PUJA ................ NOW AND THEN

At last the "DURGA PUJA" is knocking at the door, our biggest festival. It's a lot for us……… Bengalis. "DURGA PUJA" is the heart and soul for us. For me it's a gr8 time to relax and freak out with friends.
Many sweet memories come to my mind when I speak about PUJA. For me PUJA means a long desired leave (though the free days are very less ...………4 days only) with no work in hand (generally!!!!!!!!!). I still remember those good old school days when we used to have a exam just before PUJA and I used to just scratch around ………….pray to end the exam as soon as possible and wait for the PUJA and PUJABARSIKIs (a special issue of magazines for PUJA). It was altogether a different time. I could smell the PUJA air. When I started for my school to give exam just before PUJA days it was an altogether different feeling. On my way to station our local "PUJA PANDAL" is situated. Everyday on my way to school I looked at the structure and used to say to myself "oh man when this damn exam will end and I'll have my long desired vacation". And when those vacation days really came ……….ahhhhhhh that feeling is just not possible to narrate in words. It was altogether a new happiness. Smell of PUJABARSIKI, new dresses…….we friends used to plan for PUJA from as early as 2-3 months early. That which places and PANDALS we gonna visit on those 4 days of PUJA.
Now it is reduced to just casual timeout, sudden planning, little PANDAL hopping and long chatting. I guess it is the effect of "time" (I can't say "age" ………. as I'm 22 only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). My friends say it's all about age, mentality and maturity. Well may be…………………. Now we (I mean me and my friend circle) are rather interested in long "ADDA" (Bengali synonym of chatting) than PANDAL hopping. It has reduced to rather a meeting time with old friends rather than a time of endless roaming around the city streets. I also feel in me that I'm not that young one who had no problem walking miles without any problem. Now my mind also wants free chatting, long "MASTI" without interruption. May be that's an obvious change that we all go through in our life …………… change of test and ideas.