Little Kolkata

Thus,with demand comes supply,and so every year,a number of people set everything else aside,catering to the refreshment of the ravished devotees. Some of these people have been doing so for years,but with the influx of a higher and higher number of Bengalis into the city (not to mention an ever larger number of people who come to pay homage to the Goddess Durga),more and more people have started their own food stalls at these pandals. This is not free; however,the prices asked are so ridiculously low that every man can afford it: the idea is – nobody should go hungry.

Supriya Das Gupta has been running a stall at the Congress Bhavan Puja for the past seven years. A friendly lady,our conversation is frequently interrupted by a large number of her friends and students – she taught dance for many years. “It’s not only Bengalis who come to the pandal these days,people of all communities come to pay homage to the Gods. Thus,we have to cater to the needs of them as well. Many communities do not eat non-vegetarian food in this season,so I have a separate counter for vegetarian food as well,” she says. Das Gupta,whose stall has food like mutton kosha,prawn golden fry and veg cutlets,says that her speciality is sweets. “There are few stalls in Pune that can compete with my chomchom!”she exclaims. Sumita Bandyopadhyay,who has been visiting Durga Puja pandals for as long as she can remember,says,“During Durga Puja,special emphasis is given to sweets,and as Bengalis are really known for having a sweet tooth,you can imagine what happens at this time of the year,” she laughs.

Javed Sheikh,who runs a stall at the Khadki Durga Puja,says that this year has been much better. “I have been running a stall for four years,but last year was really bad due to swine flu. This year,the crowds have swelled.”

A lot of times,all it needs for a person to get hooked to Bengali food is to be introduced to it by a friend. Take 18-year-old Abhishek Chauhan,for instance. He had never been to a Durga Puja,and was a reluctant guest when his friend Shubhranjoy Basu Ray insisted that he come along. Now he is hooked. “I am already making plans for next year!” he says. Some people go to extraordinary lengths to leave their customers satisfied. Moin,who has been working at a stall for the past six years,is very proud about the uniqueness of his particular coop. “We Bengalis really love our food,and so,only the very best is good enough. Thus,every puja,we especially bring in fresh Hilsa fish from Bengal,which we then cook to make ilish maach.”

And then there are some people who are just staring off. Meena Sharma,who started her stall of chicken nuggets,rolls and biryani this year,says that she loves feeding people. “Durga Puja is a very big deal for Bengalis,so I decided to open my stall. Plus,this is a great way to meet new people,” she smiles.