Meghdut Roy Chowdhury, chief innovation officer and executive director, Techno India Group, has been busy conducting quite a few pre-Durga Puja events. Like every year, he plans to indulge in good food, dress up in fashionable Indo-western clothes and spend time with his loved ones. My Kolkata caught up with him to know what Durga Puja means to him.
My Kolkata: How do you usually spend Durga Puja when in Kolkata?
Meghdut Roy Chowdhury: I try to spend Durga Puja in Kolkata every year with family and friends. Since a part of my family
lives in the US, I have also spent a few Durga Pujas there. But when I am in Kolkata I spend it with my family and there are usually a lot of events going on. When I was younger, I was very eager to go pandal-hopping, but with time that craze has gone. This year I have been busy with two events — one is the Delphic Culture Summit and the other is the Preview Show 2023 of Durga Puja Art with the British Council. So we are going to showcase Durga Puja to people from other countries and hope they will take back experiences to write and narrate.
Any special outfit(s) for Puja this year? If not, what do you usually wear?
I am not super picky about pujo outfits. In general, I like dressing up quite a bit. So whatever I would wear normally, I just add a local touch of our Bengali attire. I, anyway, wear a lot of Bengal-inspired pieces in a modern way. Like other years, I am going to wear clothes from sustainable fashion brands from Kolkata. Like this year I will be wearing comfortable gamcha clothing from 145 East.
‘I am not super picky about pujo outfits. Whatever I would wear normally, I just add a local touch of our Bengali attire,’ says Meghdut
Is there a special event or tradition (personal or ritualistic) that you follow during Durga Puja?
I think everyone celebrates pujo in their own way. And I take this opportunity to meet as many people as I can.
Do you have a special memory associated with Durga Puja in Kolkata or elsewhere?
There are many special memories. But when I was younger, I used to spend Durga Puja in the US. There, I experienced Durga Puja that was very very different from the Durga Puja here. And very recently, our Techno India students made a Durga idol out of e-waste. The day we launched it was a very, very special day. That idol has gone to Sovabazar Rajbari. This year too, they are doing another idol with cloth waste. It looks fantastic!
‘Maa Durga has this power to bring people together and as a child I have admired this,’ says Meghdut
What is your favourite Durga Puja-time food?
Oh I am a huge street-food buff! So the staples — rolls, biryani — work for me! I also relish mum's homecooked food. This time I have been away from home a lot and could not spend much time with my family. So, it will be a great time to be at the dinner table with all and enjoy home food.
One power of Durga you wish you had and why?
Maa Durga has this power to bring people together and as a child I have admired this. She has the power to gather so many people at the world's largest public arts festival where billions of rupees are spent with so many events being organised. Last year, I learnt that there are about 32 countries that celebrate Durga Puja and the latest addition to the list was Finland. So it's amazing how this one festival is celebrated with such grandeur.
