The festival has begun with "KHNUTI PUJO"

"Naba Anande Jago Aji...Naba Robi Kirane......"

As the cuckoo starts to sing in a distant meadow

As the breeze triggers a smile

We know what autumn has come to bestow

We know its time to return from exile

As the clouds loiter about

And the Kans grass moves to a rhythm unknown

The smell of new cloths spread around

It is season to embrace gaiety and sadness disown

As the goddess of Empowerment descents from heaven

As the season of festivities begin

Open your hearts to imbibe the warmth

Let Overwhelm flow out of your being just like a djinn............

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

As Lord Ganesha has already inaugurated the season of festivities of our nation full of colours, we Bengalis have geared up to welcome him back. This time he will be accompanied by his mother Devi Durga and siblings Lord Karthik, Devi Lakshmi and Devi Saraswati. As per mythology each year Devi Durga descents from Kailash and come to the earth with her children. Her annual visit to her maiden house, is our Durga Puja, or Sharodutsab in Bengali. A time when Bengal and Bengalis get all decked up and resonate vibes of joy, gaiety, culture and heritage. An entire season of living up to our own expectations in terms of effervesce and happiness. It is a time when every corner of the state and especially my city of joy Kolkata is illuminated with the never fading lights of union of different cultures, caste, creed and colours. A festival that brings the distanced nearer, a festival that distances negativities. Dressed like a new bride my city awaits the descent of Ma.

But my husband Avishek and I have been spending last three Durga Puja's in Mumbai. If you ask us, do we miss Kolkata? The answer will be most definitely YES. Yet we stay here, because there is something that pulls us back, refrains us from packing our bags and rushing out. And that is association, association with a lovely bunch of welcoming, warm and smiling faces, association with culture and its practice, association with SPANDAN. Celebrating the festival just like others but with a purpose......

SPANDAN FOUNDATION is a socio-cultural organisation comprising of warm hearted people who come together to celebrate festivals, spread humanity and much more. It is a pool of talent and a platform to showcase the same. We have been a part of it since the last three years and enjoyed the gradual development of cherished bonds and fragrances of friendship. Avishek and me both participate in plays and enjoy each moment of festivity with the association.

To mark the beginning of Powai Sharodutsav 2015, the first rung of the ladder is already stepped onto. Khnuti Pujo or placing the first bamboo on the ground where the holy rituals of the puja will be performed was executed last Sunday.

It was warm, and I would clarify and people who are in Mumbai will appreciate that warm is an understatement to define the current heat waves that has hit the city. The sun was happily bestowing its energy on us and draining us of the same. Yet believe you me, the vibrance could not be faded by sweat. Our dress code was red. Women clad is red dhakais and cottons, their coruscating red bindis, men in red kurtas...defied the hot sun and bravely endorsed the effervescence of the festival.

And then there was bong food, Kichuri, Irish Mach Bhaja, Beguni, Fulkopir Torkari and chutney made the delectable lunch spread for the afternoon. What more do we require to construct something constructive? Jokes apart that sunny Sunday afternoon started the countdown....for MA's Descent from Heaven.

A glimpse of Sunday, a day of vibrance.

It has begun..

Puja preparations...

Khnuti Puja...

Ladies in Red...Just a few

A cheerful moment

Women from Venus

Men from Mars

Yummy spread

The last two are my personal favourites ;-)

Thanks To Arnab da (Arnab Chakrabarty) and Prosun da (Prosun Roy) for the pics I have used here. However it is worth to thank the numerous other artistic eyes behind several lenses that captured lovely moments that day.

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta