The Grand Durga Puja and Bengal
Shardiy Navratri and Dussehra preparations for Durga Puja generally begin months before the occasion in India. But, if there is one place where this festival is celebrated with more grace than any other part of the country, it is West Bengal. The sheer charm of the city attracts people from the world over, and this is why people prefer celebrating Durga Puja in the city of joy. Image: Getty Modern relationships, why modern relationships fail, Reasons to fail Modern relationships
Idols are sculptured
One should check out the places where idols are made and prepared for the festival at this time of the season. Similarly, in other parts of India too, sculpturers prepare idols for their respective pandals. Before the festivities take their final plunge, you should visit a Bengali community in your city and follow up on the entire process of idol-making to truly know the background of this pious festival. Image: Getty
Fairs, rides and delicious delights
From the sixth day of navratri, the city kicks into a fair mode with the setting up lots of rides and eateries to savour. The colorful lighting all over the city makes Calcutta look beautiful and amusing. In most Bengali communities settled outside of Kolkata, these practices are widely appreciated and followed to keep them from feeling far from home. Image: Getty
Slaughter offering and feasting
As per traditions, on the ninth day of the festival, an animal is slaughtered and served to Goddess Durga after which the prasad is distributed widely. Your best bet to watch it all unravel is to visit a local pandal; every city will have its own. Image: Getty
Idol immersion and vermilion (Sindoor) ceremony
The presence of Bengalis in almost every city globally has affected the way India's most famous festival is practiced. On the final day of Navratri, married women and mothers play with vermilion by applying it on each other before the Goddes's idol is immersed in the river. Image: Getty
