Within minutes of the BE (East) puja committee announcing a phuchka eating contest on Saptami evening, nearly 30 people came to enrol. The prospect of downing as many free phuchkas as possible in 20 seconds was too good to miss.

“I just wanted to eat phuchkas and thought I’d manage two but once I began, I got into the mood and ate six,” laughed Shibani Saha, who had eaten 10 in the contest last year.

Piyali Chakraborty asked the vendor to give small puchkas as he was preparing the stuffing. “Why are you taking out such big pieces? I won’t be able to eat even one,” she protested, but to everyone’s surprise, she ate seven and came second.

The top spot went to Dipanjan Bag who gobbled eight pieces.

There was also a rasogolla-eating contest but it was delayed as the organisers were unable to find enough stock in the nearby shops. A few suggested a switch to golap jam or pantua, but the rasogollas finally arrived.

Bag, the phuchka contest winner, wasn’t done. He ate four of the syrup balls in 15 seconds while the fifth one remained in his hand. “I had planned to eat four and managed it, although my personal best is around nine in a longer time.”

He shared the top spot in the second contest with two others.