A handful of Bengali teachers and students, far away from the warmth and comfort of Calcutta, celebrated Durga Puja in a small garage on the Pondicherry University campus. 

On Mahalaya, we assembled on a beach near the university at the crack of dawn, the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra playing on YouTube and helping us experience what every Bengali feels at the advent of Durga Puja. 

That evening, enthusiastic students staged a flash mob — the girls decked in saris danced to Ai Giri Nandini and the boys sang in chorus. 

We students spent the next days in a workaholic frenzy, fuelled with anticipation for the festival. The inception of this puja can be credited to a bunch of eccentrically enthusiastic students in the previous year. 

We fetched the pratima from Chennai and brought other essentials for the puja from Bengal. Apart from the celebrations, we had the joy of being able to manage a Durga puja successfully all by ourselves — a bunch of fairly inexperienced university geeks! 

We were brave enough to prepare every Bengali’s favourite dish, maach-bhaat, on Navami. On Dashami, after immersing the idol in the nearby sea, we managed to distribute rosogolla among all university students, despite this Bengali sweet being a virtually unknown entity in Puducherry! 

Ours maybe a small puja, with a small budget, in a small space, and with small arrangements, but the vigour and assiduity each one of us has shown is heart-warming enough to make even a hardcore atheist squeal with passion, “Aschhe bochhor aabar hobe!” 

Krishnendu Palit
MA first year, English, 
Pondicherry University

 

On September 25, this email popped up in our inbox.... Of course we said yes!

Dear t2, 
I am a student pursuing Master’s in computer science from Pondicherry University. This is my first year far from my native place. Since last year, Bengali students have been celebrating Durga Puja in our university. From arranging to celebrating, all are done by students. I want our celebration to be known in West Bengal, and if possible, the rest of the country, as we are the second university to hold Durga Puja after JNU, Delhi.

Living far away from our homeland, we are trying to keep our Bengali culture alive. Our story is really interesting. Please inform me whether you are interested to print our story.

Shourjya Ghosh, 
Pondicherry University