During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport. That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’t ju
Eight days have gone by, and Navaratri is almost over. It's unbelievable how fast time flies, especially during festivals like this. The last few days have been so busy that I haven't been able to write, but I have more to write before I call an end to my Navaratri posts. Today, let me give you a glimpse of our Chembur Durga Puja.....
This is how we are greeted at the entrance, the dancing lights stopping us on the road, for a second glance!
This is no replica, but a temple made from the imagination of the artists.....
Inside, everything is eco-friendly... All the items used are bio-degradeable.... Take a look at what lovely decorations have been made with coir, reeds, shola wood, and similar items....
On the ceiling is a piece de resistance - a chandelier, made of Shola wood, lighting up the decorations...
And here is what we are here for..... the tableau of deities....
As I stand before them, hands folded in prayer, Samhith's attention is drawn elsewhere - to the stalls outside, selling food. Of course, what he really wants is Rasgolla! We had planned to be here early, in time for the Bhog, but, we are too late. We have to settle for the stalls just beginning their sales, and he pulls me out of the pandal, intent on satisfying his stomach, rather than my spiritual satisfaction, but I give in, for this is what brings him here with me, year after year, for now!
Beautiful decorations. Oh that means there is a large Bengali population in Chembur.
ReplyDeleteYes, PNS. there is a sizeable Bengali population in and around Chembur. And they arrange for some really beautiful decorations each year!
DeleteVery creative! And sensitive to create an ecofriendly pandal. Where is this? Chedda Nagar?
ReplyDeleteNo, Bindhu, this is near the Chembur Naka...on the ground near the municipal school
DeleteVery nice being in Chembur never visited this place
ReplyDeleteThank you Anuradha Ji for creating such beautiful post on this magnificent puja mandap. I'd like to add one thing which you may not know that the LED lighting is based on a beautiful childhood Bengali poem "Palkir Gaan".
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