Celebrated in the month of Ashvin (September – October), Durga Puja (fondly referred to as Pujo) is one of the most awaited festivals in India, especially in West Bengal. It is a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals entail ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days—Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and _Dashami—_are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where Goddess Durga is worshipped with great passion and devotion. Durga Puja for Bengalis is much more than a festival. It is an emotion and an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation.

Bengali cuisine is a haven for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian people. One interesting thing about Bengali food is that it is the only one in the Indian subcontinent that has a proper multi-course structure, much similar to the style of modern French cuisine.

Let me tell you about a beautiful ritual ‘Sindur Khela’ a traditional ceremony for Bengali women.

Uttar Pradesh, India is not only the home to the iconic Taj Mahal and the spiritual cities like Varanasi and Mathura but also takes great pride in its variety of traditional dishes. It is also the most populous and agricultural state of India. Each city of this state has its own list of special dishes - be it Lucknow’s biryani, Mathura’s Peda, or Agra’s Petha. There are endless mouth-watering dishes that you can enjoy while visiting this state.

Bengalis share a deep bond with sweets which, in turn, have also become popular throughout the country. In this post, I will share about 10 popular Bengali sweets that you must try at least once in your life!

Bengali’s and their love for fish needs no introduction. For them, fish is not just a food item - it is actually a part of their culture. In this post, I will share a simple recipe Shorshe Bata Maach (fish fry in mustard paste).

In the Bengali community, every major milestone for kids is celebrated. Hate khori (usually performed during Sarawati Puja) is the ceremony which is performed to introduce education to young children. This is considered a major milestone for kids and also known as the first writing ceremony.

Who says Bengalis’ most favourite things to eat are mostly fish dishes? Well, Bengalis do know how to cook and eat a variety of vegetables too. Today I want to share a traditional and authentic Bengali recipe which is prepared with cauliflower stems. This recipe is known as phulkopir data chorchori or cauliflower stem recipe in Bengali style.

Holi, the festival of colours is here. And this year, being an Indian abroad, I am wondering how I am going to celebrate this festival. I am going to write some lines in Hindi about how a pardesi or NRI feels during this festival, especially if they are just settling in a new country.