I walked upto the airport entrance, duly showed my boarding pass and identity card to the security guy who let me in. Walking in thru the glass doors, I had three options – go to the Indigo counter to the left, the Spicejet counter to the right or head straight to the Durga Puja!!

There is a Durga Puja going on inside Durgapur airport next to the check in counters!! Replete with the “dhak” and Kishore Kumar songs on the loudspeakers!! Every passenger, understandably, is in a festive mood!

They sure make it difficult to leave Bengal during the Pujas!!

Sharmila was there to ensure that I was indeed going back straight to USA and not to Suriname or something. (which is where she thought I was going when I pulled off the surprise)

This used to be a quarterly event when my parents were still alive.

That was a quick weekend trip to India. Now the long haul back.

It is the same joyous and festive carnival that I remember. Of course the decorations and lightings have become more high tech. There are many many more street food stalls than I remember.

But three things stood out as very different from what I remember of Durga Pujas three to four decades back.

1. Did not hear much “dhak” noise. There were a few places playing recorded versions and many places had real “dhaks”. But none of the hour long heart thumping “dhaaker baajna”. Also, “dhaks” these days don’t have leather hide membrane. It seemed like some artificial material.

2. No fire crackers – whatsoever. I remember dad buying firecrackers on “sasthi” day every year and we would set them out in the sun to become bone dry. From “saptami”, the fun would start. I saw three days of Puja here this time. Not one firecracker was burst.

3. Every “mandap” has a side stage where all sorts of cultural stuff were going on. Songs, dances, poetry and what not. Interestingly, in the old days, all the chairs for folks to sit down used to point to the “pandal” where the idol was. Now, all the chairs are gathered around the stage set for the cultural activities.

But like I said, the crowded streets, the delectable street food, the smart dresses… they have all remained the same!

This nephew of mine (my brother-in-law’s son) has always been a bit of a shy character. Last evening, he was the only kid left along with the rest of the adults. When the rest of the adults got in their cars, I offered him that we take the long walk home. He accepted.

We talked about so many things under the sky. Very impressed with his analytical way of thinking and structured way of responding. It was already 11 at night and we had been walking for over an hour by then. We had to leave our discussions unfinished.

There will be a next time!

They are kiddos no more. All grown up adults and one young adult!! Two nephews and the niece with my mother in law!

From stereo right, the Matriarch herself, my brother in law’s wife, my sister in law (brother’s wife), my sister and Her Highness

We moved away from North Avenue to Ranapratap Road in Decemeber of 1979. “Ashish Market” or “Harsha Market Puja” was “our” puja. Most of the time was spent with friends just loitering around the “mandaps”, listening to the new Bengali songs released that puja season blaring on the loudspeakers (still cannot forget “Amar Pujar Phool” by Kishore Kumar – was that 1982 or 1983?), watching “dhunuchi naach” and checking out the prettily dressed girls.

I saw six Durga Pujas there – 1980, 81, 82, 83, 85 and 88.

That was our second target for the evening.