‘Food & music make Pujo special'

Ahead of Pujo, Meghdut RoyChowdhury of the Techno India Group and his wife Pauline Laravoire sat down with us to share their festive plans, and their larger mission: to ensure Kolkata retains its place at the heart of the celebration, while propelling the festival into a more global, culturally resonant arena. Through their joint efforts, they aim to weave sustainability, innovation and community into tradition. Excerpts from the chat.


Tell us about your pujo plans...Pauline: We never really make plans for Pujo. We love keeping it impromptu. I like to spend my downtime with my people which is something we don’t get to do otherwise, because of work.
Meghdut: We are involved in showing people around the city ahead of Pujo, so by the time the festivities really start, we just want to stay at home and keep it an intimate affair.

How do you plan to showcase Pujo to people outside Bengal?
Meghdut: It is great to see how people connect with Pujo, the ones from outside the city and country. This festival has never been marketed as one festival; it has always been like ‘my para vs your para’-which means the overall message and extent of Durga Puja gets reduced. But in recent times, especially with Pujo previews, we’re now showcasing it as one unified festival and the beauty of the festival is being recognised a lot more now. To make the city relevant to everyone – residents and visitors, the easiest and best way is to use Pujo as the anchor. The young generation needs to feel proud about the fact that they come from the land of Durga Puja and also talk about it in the same way.


‘Pujo for everyone’
Meghdut: Pujo means strength and togetherness. It is the time when we can leave the staleness of life behind and move ahead with fresh energy. Durga Pujo is a levelling ground, and a table where everyone can sit together.
Pauline: I was awestruck seven years ago seeing how much heart goes into creating something so temporary. Durga Puja can’t be imagined or explained — only experienced. Like Rio Carnival or La Tomatina, it’s steadily claiming its place on the global map.


As a child, we spent Pujo in Hooghly with family. Cap phatano was the highlight, with dadu didar golpo shona
– Meghdut RoyChowdhury

I love wearing a sari during Pujo, and sindoor Khela with my mom-in-law is my most favourite part of the festivities
– Pauline Laravoire