Pujo Diaries/2

This year anjali was scheduled from 10 o’ clock in the morning onward and I did not take the trouble to wear a saree which is the classic example of my procrastinating nature – I was too lazy to visit the tailor to get the blouses stitched. Wearing saree is a mammoth task that requires at least two months’ prior preparation. Not to mention the masterji becomes the most sought-after and high profile man to the female community during the festive season. I hate standing in queue at the tailor shop surrounded by all kinds of stupid women and listening to their nonstop ranting.  And for me, preparation of the trip was more important. So I opted for a simple kurti, which had its own special value and purpose. It was kind of a uniform for me before I went to Ma Durga to beg shamelessly for a few personal favours in exchange for a questionably short and wrongly pronounced pushpanjali. And the best part of not wearing a saree? It took me only half an hour to get ready and mom was spared the trouble of scolding the hell out of me for taking a lot of time. Anjali on Ashtami morning is something my mom and I go for together every year. And this year I did not get on her nerves while getting ready.

In the afternoon we went to have Ashtami special community lunch (Polao which was a bit too yellow, beguni, aloor dom, chatni and paayesh) at the local school complex sitting on dusty bench in groups. Irrespective of the venue and people, the chatni serving guy always misses to deliver aamshotto and khejur on my plate and this year was no exception.

By afternoon I was off to Ajaynagar, my friend D’s house, like every year. However, she did not come to Calcutta this year. But everyone else was there. And so were the complex’s ‘talented’ members along with their cultural programme which was a nice motivation for us not to remain seated at the pandal and go visit the next complex's pujo that won some prize this year.

The prize winning Pujo of the next housing complex