Partaking in Durga's 'bhog'

Since my childhood days, I’ve correlated the autumnal Durga Puja, with the blossoming of the white, feather-like kashphul flowers, sounds of the dhak (drums) and shankh (conch) in opulent pandals and beautifully sculpted idols of Goddess Durga.

Apart from the taking part in the rituals and indulging in the festive finery, pujo also meant savouring the classic Bengali fish fry, plates of saffron-flavoured chicken biryani, tangy ghugni (dal curries) or rich mutton korma gravies at food stalls set up at the pandals. But, with the passage of time, I’ve realised that Durga Puja isn’t just about these extravagant indulgences. In fact, the real charm of the festival lies in the simple vegetarian bhog (offering to the god), which is served at this time.

The significance

Speaking about the religious significance of the Durga Puja bhog, the head priest of Durga Bari, Delhi, points out that apart from identifying Goddess Durga as the divine shakti and maya (an embodiment of strength and energy), pujo is also considered a harvest festival of Ashvin (October), where Durga is worshipped as the goddess of prakriti (nature).

So, on Ashtami (eighth day of Durga Puja), devotees express their gratitude to the goddess by using agricultural produce like cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, herbs, coconut and sugarcane to cook a humble vegetarian fare. This simple meal is first offered to the goddess and later distributed as bhog among devotees.

The transformation

In the late 1500s, the bhog ceremony was just a “benevolent gesture” by the kings of Bengal. A bhog of simple khichdi, cooked to a porridge-like consistency, was distributed in sal-leaf plates among poor village folk. But, over the years, this simple offering transformed to become an elaborate thali.

The bhog gradually metamorphised into a lavish feast comprising a variety of dishes, which was served during barir pujas that are organised at the homes of wealthy landlords or zamindars. The dishes included a rich, buttery khichdi, made of small-grained rice called Gobindo Bhog, moong dal and vegetables like potatoes, cauliflowers and green peas; labda or a delicately spiced vegetable curry; begun bhaja (fried brinjals) and sweet dishes like a chutney made of tomatoes, dates and raisins and a sweet payesh (a creamy kheer of milk, rice and palm jaggery).

Even today, this type of an elaborate bhog is served at barir puja ceremonies organised on Ashtami at several ancestral homes. The dishes may vary with each household though. I remember the elaborate feast prepared during barir puja in the home of one of my close relatives. All the womenfolk would come together to prepare a classic khichdi, kumro chokka (pumpkin curry), mochar ghonto (dry-spiced curry of banana flowers), kumro bhaja (pumpkin fritters), anarosher chutney (pineapple chutney) and chaler payesh (rice, milk and jaggery, cooked to a pudding-like consistency).

Divine delights

In some pujo bhogs, the khichdi is replaced by a richer alternative like luchi (deep-fried flatbreads), alu phulkopir dalna (cauliflower-potato curry), chichinga chenchki (a dry preparation of snake gourd) and narkeler naru (laddoos made of coconut and jaggery).

While some bhogs are simple and healthy, a few others are definitely not for light eaters. The other mouthwatering offerings are purely lentils-based spreads that include radhaballabhi (deep-fried flatbreads stuffed with a mixture of ground urad dal and spices), cholar dal (chana dal cooked with coconut, raisins and spices), dhokar dalna (fried dal cubes in a spiced tomato gravy) and, of course, a sweet dish like darbesh — which is a laddoo made of boondis and dry fruits.

Sweet succour

Coconut features predominantly in the sweet preparations during this time. Coconut-based mithais are made in honour of the goddess. A bhog is incomplete without delicacies like narkeler naru, patishapta (golden rice flour pancakes with a coconut filling) or misti alur puli (sweet potato balls with coconut, dunked in sugar syrup).

Following the age-old Ashtami rituals, the family priest begins the puja by offering these sweet dishes to Durga, amidst the tinkling of aarti bells, sounds of the shankh, followed by the chanting of mantras. Finally, at the end of these rituals, the blessed bhog is ready to be partaken by the devotees.