Pandal Anticipation

This morning was the first time that I woke up oblivious to the fact that I’m living in India. It didn’t hit me until later in the day, as we were going about our routine, that I’m miles away from family and friends. To my delight, I feel at home and normalized to the sticky heat, smell of burning incense, and chirping birds that had felt so strange to wake up to about a month ago.

I think I’m starting to truly enjoy the hustle and bustle of life in Kolkata. There are tons of people, markets, food stands, shops, and colourful ads that keep your eyes endlessly busy. Not to mention the thrilling experience of being driven around, which feels like you're in some sort of video game. All in all, I love the constant buzz around me. I’ve slowly started to understand the chaos, find my place in it, and simply absorb the city’s electrifying energy. A big part of this liveliness is due to the city’s preparations for the Durga Puja festival. Here, it is such a highly anticipated time of year that the build-up feels greater than Christmas time back home.

Our neighbourhood, though usually quiet and quaint, is clearly gearing up for this prominent celebration. In worship of Durga, a Hindu goddess that fights evils, the entire city - community by community - designs and builds structures called pandals. Hundreds, if not thousands of pandals can be found under construction around almost every corner and down every street. Come next week, each pandal will have a unique, colourfully expressed theme that represents its' community. Viewers from far and wide will embark on walking tours to take in as many pandal sites as possible and enjoy the elaborate artistry.

The pandal nearest our place (which has been the most helpful landmark since our arrival) has been growing like nothing we’ve ever seen. Just when you think it’s almost done, another segment is added on. Finding ourselves impressed by the speed at which “our” pandal expands, we suspect that construction must go on all through the night. And we can’t wait to see the finished product!

Here’s a look at the progress: