Celebs reveal their favourite Durga Puja memories from childhood

Durga Puja memories hold a special place in the hearts of Bengalis. From childhood delights to significant moments during the celebrations, we cherish the times shared with loved ones. So, which Durga Puja moments stand out for these celebrities? Read on...

For Raima Sen, the best Puja memories are still her childhood ones when she used to wait all year to wear brand new clothes and step outside for pandal hopping with her parents. "Normally the Pujas are very busy… we are running from pandal to pandal. I am happy because I don’t get to go to those areas. When we were kids, we would go to friends’ places in saris. Mummy (Moon Moon Sen) used to always do Puja shopping and even now. We leave it to her. She will buy the jewellery and saris.

For Prosenjit Chatterjee, the much-acclaimed actor in Bengal, his favourite memories of Durga Puja are also from childhood. “In our childhood days, we used to visit my mother’s (Ratna Chatterjee) native house for Puja. It was near Dum Dum, close to the airport. All relatives and cousins would come on that occasion and my grandfather (SC Maitra) used to be the main organiser of the Durga Puja in that house,” Chatterjee remembers adding. “It’s a big palatial building. During the celebrations, every girl of the house used to stay in one room, while their husbands in another. All the children would stay in another room with grandfather. So many rooms remained empty (with sleeping arrangements like these) but we loved spending time that way!”

“The entire celebration and joy revolved around our parar pujo. It was joy and happiness beyond words when we all used to go and bring the Durga protima. The excitement was something different. It can’t be expressed in words. And then there was staying awake all night during puja. Almost every day I had to face the scolding at home. Baba with his cold-eyed stare would say everything what he meant. Maa er haate maar o kheyechi (he smiles). But this hostile environment at home couldn’t stop me from enjoying the festivities. I don’t know if anyone ever slept right in front of the pratima after it was complete. But I used to do it. Lying in front of the pratima and staring at Durga Maa’s face used to bring a certain peace inside me. Even on the day of bhasan, heated conversation between me and baba maa was almost regular every year. They used to say don’t go the ghat, come back when the pratima leaves our para. But I was always adamant,” shares Saswata with a heavy heart since he’s no longer associated in any puja these days. But one thing has remained constant and it’s the joy of festivity.

The seasoned actress shares what comes to her mind when speaking about Durga Puja. “It’s the most important celebration for us. I think we all wait for it to come... It doesn’t matter whether you are a child or a grown-up, the excitement is the same. Puja brings lots of things together and it isn’t just about the religious aspect. Blessings from elders, family bonding, togetherness… It’s about all that. It’s also about colours, grandeur and people coming together. There isn’t any routine but a certain level of dedication. Durga Puja connects us to our roots,” said Rituparna.

Tanusree Shankar, the eminent dancer and choreographer of contemporary Indian dance, goes nostalgic while speaking about her childhood memories of Durga Puja. “It’s my childhood days. My father was a doctor in the army so our celebrations were in that fraternity and it used to start a while before the actual Puja as we prepped up for the festival with practices for cultural programs and they used to continue well after a month as Bijoya took center stage. No matter where my father was posted, it was not only the Bengalis who used to celebrate Durga Puja in these get-togethers. Every army officer would join in. We Bengalis used to be the hosts but everyone would come to participate and celebrate our Indianness.”