Chandan Pandit, the man who knows his fish better than most people know themselves, has had quite the journeyman’s career, having worked in the oil and gas sectors.. His professional commitments have taken him to every possible continent, but when it comes to Durga Puja, Chandan, presently a stock analyst, knows that Kolkata is the place to be. While he does not get as excited about Bengal’s favourite festival as he does about Bengal’s favourite fish, Chandan enjoys taking a break from work and slipping into Puja traditions every year.
My Kolkata spoke to Chandan about his Puja plans for 2023, which fish he will eat during Puja, the Durga superpower he wants and more.
My Kolkata: Do you usually spend Puja in Kolkata?
Chandan Pandit: All my life, I’ve travelled around the world, mostly for work. But, during Puja, I make it a point to be in Kolkata. At least until Dashami.
How are you celebrating Puja this year? Are you the pandal-hopping sort?
Puja is when a lot of my family members come home. For example, this year, my sister and niece are coming back from the US. They mostly come to eat! And my family is more into pandal hopping than I am. They take the car and check out the pandals. I complete my pandal hopping on my morning walks! It’s relatively empty then. I take a walk from Gariahat to Chetla and complete a series of pandals. Or I take an auto if it’s too hot.
What is your favourite Puja food? And which fish are on your Puja bucket list for this year?
When it comes to food during Puja, we mostly eat at home. I don’t like the rush at restaurants at this time. We cook all kinds of things at home, from biryani to traditional Bengali food. And yes, there’s a lot of fish. For Puja this year, I’ll be eating fish fry, chingri maach er malai curry and several preparations of ilish. I’ll be cooking most of them myself.
‘For Puja this year, I’ll be eating fish fry, chingri maach er malai curry and several preparations of ilish,’ says Chandan Shutterstock
What about shopping for clothes?
I have little fascination for clothes. Even less so during Puja. I mostly do my shopping during January and February, when discounts are at their highest. It’s called financial discipline!
What is your favourite Puja memory?
Going pandal hopping with my mother when I was a kid. My dad used to work in Hyderabad at the time, so he couldn’t join us. My mom and I would start our pandal hopping just after sunset, so that we could admire the lighting. And then we’d walk as much as we could!
Lastly, one power of Durga you wish you had and why.
The power to kill the ashuras.
And who are the ashuras in the real world?
Just open the newspaper!
