Roaming the streets of Kolkata during Durga Puja in a kurta, a dhunuchi naach to the beats of the dhaak, participating in sindoor khela, and feasting on Bengali food — celebrity chef Gary Mehigan seems to blend himself completely in the spirit of Durga Puja. To be aired this evening, the Durga Puja episode of National Geographic series India’s Mega Festivals series captures the grandeur of the festival through Gary Mehigan’s eyes.
Speaking to My Kolkata about his visit to Kolkata for Durga Puja, Mehigan said, “The narration of the Durga Puja episode covers various aspects of the festival and as an outsider, my experience being a part of it was incredible! The community feeling, waiting in a queue for hours just to enter into a pandal, the celebration of women power — the festival is quite fascinating for my Western perspective.”
Durga Puja in Kolkata was shot as the second festival for the series right after shooting Onam and the emotions of the people and the scale of the celebration in Kolkata left Mehigan awestruck. Sharing that experience, he said, “When I saw people queuing up outside pandals for hours, it was almost incomprehensible for me. We were inside a pandal themed on St. Peter’s Basilica and people got the chance to come inside after a long wait and barely got a minute with the goddess Durga but the joy and the love gleamed in their eyes.”
In a recent teaser released by Nat Geo, we see Gary Mehigan cheering and shouting ‘Durga Mai ki joy!’ with a group of people. He also seems to have picked up certain Bengali phrases like ‘taratari cholo’.
The St. Peter’s Basilica replica pandal at Sree Bhumi TT Archives
The 44-minute-long episode will take the audience on a journey of the five days of Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, where the celebrity chef visits pandals, participates in rituals and tries traditional Bengali food. When it’s Gary Mehigan, one can certainly expect a lot of fun!
While we will see Mehigan having a wonderful time, he will also tap into various significant angles of the celebration including women empowerment, communal harmony, diversity, and more. Thanking National Geographic India, Gary Mehigan said, “National Geographic has always inspired me through its unique, powerful, and thought-provoking storytelling. I am so happy that I got an opportunity to explore, learn and experience some of India’s biggest festivals with Nat Geo. Through this show, not only did I witness diverse cultures and traditions, but also immersed myself in regional cuisines and cooking techniques. I hope that viewers will also enjoy the show as much as I did.”
Gary Mehigan matching his steps with dancers for a ‘dhunuchi naach’ during Durga Puja
To know what else Gary Mehigan explores on his trip to Kolkata during Durga Puja, watch the episode today. Stay tuned to My Kolkata to read the complete chat with Gary Mehigan about Durga Puja, his visit to Kolkata's Mullick Ghat, trying Bengali bhog, all the behind-the-scenes updates from India’s Mega Festivals and some more fun stuff!
India’s Mega Festivals airs on National Geographic Channel and on Disney+ Hotstar every Wednesday at 8pm. Repeat telecasts are aired on the channel on Thursdays at 12pm and Fridays at 8pm.
