Durga Puja incomplete sans Bengali sweets and cuisine

Kolkata, Sep 26: Durga Puja, which is known affectionately as ‘pujo’ or ‘Durgotsav’, the grandest festival of the ever-exuberant Bengalis, is celebrated with dance, food, music, grandeur and community gatherings. It’s no secret that Bengalis are foodies and Durga Puja is a testimony to this fact. While the country, especially the northern and western part of it, celebrates Navratra by fasting every day, Bengalis seem to have a gala time, eating the lip smacking delicacies, especially the trademark sweets are worth relishing. On a lighter note, fasting is restricted to daytime, till ‘pushpanjali’. Durga Puja celebrations are incomplete without Bengali sweets. Sweetmeat shops across the city compete among themselves to provide as many as 20 to 25 varieties. From chanar jilipi to mihidana, sitabhog, langcha, roshogollas, kamala bhog, sandesh, Khirer chop and Pantua – iconic sweet shops in the city come up with the most innovative sweetmeats The payesh, the malpoa and the taste of mishit doi is savoured by everyone. Narkel ladoo is yet another sweet that is made of milk, coconut and sugar. These ladoos are significant sweets during durga puja. Apart from the famous Bengali sweets, lip-smacking traditional food holds sway during Durga Puja festivities. UNI