This Pujas, I had no big plans. Hang out with school friends – that was all I had in my mind.

It was in the Sasthee morning when we started our pandal-hopping spree. A Tata Sumo was hired and we gorged through the streets of Kolkata. There were 10 of us, good old friends of school – all Lawrencians.

The evening saw us in Maddox Square Park. This is really the place to be at during the pujas. There I met so many old friends, some whom I had almost forgot, got old ties renewed. The rest of the days of Puja as well, we spent the evenings in Maddox Square.There we had plenty of fun and unadulterated adda.

And when not in Maddox, we could be found in Anirban’s house where they have their own residential Puja. It is alwasy a great feeling to be a part of and experience a barir puja (residential Puja) as against barwari pujas (open to public participation). The Durga Murti at his house was grand and majestic, fully conforming to tradition. We ate at his house everyday. The food, top-class Bengali cuisine, was served in kalapata (banana-leaf) and water in bhars (earthen pots).

We also ate out a lot. Hatari, Bedwin, Food Station, Cafe Coffee Day were our destinations.