an interesting run-in with someone I didn't expect to meet at all. Looks like there will be a lot more running-in with this person in the coming years and I need to be prepared to deal with it.
No offense, perhaps it was just our ill luck, but I felt the Udayan Pujo was a very sad affair, since we arrived at 11 PM, like any good Bengaoli and found the place already powered down for the night (can you believe that? 11 PM? Bengaoli Pujo?) and caretakers sleeping in the Pujo Mondop and the Pandel itself. In fact, if you look closely at the bottom of the image, you can actually see one the guys blissfully sleeping. The decor was below average and the management was not upto the mark, considering the location and the tenure of the Pujo. I have been to smaller Pujos, but this was a disappointment.
I visited this Pujo for the first time in my life and that too with my would-be in-laws, on Aoshtthomi. But sadly, the day was marred by few unfortunate incidents. This Pujo pulls a lot of crowd, especially on Aoshtthomi and the management failed to tackle the crowd, the traffic and the parking. Usually, I fast on the Aoshtthomi (The only day in the year I fast voluntarily, not even water till the Pushpanjoli. Infact, strictly no non-veg that day.) and I decided to break my fast here after offering the Pushpanjoli. But due the teeming number of people in the compound, I couldn't get to keep my sneakers in the Shoe Counter, and had to leave them lying near the seating area. Only to find them stolen from the premises after the Pushpanjoli! I mean who steals shoes during Durga Pujo, that too in the temple compound? Who? Well, don't answer that.
Anyways, I couldn't see the Aarti either due to the crowd, nor could I offer the Pushpanjoli properly the first time (The Bachchan clan's presence also contributed to the overall already messed up management). It did come to me as a shock to know that the Khar Pujo has only 2 verses in the Pushpanjoli as opposed to the standard 3 verses plus the Nomoskar verse that I have known for all my life. Strange!
The air ventilation inside was very poor, almost suffocating but I finally did get to offer the Pushpanjoli properly with my fiancée. The line for the Bhog was excruciatingly long and the Bhog itself was nothing special to write home about. Unfortunately, my car also got towed so you can imagine I had to walk the entire way from the premises, to the place where my car towed from, to the RTO office, all without any shoes. Talk about true test of human endurance, patience and faith!
My final verdict would be to avoid coming here the next time onwards; not because of the problems I had to face, but due to a sheer false and farce feeling of religious autocracy and gross mis-management and perhaps a little hint of hubris and hypocrisy. But hey, that's just me, and what I personally felt. I do not intend to offend anyone.
This was an interesting concept, a Pujo entirely organised and managed only by women. And how. I must say I was impressed by the arrangements and the fanfare, despite this being a newer and smaller Pujo compared to others I have seen. It had a very lively Bengaoli environment, with food and music in abundance. What more can a Bengaoli ask for? The Protima decorations here were also Shola based. This one is definitely on my next year's list.
I have been a regular at this Pujo, as long as I can remember. Standard crowd, similar decor, usual traffic snarl and a familiar feeling. We had a nice open-air, moon-lit mini picnic with my family and would-be in-laws. But somehow, I personally felt the overall quality has seen a dip this year.
Another one of my favourite Pujos I have been regularly coming to. Now this Pujo has all the right ingredients of an authentic Bengaoli Pujo. The place was still abuzz with people at midnight, and we had just arrived minutes before the Shandhi Pujo. But I had the most awful tea here. The Protima here was beautiful.
With all hands down, this is one of the best new Pujo I have been to, this year. Excellent management, awesome decorations, spacious and very well lit. The parking and the security were just managed right. The entire place had monstrous elephant tusks (obviously fake) protruding from the ground, with festoons hanging from the tips. The mood lighting, the environment, the open air, the vibe and the people. Everything felt right at this place. Will definitely come here next year onwards.
This Pujo was also a new entry this year. Standard fare with the preparations and the management. Okay Pujo, I guess.
Another one of the regular Pujo I often come to. Abhijeet and his team make sure to leave no stone unturned in the Pujo preparations. Though the air was stuffy inside due to the smoke from the Shandhi Pujo, the place and the environment was electrifying. Beautiful Protima and a grand Pandel decoration.
The Powai Pujo was also a new entry this year. Excellent decoration, great management, awesome bhog, and a beautiful towering Pandel, based on the Golden Temple of Sripuram.The Bhog was just awesome, hot piping Khichudi with Shobji, Paayesh, Roshogollaa and oblong cut Begoon Bhaajaa, all served on banana leaf. The Protima itself was extremely beautiful, with lovely decorations inside the Pandel as well.
The Chembur Pujo is another regular. This time, the Pandel was beautiful, made out of Jhuri and Kulas. The entire place had a very rustic, rural village environment, laid back yet energetic. The Protima also had a very rural appeal to it.
Another regular Pujo we visit, is the one at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center's Residential Colony in Anushakti Nagar. Though it's open for genral public as well, but due to security at the Colony, not many people visit this Pujo. It's one of those nice small Pada Pujos like in Kolkata. But the fanfare and the entertainment programmes during this Pujo, is comparable to any other bigger Pujos around. It helps if you know someone who lives in the Colony, if you plan to visit.
This Pujo has a lot of history, bitter and sweet. Once regarded as the biggest and the most expensive Pujo, in sheer number of people attending the Pujo, the budget, the entertainment programmes and the idol size and the Pandel decorations, now it is diminished in sheen, size and crowd due to numerous in-club conflicts resulting in 2 other separate Pujos. Nevertheless, this year the Pandel decoration was superb, along with the Krishna Nagar lighting everywhere.
After already making a very strong foothold last year in the Navi Mumbai circles, bigger and better seems to be the theme this time, as the Protima kisses the 26 feet mark. Star-studded entertainment programmes along with delicious Bhog and great management by some of the earliest and most experienced Bengaolis in Vashi, this Pujo is certainly giving the others a run for their money.
The only other Pujo I visited but missed out mentioning here was the Santa Cruz Pujo by the Mukherjee family (Rani Mukherjee's family, in case you were wondering). My phone's battery was completely discharged by the time we reached there, so I couldn't take any pictures. But the place was amazingly decorated and the Protima was just gorgeous. As the standard principle, the Bhog area and the most the places including the Pandel were air-conditioned and the Bhog is always served at the table, by the Mukherjee family themselves.
That was the round-up for this year, but I do have learned a lot of valuable lessons that might come handy for the next year though.
That being said, I think this year's Pujo was an amazing experience, with so many new Pujos discovered and new relationships made. Like the saying goes, "Aashchhe bochhor aabaar hobey!"
Bolo bolo bolo, Durga mai ki, JAI!!!
P.S. - Yes, the article is generously sprinkled with Bangla words with corresponding spellings as per the pronunciations. If you don't get some of them, have an ever-helpful Bengaoli friend of yours to help you with the pronunciations and the meanings. Or just ask in the comments below.
P.P.S. - And yes, I know the pictures suck. There was very little I could in bad/low lighting with a phone camera. Bite me.
To begin with, I was supposed to spend this year's Pujo in Kolkata with my family and my relatives. But due to last minute change in the plans, we decided to spend the Poju here in Mumbai itself, much to the delight of someone special (wink, wink, nudge, nudge ...). Since a lot of unplanned things were already happening in my life at this point, I decided to take it all in my stride and make the best of it.
So I decided to capture and document most of the Pujos in Mumbai and the near-by suburbs, and document it in the best way I can. Since my film SLR was busted and needed repairs, I opted for the phone camera on my trusty Nokia E52-1 and made sure I had it with me wherever I went, to capture the pictures of the different Pujos. All in all, the mixed feelings and reactions during the entire Pujo was overwhelming, if you consider a person in the new set of environment, with new people, new family, new place and a misplaced sense of belonging. So without further ado, I present to you the glimpses of Pujos in Mumbai.
Milantirtha, New Panvel
|
| Pandel - Milantirtha, New Panvel |
|
| Protima - Milantirtha, New Panvel |
Jay Ambe Mata Charitable Trust, New Panvel
|
| Jay Ambe Mata Charitable Trust, New Panvel |
Kallol Kali Bari, Goregaon West
|
| Protima - Kallol Kali Bari, Goregaon West |
Udayan, Malad West
|
| Protima - Udayan, Malad West |
Ram Krishna Mission, Khar
|
| Protima - Ram Krishna Mission, Khar |
Anyways, I couldn't see the Aarti either due to the crowd, nor could I offer the Pushpanjoli properly the first time (The Bachchan clan's presence also contributed to the overall already messed up management). It did come to me as a shock to know that the Khar Pujo has only 2 verses in the Pushpanjoli as opposed to the standard 3 verses plus the Nomoskar verse that I have known for all my life. Strange!
The air ventilation inside was very poor, almost suffocating but I finally did get to offer the Pushpanjoli properly with my fiancée. The line for the Bhog was excruciatingly long and the Bhog itself was nothing special to write home about. Unfortunately, my car also got towed so you can imagine I had to walk the entire way from the premises, to the place where my car towed from, to the RTO office, all without any shoes. Talk about true test of human endurance, patience and faith!
My final verdict would be to avoid coming here the next time onwards; not because of the problems I had to face, but due to a sheer false and farce feeling of religious autocracy and gross mis-management and perhaps a little hint of hubris and hypocrisy. But hey, that's just me, and what I personally felt. I do not intend to offend anyone.
Aparajita Mahila Welfare Association, Gokul Dham, Goregaon East
|
| Protima - Aparajita Mahila Welfare Associtation, Gokul Dham, Goregaon East |
Bengal Club, Shivaji Park, Dadar West
|
| Protima - Bengal Club, Shivaji Park, Dadar West |
Notunpalli Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Bandra West
|
| Protima - Notunpalli Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Bandra West |
Pragati Sarbojanin Shree Shree Durga Puja, Andheri West
|
| Protima - Pragati Sarbojanin Shree Shree Durga Puja, Andheri West |
D. N. Nagar, Andheri West
|
| Protima - D. N. Nagar, Andheri West |
Lokhandwala
 |
| Protima - Lokhandwala |
Powai
 |
| Pandel - Powai |
 |
| Protima - Powai |
The Powai Pujo was also a new entry this year. Excellent decoration, great management, awesome bhog, and a beautiful towering Pandel, based on the Golden Temple of Sripuram.The Bhog was just awesome, hot piping Khichudi with Shobji, Paayesh, Roshogollaa and oblong cut Begoon Bhaajaa, all served on banana leaf. The Protima itself was extremely beautiful, with lovely decorations inside the Pandel as well.
Chembur
 |
| Pandel - Chembur |
 |
| Protima - Chembur |
B. A. R. C. Colony, Anushakti Nagar
 |
| Protima - B. A. R. C. Colony, Anushakti Nagar |
New Bombay Bengali Association, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
 |
| Pandel - New Bombay Bengali Association, Vashi |
 |
| Protima - New Bombay Bengali Association, Vashi |
 |
| Eiffel Tower in Krishna Nagar Lighting - New Bombay Bengali Association, Vashi |
This Pujo has a lot of history, bitter and sweet. Once regarded as the biggest and the most expensive Pujo, in sheer number of people attending the Pujo, the budget, the entertainment programmes and the idol size and the Pandel decorations, now it is diminished in sheen, size and crowd due to numerous in-club conflicts resulting in 2 other separate Pujos. Nevertheless, this year the Pandel decoration was superb, along with the Krishna Nagar lighting everywhere.
Sarvajanik Vashi Durga Puja, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
 |
| Pandel - Sarvajanik Vashi Durga Puja, Vashi |
The only other Pujo I visited but missed out mentioning here was the Santa Cruz Pujo by the Mukherjee family (Rani Mukherjee's family, in case you were wondering). My phone's battery was completely discharged by the time we reached there, so I couldn't take any pictures. But the place was amazingly decorated and the Protima was just gorgeous. As the standard principle, the Bhog area and the most the places including the Pandel were air-conditioned and the Bhog is always served at the table, by the Mukherjee family themselves.
That was the round-up for this year, but I do have learned a lot of valuable lessons that might come handy for the next year though.
- Not to wear expensive footwear when going to Pujo, or at least have someone watch over them.
- Always travel light, don't get the car, and avoid the nightmare of time trying to find a parking spot.
- Instead, use public transportation like rickshaw or an AC bus, or use a motor bike.
That being said, I think this year's Pujo was an amazing experience, with so many new Pujos discovered and new relationships made. Like the saying goes, "Aashchhe bochhor aabaar hobey!"
Bolo bolo bolo, Durga mai ki, JAI!!!
P.S. - Yes, the article is generously sprinkled with Bangla words with corresponding spellings as per the pronunciations. If you don't get some of them, have an ever-helpful Bengaoli friend of yours to help you with the pronunciations and the meanings. Or just ask in the comments below.
P.P.S. - And yes, I know the pictures suck. There was very little I could in bad/low lighting with a phone camera. Bite me.
