Kolkata, India: Durga Puja Festival!

www.instagram.com/timandglo Our first ever trip to India happened to coincide with West Bengal's biggest holiday of the year, the Durga Puja Festival. This festival celebrates the Hindu goddess Durga. We knew little to nothing about the holiday before we arrived in Kolkata in the first week of October 2014. Many Bengalis told us that "pandal hopping" is a must during Durga Puja. A pandal is a temporary structure set up to venerate the goddess Durga. Pandals come in all sizes and colors, but each one depicts the same scene of Durga. Many communities light the path leading to a pandal with elaborate LED signs and arches, which makes for truly mesmerizing night time scenery. Apparently pandal hopping during the festival goes on until 2:00 or even 3:00 in the morning. Because there are so many people out and about, it is safe to walk about the city and explore the pandals. On October 8th, we stumbled upon a tight knit community of neighbors preparing to take their Durga sculpture to the Hooghly River for immersion. Immersion is an integral part of the festival's customs. The family was kind enough to adopt us for the afternoon. :D We had so much fun participating in the procession, being painted with sindoor, and dancing! Afterward we took a taxi to the river to watch the immersions. There was so much activity at the river front! It was hectic but also tons of fun. ^^ If you happen to be in India during Durga Puja, then we highly recommend heading to Kolkata, where the festival seems to take over the city and envelope it in a joyful, celebratory atmosphere! Thank you for watching!!