As I entered the suite, she came into the living room, a vision in a lilac and purple dress. She gave me a warm smile and said “Pleased to meet you”. I was nervous as hell but was trying my best to put up a calm demeanor and the only thought running in my mind was “Is this for real”???.
Spread Love This Pujo With Vivel
What is the first thing a Bengali does when he/she gets a calendar for the New Year? Check the dates for Durga Pujo :D. Whether the Bengali is in Kolkata, Mumbai, Manhattan or even Timbuktu, it does not really matter. The spirit of Pujo binds us all.
About 5-6 years back, I was interacting with a group of foreigners and the conversation steered towards religion, customs, tradition and Durga Pujo celebrations in Kolkata. One lady said “You don’t seem to be the religious type then how come you are so passionate about this religious festival? Isn’t it just about worshipping the Goddess“? That day, I did not give her an answer. I told her that she would get her answer only if she comes to the city to experience the madness herself. And being the curious adventurous type, she actually did come a couple of years later.
From exploring Kumortuli, the potter’s quarter in North Kolkata where Gods and Goddesses are made to witnessing the Tarpan ritual on the banks of the river Hooghly on Mahalaya to visiting the various pandals across the city everyday for five days of the festival to eating egg roll, phuchka and chowmein at 1.00 am, we did it all. On Dashami, while watching the immersion of the idols, I asked her “What do you think now? Is Durga Pujo only about worshipping the Goddess“? She told me that before coming to the city she read an article written by Vir Sanghvi on Kolkata and Durga Pujo where he wrote ” The essence of Puja is that all the passions of Bengal converge: emotion, culture, the love of life, the warmth of being together, the joy of celebration, the pride in artistic expression and yes, the cult of the goddess. It may be about religion. But is about much more than just worship“. And that she now relates to every single word written in that article.
Durga Pujo is all about love, warmth and spreading happiness. While the city revels in this festive spirit, there are many underprivileged children who long to be a part of family celebrations, who feel lonely and left out. This year, Vivel along with the brand ambassador Dev will celebrate Pujo with some of these children by taking them around the city to see the biggest pandals and by putting a smile on their innocent faces. How can you be a part of Vivel Pujo Love? Just click a selfie with a child and share it on Vivel’s timeline with the hashtag #VivelPujoLove to commit to spreading pujo love this season.
May the Goddess bless you and your family with happiness, love and prosperity. Sharad Shubhechha 🙂