Pune: The city’s Bengali families will trade the bustle of pandals for the intimacy of Bijoya Dashami as Durga Puja draws to a close on Wednesday, marking the occasion by visiting relatives, seeking elders’ blessings, sharing homemade sweets and catching up over plates of ghugni and naru, and cups of steaming cha.For Biswajit Saha, a resident of Undri, the memories are inseparable from the food his mother prepared during his childhood. “My mother would prepare naru in the traditional, simple way, and we looked forward to it every year. We would gather at my grandparents’ house with cousins, uncles and aunts, spend time together and talk about everything, from the Puja to politics,” he said.Such gatherings, with plates of ghugni, naru, nimki and other homemade treats, evoke an older, more intimate way of celebrating.Ghugni, a Bengali favourite, is made by simmering dried yellow or white peas with spices and is often served as a savoury snack topped with chopped onions and coriander. Naru are small, round sweets traditionally prepared by cooking grated coconut with jaggery or sugar until the mixture holds its shape. Nimki are crisp, savoury bites made from flour, seasoned with salt and spices, and shaped into small pieces and deep-fried.Recipes passed down through generations bring back memories of grandparents’ homes, familiar kitchens and relatives gathering without the need for a formal invitation.Bijoya carries a bittersweet feeling for Hinjewadi resident Aparna Chatterjee.“There is nostalgia and calm after all the days of Puja. There is also a dull feeling that everything we had been looking forward to is now over. We have to wait another year for it to return,” she said.For probashi Bengalis, or those living away from Bengal, the occasion can be particularly poignant. Food, family traditions and memories of Puja help recreate the familiar warmth of home, even when they are miles away. Community celebrations across Pune reflect this emphasis on togetherness.At Chitrani Sarbojonin Durga Utsav Samiti, which celebrates at Tupe Corner near Rudreshwar Temple, behind Amanora Park, the emphasis is on inclusion rather than grandeur. Celebrations will begin after 9am on Wednesday, with special care taken to ensure that senior citizens are comfortably seated and served bhog and prasad. “We personally serve senior citizens so they can enjoy their meal without standing in queues or managing the arrangements themselves. We also hand over mahabhog to each person individually instead of simply mixing and distributing it. For us, this preserves the sanctity of the offering while making every devotee feel welcome and valued,” said Dona Kundu of the Samiti.At Anandam Association in Wanowrie, which is celebrating its 22nd year of Durga Puja festivities, Wednesday’s programme will include morning puja, darpan bisarjan and devi baran.“This year, we had an additional day, and it has allowed the association to offer a wider cultural programme featuring music, dance, theatre and traditional performances,” said secretary Rina Pradhan.
