One of the first pujos I went to today was the one that I used to go when I was a kid! Pujos were something we used to wait for with bated breath. That was the one time of the year we would each get one or two new set of clothes. That was when there were no rules at home. And even at my home, no studies were to be had during those four days.

It was all about getting up, putting on new clothes and making a beeline to the “puja pandal” – a temporary structure set up to hold the festival. That breathtaking percussion noise of the “dhak“, the ringing of bells from the priest, the “mantra”s being channeled thru loudspeakers, the marvelous aroma of incense sticks… it was a breathtaking experience that kicked off on the morning of “Saptami” day!

Meeting friends, playing around, bursting crackers, eating in the “pandal” … those were stuff that dreams were made of for kids that were yet to pass the first decade mark.

Went back to that same “pandal”. So many things have changed and yet, so many things have remained the same!!