This festive season has surely witnessed
a lot of firsts! The first Durga Puja my wife and I celebrated together... Our
first 4D(X) movie... Our first bowling match... My first ride on a Harley
Davidson... My parents’ first treat at Barbeque Nation... Our first family outing
to the holy place of Shirdi... Well, the list goes on... But, above all else,
this auspicious time has helped me, as always, to clear my head and view all
that is really important in life.
Unlike what many might think,
Durga Puja is a widespread phenomenon in many parts of the world and not just
limited to Bengal. Sure, there might not be a pandal across the street at every
nook and corner, but here in Pune the five or six major locations which do host
this annual wing-ding, do it in absolute fervour & ebullience, thereby
keeping up the tradition. The enchanting sound of the dhak pervades the
calm air, the beautiful deity on one side and delicious food stalls on the other,
the aroma of the Dhunachi bringing back fond memories as you exhale all the
day-to-day b***s**t...
Anyway, reminiscing aside, the
very first day of our hometown visit, was marked by a trip to the Shirdi Sai
Baba temple, the final resting place of the 19th century saint. I must say, apart from the lavish gold decor and a queue which redefined the word serpentine, the thing that caught my notice was the
security standards implemented here, complete with biometric finger scanning.
After enjoying the following few days attending Durga Puja festivities at
numerous locations across the city, we made another day long trip to the nearby
Lonavala and Khandala, the first time I visited the place since I was probably
half my mother’s height... Hahaha...
All the scenic points including
Tiger’s Leap, Bushi Dam and others seemed to have been preserved in time, with
us being the only variables. And although some novelties like the Celebrity Wax
Museum had cropped up in recent times, it was difficult to comprehend just how
much we had changed compared to our photos from two decades back, the surroundings
virtually unaltered! Nonetheless, spending our remaining time exploring some additions
to the modernity of Pune including the new Amoeba gaming zone and bowling alley,
proved worthwhile.
Well, until next year...
A very happy and prosperous Dussehra and Diwali to all!
