Tomar Pujo, Amar Pujo

That time of the year was here again. I was away from home again. Holiday was restricted to just Dussehra, again. 

But that didn't stop me from having a ball!

I wore my signature kohl and big red bindi and went pandal hopping in full vigor, every evening post work. 

Durga Pujo celebration starts here!

Durga Pujo is just too good a time to be wasted doing the usual. And Mumbai didn't disappoint. Well honestly it was nothing remotely close to the pandemonium in Kolkata those 5 days! It neither matched the "pseudo Bong madness" created in CR Park, Delhi each year. 

But it was celebrations none the less. And all the basics were taken care of so I was jolly glad - 

Pandal decorated well - check.

Bhog available at lunch - check.

Evening Aaarti - check.

Dhunuchi Naach on Navami evening - check.

Performances by famous singers every night - check.

Huge stalls selling Bong delicacies - double check. 

This was my first Durga Pujo after wedding with my not-so-Bengali husband (read "Rajput"). So I had a point to prove and with Navratri overlapping with all the Dandiya bling around, I had to put my best foot forward to make sure we win (read "Bongs" as a community over Rajputs)!

So I dragged him to 4 of the most renowned (and rightly so) Pujo Pandals in Mumbai - 

Lokhanwala Durgotsav

Lokhandwala Pujo Mandap

Where is the food?

Abhijeet, the singer's claim to fame. Big open space but extremely overcrowded. Beautiful deity. Pandal well decorated. Dhaki top notch. Food stalls limited but quality not bad! Kabiraji, Fish Fry, Moghlai Porotha and Kolkata Biriynai? - Hell yes. Taken care of. 

Performances were great as well. Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Kailash kher, Shaan and Abhijeet himself. I guess the theme must have been 90s relived :)

I'd go back for the Dhaki. 

North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja

The way to the Juhu Pujo mandap

Pujo Mandap at Tulip Star Hotel, Juhu

The Mukherjee family offering their prayers. Huge venue with the Pandal air-conditioned at the Tulip Star Hotel on Juhu Tara Road! Fantastic spread of Bong food from Haangla to Bong Bong to Kolkata Konnection & more...

Well conceptualized open space with chair for people coming in. Will remind you of the amphitheaters back in college. The open space also had a huge projector during the late night performances for the ones who couldn't make it inside the enclosure. Bhog distributed by celebrities themselves and great seating arrangement done. 

And if you're star struck, this is the place to be. You'll spot big, small or kinds of celebrities coming in to offer prayers to the deity, every single day. 

Overall, two thumbs up!

PBWA and Spandan

PBWA Pujo Pandal 

Ma Durga, PBWA

Two of my cousins stay in Powai, one in Raheja Vista and the other in Lake Homes. Thanks to them got a flavor of the Powait pujo. And boy, it's elaborate! Visited the two big ones - PBWA and Spandan, the former being slightly bigger than the latter. The deity at PBWA was beautiful and the Pandal was an ode to Rabindranath Tagore's house. 

The bhog there on Navami this year was delicious. They introduced my husband to the world of "Labra, Khichuri & Beguni" that day. I shall be ever grateful to them for that :)

Less commercialized than the Lokhandwala and Juhu pujo, major chunk of people visiting are the Bongs in Powai. I heard Benny Dayal performed this year, missed it though! 

totally worth a visit. 

Hope this gave you guys a quick peek at Durga Pujo this year in Bombay. Missed everyone back home in Kolkata and my sister in Delhi. 

Hopefully next year will be with them.

Aaschhe bochor abar hobe.