Durga Puja

Durga Puja is one of the biggest festivals in Bengal. It is not only the time when Goddess Durga returns to her fathers house , but it is also the time for all festive loving Bengalis to get together and celebrate the occasion for 4 days at a stretch. It is a time when Bengalis staying outside Bengal go back to their homes, the nuclear families get together and worship Goddess Durga. For ages the trend of worshipping has changed and it has a new look every year. Apart from the shopping spree before the festival , when people with all their round the year savings get the best things for their family. They bug new clothes , new shoes and what not. Kolkata , the heart of the Bengali civilization dresses up as a whole. In earlier times it was landlords (zamindars)who actually arranged and spent for the pujas , but in course of time with the rise of the great Bengali middleclass the focus has shifted to barwari ( public) pujas. They erect pandals in fields , on roads and almost every gullee (street) and road of the cities , not only Kolkata but Durgapur, Asansol ,Berhampur, Siliguri etc. Public puja's based on collections from public are so popular that even villages have caught up and they celebrate it in there own style. While pandals in cities are built by reputed builders with a theme and lots of lightings and shops giving the appearance of a fair . The themes are sometimes based on simple facts , wonderful structures or even latest events. It can be said that it is an way of providing tribute to the greatest works of humanity. Of late, the latest trend is to inaugurate the pujas by famous personalities , cricket stars and popular politicians. But the pujas in the villages are a lot different. It is quite detached from the city pujas which is more about pomp and show. The village pujas , and especially the family pujas ( there are no zamindars any more) give us a glimpse of the actual festivity. It is not about just lighting crackers and cultural functions. This is an occasion to get together with the family , meeting them after a year or even years. This is the occasion when everyone ,whether a ceo of a company or the principal of a college ,they get on like children do and intimately entwine the relations more stoutly. All the elders show the proper way of doing the pujas , even the children of the family get do mix with each other under the open sky and run around and enjoy the true essence of freedom. I have been fortunate enough to witness such pujas from my childhood in my maternal uncles home. Every year for the last 25 years approximately the pujas have added a different vigor and dimension to the worship. More than the worship , the community work at the time of floods is more to cherish. Here are some of the snippets of the pujas which show the fun and the effort that brings together people, binds relationships and teaches people to cooperate and succeed.

GOA - A Traveler's Paradise













Of late Goa has been in the news for a wrong reason. The safety of travelers to Goa especially foreign travelers is the point of discussion now. Fortunately the top traveler season in Goa dies down in the months of summer when business is low. I have been to Goa 2 times and both the visits are memorable to me. Goa is best not just for its beaches , the food (specially seafood) is awesome. Its churches and forts are a treat to watch and the state itself is in holiday mood whole of winter which gives a soothing sense to weary travelers.




Its pristine beaches , the bamboo shacks , the aroma of the sea fish , everything has a charm in it. Even when you lazily walk on a lonely beach with the waves breaking near your feet , the deep blue sea devoid of any movement , with its vastness , and its sound of silence reminds you of days gone by wherein you left your soul on the road less travelled by.





Its beautiful sunsets and the rising tides wants you to long for another day , another bright sunny morning with the sparrows chirping and the sea birds flying in a formation.











Our journey map which I will elaborate later on.




- Thurs night --> Start for Goa via Tumkur --> Friday Morning Jog Falls - Friday Noon -> Karwar --> Palolem beach Goa - the ideal beach for bachelors A huge swim. Lost and found spectacles -> A fabuluous lunch Evening -> A fish and Vodka combi -> Slept away for dinner Night -> The waves- Saturday Morning -> A slow rise --> Fishing --> Dona Paola -> Some spped boating in Dona Paola -> Welcome to Baga beach -> crowded beach --> a hefty swim again - this time however within security nets -> A fabulous lunch again -> Evening in the calangute beach and shopping in the town - missed the cruise -> A faltu dinner with awful Fenny -> Walk back at dead of night to the Baga beach ( all around the sea) - The wonderful insects of night - blue - Sunday Morning - > Get a last glimpse of Baga beach -> Off to Anjuna Beach to find a great swimmer -> Off to Vagator Beach - a nice place and a cool drink of Coconut Water - > The great Chapora fort and the awesome charm of the sea beyond and the heat within - > The Agonda Fort - what a place - a gaol -> The DoodhSagar water falls and the journey in a tuck like jeep through the gushing water of the streams to the falls. Bhim's swim in the chilled water of the falls. -> An equally bumpy and goofy ride back -> A tremendous Lunch at 5 o clock with Fish and Rice for the famished ones - A stop on the way to pick up beers -> Return on the way via Hubli -> A charming dinner at a roadside dhaba - Some road to Tumkur and enter Bangalore early morning -> A completely washed way through the NICE road and back to home at 8 o clock.






















<>CONTACT NUMBERS AND PLACES TO STAY IN GOA
PALOLEM BEACH ->
Tony Cottages & Coco Huts
Contact Nos: +91 9422060497 / 832 2643 436
E-Mail: info@tonycottagespalolem.com

NOTE: We stayed in these cottages. These had attached bathrooms too. But the structures were very shaky and the foundation creaked and made noise with every movement you make. The bathroom and toilet facilities were also very basic and separated from the main room by just a curtain.


SAMEER Cottages and Coco Huts
website : www.resortdepalolem.com
E-Mail : info@resortdepalolem.com,ananddesai@yahoo.co.in
Phone : +91 9422059215 /
STD : 832 Landlines : 2644072 /2644615 / 3231010
NOTE: These cottages looked better. Also these were probably costlier at approx Rs 1000+ per hut during top season.

These are some other NUMBERS I found on the internet.
BRIDGE & TUNNEL
15 Cottages [Rs 700 to Rs 4500]
number- 2643262

HI TIDE COCO BEACH
19 Huts, 4/5 Cottages [Rs 350 to Rs 500 for huts, Rs 600 to Rs 1000 for cottages]
Number-2644550/ 2643104

LA ALEGRO
10 Rooms [Rs 300 to Rs 650]
Number- 2644261

MARIA
Palolem - 9767608809

ALESSANDRA BEACH RESORT:
Some great reviews for this on facebook.
website : www.Alessandra-Resort.com
E-mail : Alessandra.resort.goa@gmail.com
Review : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canacona-India/Alessandra-Resort-Palolem-Beach-South-Goa/6296198694

SOME OTHER REVIEWS :
http://www.indiamike.com/india-hotels/palolem-hotels-c363/

DENA COTTAGES - 2643449
CLEOPATRA RESORT - 2645906
ROSE BUDS - 9422454114
WAVES BAR & RESTAURANT COTTAGES & COCO HUTS - 9822150036
JOVE COTTAGES - 2646612
RAINBOW COTTAGES - 9823881600
ROSE BUDS COTTAGES & COCO HUTS - 9822454114
BLUE NILE COTTAGES - 2643984
RESORT DE PALOLEM - 9822059215
CRESSIDA BEACH CAFE - 2643958

FOR MORE NUMBERS SEE THE LINK AT THE END - THE COMPREHENSIVE LIST

AGONDA
DERSY BEACH RESORT : This is also a secluded beach but the water is not very calm. This was a nice beach resort with huts .
Phone : 832 2647503

DUNHILL :
Tel.: 2647328, 2647604
Email: dunhill_resort@rediffmail.com

MORJIM
If you are planning to stay on this beach you must do a booking beforehand. This is a very secluded beach and shuts down completely after sundown.

We stayed at a coco hut.
SANT ANTON
website : http://www.treehutsingoa.com/morjim.htm
Phone : +91 9822483188

Their huts were quite pretty and nice , but bathrooms are outside in a shared area.
They served complimentary breakfast and also prepare dinner etc based on dinner.


TOURIST MAP OF GOA


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