Subho Bijaya & Weekly Menu Plan

Subho Bijaya to all ! 

 

Today is Bijaya Dashami, the day when the festivities for this years puja ends and the wait for next years Durga Puja begins...Right now most Indians are probably returning back from the ghats(river banks) closest to their localities after immersing Ma Durga's idol in the waters.... Cries of  "Aschi Bochor Abar Hobe" and "Durga Mai ki Jai"(Glory to the goddess) still resounding in the air....

Sitting here in our apartment in NY, I am feeling nostalgic and dearly missing my family and friends... as i shuffle through the photographs from previous pujas and recount all the good times we have had...

 

We did go to Washington for the pujas. though the chantings happened and the little one enjoyed drumming "the dhak", nothing felt the same. It wasn't the Puja of my childhood. it wasn't the puja of my memories.. 

Hopefully next year around this time ... we'll be at home and gleefully   exchanging Bijaya greetings, hugging our friends, touching the feet of the elders for blessings and blessing the young ones with all our hearts...Really puja or for that matter life in general life does not feel quite the same unless you are with your family and loved ones....

Hope you all had a wonderful time with your family and friends... Once again my heartiest Bijaya greetings to all and lots of love and blessings to the young ones....

Now returning to my life here... a quick glimpse at this week's menu. Its a simple menu this week since i'll be busy preparing my toddler's birthday party. He turns two on Wednesday !!

	This Week's Menu Plan
Sunday	Holiday
Monday	Pumpkin Souffle and Persimmon Salad
Tuesday	Moong Dhal, Beans Paruppu Usili, Carrot Pacchadi, Steamed Rice
Wednesday	Spanish Baked Chicken with Arroz Mexicano
Thursday	Beetroot Burgers Sliders with Greens, Breaded Baked Tilapia for toddler, Colcannon
Friday	Mediterranean Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
Saturday	Birthday Party for Pradyot !

Sharing this with Meal Plan Monday @ Organizing Junkie

Subho Bijaya !!

Hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends during the four days of Durga Puja. Wish you all Subho Bijaya ! I just got back to Chennai and here are some photographs of Sindoor Khela and Durga Bisharjan....

After four days of puja festivities he idol of Ma Durga along with her two daughters Laskshmi and Saraswati and her two sons Ganesha and Kartika were immersed on Dashami with cries of "Asche bochor aabar hobe" and "Durga Mai ki jai" resounding everywhere.... and then like every year the Bijaya Dashami celebrations followed....

Puja Greetings to all ....

just two more days to go before the dhakis start drumming their dhaks, before the sound of conches fill the air...           before  young girls and ladies wearing crisp new sarees crowd every inch of Kolkata... 

just a day to go before i land in Kolkata and immerse myself completely in the festivities of Durga puja ..  

.... my shopping is done. my bags are packed.  and i am all set to leave. On the pretext of my present work load I had earlier decided to stay back in Chennai. but festivals without family do not feel like festivals at all. so i made my tickets for home last week and i am leaving tomorrow... in less than 28 hours from now i'll be home... sitting in our drawing room couch sipping chai with ma as she shows me her puja shopping and i show her mine.... :)  I am 32, but even today puja vacations excite me as much as they used to when I was a little girl ..... I guess certain emotions never change or erode with time... they remain the same and bring back the good memories over and over again......

Hope you all have a wonderful time with family, friends and all your loved ones.... 

eat lots, drink healthy and make merry... catch you all after the pujas..... 

take care,

love, T

[the photograph was taken by Priyotosh at one of the puja pandals in Allahabad in 2008. ]