India being a land of diverse culture harvests different religious dogmas that contribute to the subsistence of multiple festivals and among them, Durga Puja resembles a special place in the hearts of every Indian. Planning for the festive season during vacation times will be such a pleasure especially if matched with a kickass fashion statement. Though festivals cover the Indian subcontinent throughout the year but with the arrival of the Deity Durga, the tempo of festivity gains a high pitch.
Kolkata is the capital of Durga Puja
With Deity Durga’s auspicious arrival on the day of ‘Mahalaya’, the autumn celebrations get a boom. The entire eastern Indian landscape drenches into the pious red color of ‘Alta’ (a traditional dye used for decoration on hands and feet of women) on every woman’s foot that symbolizes the inaugural of an auspicious event. From Mahalaya it just takes only seven days for the actual jolt of the festival. Though the city starts its preparation months ago before the celebration jumps in and thus from a birds’ view, one will get to see the towers of the pandals covering almost the entire city. Not only the Pandals start their preparation but the city dwellers equally plan for their vibrant fashion codes for the approaching grand four days of celebration.
Let’s start a virtual tour of the Durga Puja and the associated color code
- From the ‘MahaSaptami’, the seventh day onwards the festival starts with full energy and delight. Accordingly, the entire population of the city starts to celebrate this festival of power by doing pandal hopping with attractive fashion parades matching the color code of the day that changes for every day as per the year’s Hindu calendar suggestions.
- With the first light of the day, the ‘MahaAshtami’ eight days of the Durga Puja starts with the practice of performing 'Kumari Puja', and the most popular ‘Anjali’ (the act of offering flowers by fasting to the deity). A day where child daughters are being prayed considering them as a direct symbolic portrayal of Maa Durga. The evening dusk with a goose bumping experience called ‘Sandhikkhon’ happens right at the sharp juncture when the time of MahaAshtami exempts and the MahaNabami enters.
- As the ‘MahaNavami’ the ninth day the whole city gets the ultimate radiance with the buzzing sound of the crowds, different eateries, color code matches fashion parades and the city nights glow like a diamond.
- ‘MahaDashami’, the last day obviously starts with a heavy note of paying adieu to the Deity and reaches the climax with an enliven act of playing with vermillion known as ‘Sindoor Khela’.
Tips to design the vacation for the four days of glamorous grandeur
- MahaSaptami is ideal for Pandal Hopping and the color code will be Red for this day. Design the first day of the festival in such a way that you will get the chance to taste the mouth-watering delicacies from the stalls gathered over the puja Pandals and leave an everlasting impression of your styling with a ravishing red outfit from Berrylush
- MahaAshtami the next big day of Durga puja, is a day filled with prime rituals of the Hindu Mythology, and the color code will be Royal Blue for your dress. Experience the holiest ritual of Kumari Puja, through this ritual the society gets a message of the power resting among the feminine gender, and how every family should hold the stature of their girl child to that of the Goddess Durga. During the evening witness, the strong vibe of the intense silence performed mandatory at the juncture of ‘Sondhikkhon’, which usually ends with a goose-bumping beating of the drums and ‘Ulu Dhwani’(a positive loud sound performed by the women during puja to drive out negativity).
- Kolkata is undoubtedly famous for the puja at the royal families or cluster of ‘Bonedi Bari’ as called in Bengali. Book the MahaNavami for hopping in the elite houses of Kolkata, like the Raj Bari at the southern Kolkata, or Sova Bazar Raj Bari & Rani Rashmonir Bari at the northern Kolkata. Take the flavor of authentic Durga Puja with a glamorous fashion pill by Berrylush and tag it to your pals with the #BonediBariFashion2021
- MahaDashami, the final day booked only for the Sindur Khela, a play that decorates the deity and entire India with red vermillion cover, seeks a color code of purple during the evening but a must red-bordered white saree at the time of the morning. Embrace the Grand Mahadasha with a faddish purple outfit from Berrylush and finally end your vacation with the happy munching note of ‘Narus’(Sweets made of coconut & jaggery).
