Enjoy Durga Pooja in Chennai in Bengali style
Posted on: 11/Oct/2016 12:08:14 PM
Durga Pooja frenzy is happening at Bengal Association in T Nagar. On ashtami morning the Bengali community fasts during the morning puja rituals and after offering pushpanjali (tendering flowers to goddess Durga), the luncheon feast begins.
It’s going to be four busy days in the kitchen at The Bengal Association. Eight cooks are hard at work, stirring large ladles in even larger pots of khichuri. Bhog is served on all puja days and starts by 12.30 in the afternoon. There are six to seven batches every day and each batch seats around 140 people. On Ashtami alone, it goes up to 10 batches and sometimes lunch goes on till 5 p.m.
This is the association’s 83rd year of pujo. While the pujo and the associated rituals are the main focus for many, food too plays an important role. There are a few who plan their pandal visits according to what’s available where. This is for their benefit - Khaas Khabar from Kolkata brings an array of Bengali sweets such as cham cham, jolbhora sandesh, roshogolla, langcha... The other stalls will offer Bengali style biryani with large chunks of potato, samosas, rolls, phuchka, aloo papdi chaat, luchi ghugni and more.
