For actress Jaya Ahsan, Durga Puja is not just a festival; it is an art form, a celebration of creativity and community. Having experienced Pujo on both sides of the Bengal border, she carries with her a tapestry of memories that define her festive spirit.
“In Kolkata, Pujo feels like an art work,” she says. “The pandals, the sculptures, the imagination — artists we don’t even know suddenly become celebrated through their creations. I enjoy pandal-hopping immensely, though it’s tiring. There’s joy, fun, and above all, a sense of wonder.”
Food, of course, plays its own starring role. For Ahsan, Pujo is also about indulgence, about giving in to guilty pleasures. “It’s very difficult to maintain a diet during Pujo,” she laughs. “Whatever I get, I eat. This time, we had taler luchi with dal from Bangladesh — it was my first time seeing it here, and I loved it.”
While Kolkata’s celebrations dazzle her with artistry and scale, Ahsan’s earliest memories are rooted in Bangladesh. Growing up in Tangail’s Mirzapur, she recalls the grandeur of Kumudini Hospital’s Pujo, held beside the Ichamati river. “It was the biggest Pujo I had seen in Bangladesh,” she remembers. “The rituals, the lights, the riverbank — it was extraordinary. I still carry those memories.”
She also fondly remembers her days at Bharatweshwari Homes, where she would take part in all the work leading up to the festival — arranging flowers, preparing offerings, and helping with the decorations. “As a child, I used to stay up late, cutting flowers and watching the idol being made. It felt magical,” she says.
Durga Puja in Bangladesh, she explains, was also a symbol of unity. “Though the country is predominantly Muslim, Pujo was celebrated with inclusivity. Many Muslim families, including mine, would visit pandals during Durga or Saraswati Pujo. The food, especially the prasad, was central to the experience. It was very peaceful.”
Some of her most vivid memories involve mischief. “I used to steal prasad at night,” she confesses. “And once, my elder brother broke a finger of the Durga idol to pretend we hadn’t taken it!” The memory still makes her laugh.
The eternal debate: Chingri or ilish?
No Pujo conversation is complete without food rivalries. When asked about the famed chingri-versus-ilish debate, Ahsan sides with her heart. “There’s something called ilish bhaat — not the pulao, but ilish cooked directly with rice. My sister makes it, and it’s unforgettable. If you taste it, you’ll understand why I can’t choose chingri over ilish.” She adds with a smile, “And then there’s ilish lyajer bhorta. That’s another dish I can never resist.”
For Jaya Ahsan, Durga Puja is not bound by geography. It is an inheritance of joy, art, and food — whether on the bustling streets of Kolkata or the riverbanks of Tangail.